FOOTBALL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9118, 10 April 1908, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

rHE PROFESSIONAL TEAM. A correspondent of the London Times makes-the following remarks (in the tour of the New Zealand London, February 24. Financially, the tour of the professional New Zealanders has been a great success, and further visitations of the kind maybe expected. fox various reasons, however, the record of their achievements in the football field is not altogether satisfactory and compares unfavourably that of the amateur “All Blacks,” who lost but a single match— the game with Wales, played at ta time when the majority of the team were out of form, owing to injuries, or the staleness which comes of too much football and far too much railway travelling. The Uew Zealand professionals played 34 matches, winning 18, losing 14, and drawing 2; they scored' 69 goals 85 tries, to their opponents 40 goals_ 68 tries, or —taking Northern Union valuation of goals and tries —398 points to 284 points. Of the representative games played, they won tbreo, beating Yorkshire and the fall strength of the Northern Union twice, and lost five, being defeated jjy Lancashire, Cumberland, the Northern Union, and by teams representing the Welsh and the English professional players. Their record against the Union club teams is 15 Wins, nine losses, and two draws, which, if they had been put in the competition, would h.-ve. given them the ninth place—a somewhat lowly position—in the list. Unfamiliarity with the Northern Union rules, and lack of staying power, which sometimes caused the loss of a match in the last quarter of an hour, were the chief causes of this inability to beat the stronger clubs, individually they were not inferior to the besc of their oponents, but soma of the members it the team did not take such pains to keep in good condition as Mr Gallaber’s amateur players. By far the , best achievement was the winning of two out of the three games with a representative thirteen of the Northern Union; and it is a subject for regret that the Cheltenham match, the decisive trial of strength, was spoilt by much rough play, and more than one disgraceful exhibition of bad temper. It is only fair, how ever, to say that the visitors played in a sportsmanlike spirit, aud were popular both with their opponents and with the critical crowds of the north. It would appear that several of the visitors have already joined Northern Union clubs; in the match between Wigan aud Oldham, played on the former’s ground last Wednesday, G. W. Smith was in the Oldham team, and Todd played for Wigan, both distinguishing themselves. Q. W. Smith is nearly as good as be.was when he came over with Gallaher’a team, aud scored some wonderful tries by means of the "gap” device ;2hutj Messenger was unquestionably the most brilliant back in the team. But for the rule which prohibits a direct kick into touch—working the touch-line was a characteristic manoeuvre of Mr Gallaher’s side, and was often forgotten at critical moments —they would have done better. There can be no doubt that the public interest in Northern Union football has increased as a result of this tour; and the possibility of an extension of its sphere of populartiy must be seriously considered, not only by the supporters of orthodox amateur Rugby fotball, hut also by the lesser Association clubs, such Fosse, which wisely refused to lend its ground for one of the missionary games _ with the Northern Union. The exhibitions at Ohelsea and Cheltenham were failures, so far as this professional propaganda was concerned, and the project of establishing a Northern Union ;lub in the London district is hardly likely to be successful. Both in Stales and in the Midlands, however md also in the far north of England, ;here are signs of a tendency towards professionalism in Rugby footfall. ; and the amateur authorities will be well advised to watch the ourse of events carefully. Perhaps t would he easier to keep Rugby ootball as a game for its players ather than a spectacle tor sixpenny reeholders if the more ardent adocates of pure amateurism were emember that “the workingman Minot risk as much for the sake of he pastime as the average “Old !oy” with his larger resources. !e cannot afford the expense of an Poident, which prevents him from ollowing his occupation for a time. In New Zealand, where the governDg body tabes the gate money in U big matches, the member of a

club is ipso facto a memerof tbe union itself, and, as such Mured against accidents in the told. Any player who is so injured list he cannot work receives £2 a ?eek from the accident fund and rae medical attendance as long he i incapacitated. Some such system muld be a real boon to working len players in this country, and Wald diminish the temptation to inch they are subject to join Northfn Union clubs—a temptation the wee of which enables the Lancahire and Yorkshire teams to find recruits in every part of Engand. ARRIVAL AT SYDNEY. Press Association.—Copyright. Sydney, April 9. The New Zealand football team frived in good health. The New South Wales League wel3med the players. Included in 30 talk were the financial aspects D| T certain incidents which happed during the tour. They had a trip, were most hospitably ®ated, and generally things went o fi in England. Johnston said he thought he never w or played footbatll till he played 19 Northern Union game. It is *B% bnilt upon giving spectacular ?P|.ays at all stages. The greatest fflcnlty the New Zealanders experilood was not in learning the new, forgetting the old rules. It was at to grasp the opposStactics in the game,which were all "edingly fast, and the back divis- ? s . a t Home occasionally gave l ®pses of phenomenal form. Some the most important games were M on sloppy, dirty "grounds, nad the whole the playing areas were . r rough. Johnston understands the idea of the New South 90 League is to play ten matches ,ifist New Zealanders—three in

Sydney, three in Newcastle, and three in Brisbane. The team lias maintained exercise throughout the voyage, and now, being in their best form, are able to do themselves justice.