Football.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 307, 26 September 1929, Page 8

Football.

, NORTH ISLAND TEAM. . i ; Waikato Players Inferior. Selector’s Opinion. At a cleaning-up meeting of the executive of the Waikato Rugby Union on Friday the question as to -whether any Waikato players had been nominated for the North Island team was put by the Morrinsville delegate, Mr. C. H. Mclntyre. The selector, Mr. T. A. Cooper, said lie had not nominated any player as lie did not think that any he had ■available were up to the standard, lie had intended to nominate two .forwards, Chapman . (Hamilton) and W. Bourke (Cambridge), but the former had met with injuries and the latter was not available.

Mr. B. Chapman said he thought it was a mistake not to nominate the best Waikato had. Players had no chance of getting in if not nomin- j ated. He knew that two New Zealand j selectors had their eyes on Waikato j players and wanted them nominated. Mr. Mclntyre : It seems strange j that' the selector could not find any- ] one out of the fifty-five he had played during the season fit for nomination. It was only a fair thing to the players that some names should liave. been sent forward. Mr. Yardley said it was a matter of opinion as to whether the players ■were good enough for nomination. However, they had a selector and it ■was his judgment which counted. The speaker did not think it fair, however, to nominate players if they ■were not considered good enough. The question had to be considered nationally, not from a parochial standpoint. Mr. Haselden was of the opinion that the union should be guided by its selector. He said ; it was the third time during the Season that the matter of nominations had been brought Before the management committee, and he did not think it right. They should abide by the selector’s decision.

Mr. Mclntyre said he had no particular players in mind, but he reiterated that the selector could surely -have found some out of fiftylive Waikato representatives worthy of nomination. The Chairman : Have you any motion? Mr. Mclntyre : It is too late now. The team is selected. Mr. Chapman : Our players have lost their chances for next year.

FOR NEXT YEAR, j Finding the Players. Inter-Island Match. The inter-island match is to be played at Athletic Park, Wellington, next Saturday, and it will be followed by a match New Zealand v. Maoris On the following Wednesday. Both games are to be played under the rules which will apply when the British Rugby team is here next year, and this fact suggests that the two games are to be taken as trials in view of next season’s big events, ■writes “ Drop Kick ” in the Evening Post. Apart from that, however, it is generally accepted that the selection of players has been made with the object of getting them ready for next year’s Tests. That being so, the method of finding the New Zealand representatives leaves much room for improvement. In the first place the selecting is being done by a committee of six. There is no need for such a number. Each island has three representatives on the Selection Committee. If three are needed in the South Island then there should he more than double that number in the North Island. But the present number should, of course, be reduced. In the South there are not nearly so many players and unions as there are in the North Island, and, moreover, there have not been anything like the same number of important matches in the South Island as there have beta in the North Island this season. It does not always follow that because one area has more players than another the better players are in that area. It is perfectly plain, however, that the North Island this season can produce by far the greater number of likely New Zealand representatives. The best fifteen from the South might be good , enough for the best fifteen from the North, but with the wealth of talent

that there is in the North Island it is possible that two or three fifteens could be found to extend the best team the South can produce. In view of the fact that the North-South match is looked upon as a trial, there are many players in the North Island who are not- receiving the chance due to them of pressing their .claims for New Zealand honours. There will only be thirty players in action before the New Zealand selectors next Saturday, as, according to the rules which are to apply, no replacements will be allowed. That being so, would it not have been better to have played a second North Island team against the Maoris on Wednesday? One or two South Islanders who might be regarded as unlucky in not getting into the first fifteen could be included, so as to make a New Zealand trial team consisting of players other than those getting their trial in the inter-island match. Trials are to be held next year, but, as the British team arrives in May, it will be a case of starting them early and hurrying them through. In those games, as well as in the early matches of the British team’s tour, many of the players not getting a trial this ;year will possibly have their charice of impressing the selectors, so that by the time the Tests are decided there may be different views about Test talent than are held at the present time. At the same time, it would have been well to have given other players the chance of an even break with the inter-island players this year in being tried out for next year’s Tests.