League to Stage Final Representative Game

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 175, 14 October 1927, Page 11

League to Stage Final Representative Game

AUCKLAND v. SOUTH AUCKLAND

A SPECIAL challenge match for the English Northern Union Cup will take place at League Headquarters tomorrow when Auckland (holders) clash with South Auckland (challengers). It is not likely that Aucklanders are going to have such an easy proposition put before them as last week when they defeated Buller.

The South team and its supporters are very confident of being able to defeat Auckland, and have advised the Auckland Rugby League to have the cup brought down to Carlaw Park on Saturday. Perhaps they have recollections of other sports bodies who have arrived in Auckland without the trophy and, after losing it, have had to have it sent on. THE AUCKLANDERS The Auckland team is just about the same as that which played last Saturday, and the selectors are taking no risks with the South Auckland team. Dufty will be in his usual position at fullback. The threequarter line Wilson, List and Little, is a very useful one. Gregory and Weatherill will be together again at Jive-eighths, and Webb will lurk behind the* scrum.

The forwards are as good as can be gathered together at this time of the year and will be at a disadvantage not having a hooker, but Hutt, who played in the position last week, shaped well, and got more than his share of the ball. He is proving a very handy man this season, and has played in various positions. THE CHALLENGERS The visitors have a very solid team, and, being confident of their ability to win, can be depended on to put up a. fine game. They average over 12st. G. Raynor, the fullback, is a solid allround player who possesses a safe pair of hands, and is an exceptionally good kick. He is also solid on defence. S. Raynor is perhaps the best threequarter playing in this district. His sterling game in. ■■""■■■■■■"■■""■■■l the Inter - Island match stamps him as a brilliant wing. P. Muki, on the other wing, is another fine player who is equally at home in the forwards. He has: shown good form all the season and knows how to obtain tries. Everest, the cen-

tre, is a young, player of considerable promise, and has won his position by solid all-round displays right through the season. Hcj is also considered the best defensive.* player here and the fa.ns can look forward to some deadly tackling from this player.

The five-eighths are a solid pair, for they both scale 12 stone. Hec McDonald, the ex-city and Auckland representative forward, has been playing good football at second. W. Miki, who partners him, is a 3 r oung na.tive not yet out of his teens, find grea.t things are expected from him. The halfback, G. Graham, is solid, but cannot be classed with some of the City halves. AMONG THE FORWARDS The forwards are a very fine lot and it is anticipated they will more than hold their own. In the pack is that fine forward, Timms, who was credited with being the best forward on the ground in the North v. South match. Stephenson, who will be remembered playing for Athletic a couple of years back, is the heaviest man in the team, being 14 stone 71b. He is an exceptionally fine rake. He is also goocl in the loose. Cronin is a good loose forward, and can handle like a back. Jackaways and Farrell are forwards that can be relied upon, while the breakaway, Jones, is always looking for work.

The emergencies also are good men, and two in particular must be considered unfortunate in not gaining

places in the first 13. They are Whorsky and Taylor, who are a pair of fine attacking backs. Cameron and Abbott are both reliable men. The team will arrive in town tomorrow mor-ning in charge of Mr. W. J. Taylor, who is a member of the New Zealand Rugby League Council. an inconsistent proceeding in view of the council recently insisting on the Auckland F.A. giving a decision before a ruling could be obtained from the “heads’* in Wellington. * * • International Soccer.—Recent files of Home papers indicate that international relations in Soccer affairs between Britain and the United States are likely to become very strained unless a new treaty can be mutually agreed to by which international recognition of professional contracts is provided for. The Soccer code is becoming quite a craze in the northern States of the Republic, and shrewd professional promoters are seeing big profits in the boom. To boost the game these promoters have been buying players in Canada and Britain with an utter disregard of existing contracts, and Soccer in the United States will be in a state of “splendid isolation**\unless the practice is checked. British clubs do not hesitate to pay huge sums for the transfer of star players, and it has been a painful experience to find unscrupulous professionals accepting their share of the transfer fees, and then deliberately flouting their contract to cross the Atlantic and sell their services there. The players are at once disqualified in all British countries, but untouched in America. Negotiations are now proceeding to prevent these practices by the United States agreeing to reciprocity in respecting existing contracts and recognising disqualifications. With Trimmings This is the sort of golf match we should like to follow. Recently Herb. Williams, of America, and Dick Henderson, of England, two vaudeviliians who were amusing Melbourne audiences, engaged in a match for a silver cup. Williams turned up in a frock coat and top hat. with two gaily caparisoned caddies. Henderson, in plus fours, had no caddie, and the fact that his first shot from the tee sailed away like a frightened bird so elaited him that he seized a bag of clubs belonging to someone else, and set off in joyful pursuit. But the reason why we wish we had been following the match was that there was a portable bar, with attendants in fancy costumes, and it accompanied the players right round. Henderson won, 4 up ; and 3 to play, and thus was England’s * defeat by America in the last open , championship avenged.