Leaguers Take the Field

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 339, 26 April 1928, Page 11

Leaguers Take the Field

Senior Competition Starts at Carlaw Park To-Morrow MANY NEW FACES AMONG PLAYERS AUCKLAND Leaguers will pound the two fields of Carlaw Park to-morrow afternoon in the first games of the senior competition for Ahe 1928 season. The big game of the day will be the clash between Newton and Richmond. Both these teams, although many newcomers are included, • report fitness and keenness among the players, and fans can feel certain as they troop along to League headquarters to-morrow, that they are to witness good, fast and open football.

NEWTON V. RICHMOND Pride of position for ,£he opening round of the Senior competition, will be very fittingly filled by Newton and Richmond; the former being winners of last year’s championship and the latter winners of the Roope Rooster. A good even game should result. Both teams have undergone a good deal of alteration since last season, and many new faces will appear to-morrow. Newton will be without the services of Mclntyre, who is now playing in Australia, Mormon its last year’s captain. and Dick Stack. Richmond will miss Dixon, who has gone over to Rugby, while Bass, Carrol and Redwood will also be missing from the pack. NEWTON VERY STRONG Newton’s team promises to be very strong. Murray will be fullback. He is a native who - has shown up well in the practices. The threequarters, Herewini on one wing, Dufty at centre, and Little on the other wing, should prove a very strong combination. The five-eighths are Hales and McLeod. “Shaver” Hardgreaves will be played at half and should prove a handy man in this position. The forwards should be greatly strengthened by the inclusion of Herring in the front row. Herring has been transferred from Athletics. With Somers hooking, and Clarke, Henry, Rhodes and Hall, it should be a very formidable pack to represent last season’s champions. RICHMOND’S TEAM The Richmond team will probably be: Fullback, Hanlon; threequarters, Turton, Swift, and Taylor; five-eighths, Wharton and Prentice; half, Davis; forwards, Lennie, Stack, McCarthy, Stewart, Colebrook, and Jenkinson. The above are all last year’s players with the exception of Wheaton, who will partner Prentice at five-eighths. This player has been brought up from junior, and is promising. Stack, who will do the hooking, is also a last year's junior and is a younger brother of Dick Stack, the unlucky Newton forward. Colebrook who will be played in the second row of the pack is a last year’s Rugby player, who is showing good form. CITY v. DEVONPORT City’s team, like many of the others, will contain new faces and. judging by last Saturday’s game, will not be as strong as it used to be a couple of years ago. It has the material to make a fine team, but will take a few games to find its feet. City will, however, be up against a hard proposition with Devonport, as Shore has a very fine team. There is very little change in the Shore men’s last year’s team, and they should, have^

no difficulty in defeating City. The other game to be played between Ponsonby and Ellerslie, will be played as a curtain-raiser on No. 1 ground at 1.45 and will see Ellerslie players making their first appearance in the A grade section. As they were defeated by Athletic last Saturday, and as Ponsonby who proved its worth by defeating Newton, has a strong combination, it looks like Ellerslie having to improve considerably to have a chance with the Ponies. Most of Ponsonby’s last year players are available. Delgrosso, last year’s captain, will be missing, and will be hard to replace. Chilla Gray, the versatile full-back, will be a handy man to have, and Sam Lawry will not see his old team short of a hooker. Marist Brothers, who have drawn the bye this week, appear to have a good team and by deefating Devonport last Saturday showed that they will have to be reckoned with when looking for the championship winners. TO-MORROW’S TEAMS Senior Grade Devonport.—Simons, Holmes, Beattie, L. Scott, A. Saxon, Seagar, Cleaver, Preston, Speak, Wells, Rhodes. Sadgrove, Casey, Hunt, St. George, Ruby, Rule, Dixon, A. Scott. Ellerslie. —Cook, Johnson, Shand, Dance, Slater, Grogan, Crewther (3), Littlewood, Paul, Roxburgh, Page, Shirtcliffe. Davies, Allen, Mead. Senior B Grade Parnell.—Kerr, Waldron, Little, Anderson, Keane, Tanner, Davies, Ritchie, Molloy (2), Sloraan. Brockliss, Wilson, Simpson, Clark, Perry, Patton, Lawrence, Peachey'. Grafton Athletic.—Longville, Vosey, Christmas, Lucas, Bissitt, Martin, Stevenson, Smith, Bryer. York, Yaraiey, Courtney', Nelson, Allen, McCloughen, King, Angelo, Forbes, Jones.