More News of All Blacks Wanted

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 374, 7 June 1928, Page 13

More News of All Blacks Wanted

COMMENT ON PLAY FOOTBALLERS COMPLAIN “Comment on the play and the players, and particularly the comment made by the South African papers, is badly needed before footballers and followers of the game in New Zealand can get any reliable indication of how things are going,” stated Mr. “Ces” Badeley, a member of the 1924 All Blacks, and a prominent authority on the game. Members of the Service team that toured Africa in 1919 spoke very favourably of the standard of criticism that appeared in the African papers.” said Mr. Badeley, and he had no doubt that their opinions of the New Zealand team and style of play would make very interesting reading for the large football public in this country. He also considered that some information should also be sent out prior to the various matches giving the comparative strength of the different sides met.

This was very essential, as in New Zealand practically all the information available was the results of the previous New Zealand tour, and the games played by the English team that recently played in South Africa. The football strength of provinces, however, fluctuated so much from year to year that this would very often prove an unreliable method of assessing the value of the victories. The paucity of the information sent out has been freely commented upon by footballers and enthusiasts generally, said Mr. Badeley, and it was to be hoped that those responsible would take steps to fill the requirements of the football public as so freely indicated throughout New Zealand.