FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 17 June 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

POSITIONS OF TEAMS

Following are the positions of the Senior teams and the Northern Juniors up till Saturday last:— SENIORS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. The Rugby Union meets this evening. • All the grounds suffered from the heavy rain last week ,and this was reflected in the play in Saturday’s matches. , The Union should insist on matches being started sharp to time. The Shannon-Kuku match on Saturday was finished in the dark. This sort fit thing is undesirable both, from the players’ point of view as well as the spectators'. Kuku’s display was undoubtedly the best they have shown this season, and If they go on will upset calculations in some quarters. The Kuku forwards gave a surprisingly good exhibition in every department of the play. They repeatedly broke 'away from the line-out and swept over the opposition. Their scrum work was good, too, getting nearly all the ball. The Shannon pack suffered from want of weight, and fast men like R. Moynihan, Sands and Parker were unable to get moving when they had to give ground in the scrums. When the Reds did get away, the above trio were invariably in the van.

Of a hard-working pack, Koro and Tano, of Kuku, stood out prominently all the time, whilst Bevan was responsible for some dashing work. Page, of Kuku, made his presence felt behind the Kuku scrum, and with Hakaraia and N. Winiata, played a capital game.

Marshall, of Shannon, was as safe as ever. The Red backs, on the whole, did not use the line to such advantage as Kuku. The Wanderers-Foxton seniors gave only a moderate display on Saturday. The Wanderers have been chopping and changing a good deal this season, and it is about time they settled down to a pfermanent disposition of the team. Their back display was about as disjointed as it could be, and a long way behind the combination of Foxton.

After a spell on the touchline for about three weeks, FT. Jacob will turn out with the Wanderers on Saturday. His presence alone should be a strong incentive to the Blacks.

Tommy Winiata is badly missed from the Wanderers’ back division. He had the misfortune to break a finger some weeks ago, and is still on the casualty list. Hui Mai is showing improved form and had no difficulty in disposing of Tokomaru. They will have a little harder nut to crack with Shannon on Saturday., Stratford, formerly of Shannon, played a capital game for Foxton on Saturday, and is a valuable addition to the forward ranks of the seaside team.

Hockey is attracting quite a lot of Rugby players this season, the game being an excellent means of keeping them fit. The latest additions are R. George, W. Bevan and D. Wilson, of Manakau, who are playing for Weraroa.

Saturday’s senior matches, KukuWanderers and Shannon-Hui Mai, promise to provide exciting games, and either should be well worth seeing.

Kuku’s win last Saturday makes the senior competition still more open, and brings Shannon back level with the Wanderers.

With the first rep, match "due on the 25th, the selectors should miss no opportunity of seeing the competition matches. There is a strong selection of forwards in the Union this year, and Horowhenua should be well represented in this department at least. The junior competition in this division has resolved itself into a set-to between Shannon and Foxton, with the latter leading by a point, and they look like holding their advantage. The Rugby Union should see to it that no spectator is allowed to make a nuisance of himself by yelling comments on tlie decisions of the referee. Xhis occurred during the Shannon-Euku match on Saturday. The spectator in question disagreed with everything that was not to the advantage of the northern team. The Shannon players would be the last to

complain of the decisions of Mr Bevan, which were fair and impartial throughout. SHANNON SENIORS. Th following will be the Shannon senior team to play Hui Mai at Manakau to-morrow: Mackenzie, T. Moynihan, Wakefield, O’Donoghue, Marshall, Kelly, Prain, Hennessy, O’Regan, Sands, Eagle, R. Moynihari, Dixon, Parker and Tohi. Emergencies: Knutson and Tukerie. .‘«rV • - • - ‘ ■«* I

Shannon P. ... 6 W 4 L. 1 D. 1 Pts. 9 Levin ... 6 4 1 1 9 Hui Mai ... 6 4 2 0 8 Kuku ... 6 3 3 0 6 Foxton ... 6 0 4 0 4 Tokomaru ... 6 0 6 0 0 JUNIOR (Northern). Foxton ... 6 4 0 2 10 Shannon ... 6 3 0 3 9 Levin ... 5 3 2 0 6 Weraroa ... 6 3 2 1 7 Otauru 5 0 5 0 0