TE ARAWA TEAM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 594, 27 July 1933, Page 6

TE ARAWA TEAM

— Ed. M.P.

• (To the (EJditor.) Sir, — I hereby beg you to allow me little space in your honourable paper of assisting the selectors of our Arawa Maori team in collecting the very best material available for the forthcoming contest against Whakatohea. Without commenting on "any of the men already chosen by our selectors, I wish to make an additi'on by including one of our most consistent forwards in Te 'Puke and that is Matia Webster. On his play this season, he is surpassing the form he displayed which earned him a place in the Bay of Plenty team in 1931 and 1932. This man is physieally fit, always on the ball ,works hard in the thick 'as well as in the loose, possesses a deadly tackle, has abundance of pace, and ' altogether has all the qualifications of an ideal forward. ! If the conditions last Saturday had been favourable I am sure that this man would have attracted more than i a glance from our selectors. In recommending this man I am not in the least biassed by outside opinion, but through keen observation of each individual player in this district, I am sure his inclusion will not be a disgrace to our Arawa team. He is built on solid lines, his age is 20, and ev.ery pound of his weight is made up of . solid muscle. My knowledge of the finer points of Rugby has been built up 'by experience of long standing and in making these remarks about this man I have no hesitation in saying that he is a man that is overlooked by the selectors. Not having the list of those already chosen by our selectors, I am unable to make a detailed analysis of each man in his respective position, but if you are in possession of them, sir, I shall deem it a great favour if you yould publish the names in the same issue as this letter. It is my wholehearted desire that we — Te Arawa — retain the Maniapoto Cup as long as we possibly can and the only way to do that is by careful selection of the best material and correct placing, and as a keen Rugby ent'nusiast I shall only bq too pleased to assist our selectors to the best of my ability. — I am, etc., PAT WIHAPI. Te Puke, July 26. The team has already been published in the "Morning Post" but for the information of the correspondent and others who may not have seen it, it is published again below: — Full-back. B. Hataraka. Three-quarters : Hohapata, M. Howell, T. Waerea. Five-eighths : P. Howell, E. Howell. i Half-b'ack: H. Potaka. Forwards: L. Mackie, W. Te Purei, P. Taiapa, T. Whitely, T. iRaymond, A. Solomon, Te Ngaio, G. Emery. Reserves: — Backs: H. Hamiora, T. Thompson; forwards, B. Rogers, Mc-

Dougall.