League Rugby

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 735, 7 August 1929, Page 15

League Rugby

Notes and Comment.

The start of a series of bigger oarres will be made next Saturday when the Shore Leaguers meet Ponsonby in a play-off for the championship competition honours. Th'S will be followed by other important and most interesting contests. in the Roope Rooster and champion of champions, while thinly scattered in the programme 0 f future fixtures are a few representative games. including the North v. South Island match. Popular Teams Xext Saturday, fans may well expect . * in the Devon port-Ponsonby match an exhibition of the best foothill vlaved. Already keen interest is beiny stimulated, and this can only consummate in :< great attendance. There is much at stake, and in such a, grand finale to a bumper season there is undoubtedly a touch of pleasure that the two sides to meet in the nlav-off are two of the finest and most popular combinations that ever thrilled Carla w I ’ark tans. lo forecast the result —well, that would take the uncanny talent of some football Ponsonby's Side ponsonby hope to field its usual teajn on Saturday and according to trainingshed reports every member is very fit and keen for the big tussle with the seasiders. m m - Harvey White, has now played three .. am( s for the seniors and is consequently no longer a junior. He is a versatile player ami is really another Dooley” Moore, for he has played in nearly every position on the field except hooker. As a junior he captained his side and his services will certainly be missed from the lower «;rade. He played a good sound game last week, and being a consistent performer can be expected to make another good showing on Saturday. Skelton had a turn in the front row agoinst City and injured his neck. He is progressing well and will be O.K. lor Saturday. Put” Skelton, the convert from Rugby, who plays on the wing for Ponsonby, did well on Saturday and scored one very fine try. He is a big fellow and a strong runner. If he was as sound on defence as he is on tne attaidc he would be invaluable to tne Ponies Vide. He has yet to make more certain of his tackling. This season Delgrosso has done sensationally well with his goal-kicking, anil on Saturday he again stepped out and man;igod a quartet, one of which brought prolonged applause from the fans. Tho name of Delgrosso, week after week, is passed on as that of some football wonder, and so he is, but unless “Delly” plays a different sort of game to that which he played last Saturday and gives a fine couple, in Thompson and Riley, a chance, he may lose the Ponies the game when they meet Shore. * * * Devonport The officials of the Xorth Shore Club report “alii well with the senior team,” and arc confident of a win over the Ponies on Saturday. The seasiders, however, will be without the services of their usual fullback, Simons, -who was injured .recently. His place as custodian will be filled by Trevor O’Leary, who made a good showing last Saturday, and Is one not likely to make any slips. * * * Hooking Duel Next Saturday should see a great duel between the two hookers, St. tleorge and Stevens. SL George is favoured with much experience, and

at times he rises to great heights, while Stevens has only more recently come out as a star. With anything approaching fine weather conditions, the side to get the better of the ball in tho scrums will have much better chances of clinching a victory.

Unpleasant There were just two or tlireo incidents in the Ponsonby-City game last which, if not nipped in the bud by some of the more level-headed Players on the field, showed every indication of developing, into something lanlx* un Pl easan L The trouble was yttn some of the City men, who evidently don't realise that their side is rnado up mostly of young players, too to take on a team like ”onsnnby at anything else but sportfootball. One of City’s smiling oacks W;is seen to fling a fist around occasionally, while when a burly forard stepped out into the open to meet wurdlner, he possibly did not know nat was in store for him had not the uxom Ponsonby packman been nulled away by his colleagues. AlUl?i\ Gardiner was seen at times to oilar halfback Sliortlund rather hard, . " ;ls quite tame compared with has-been seen on the Park on occasions and Shortland is • i tn*> sort to appreciate anybody goor' vard on such occasions to Protect him. It was all too childish m^T 0l i ds ’ and certainly did not add the 031 Pleasant of flavours to the * * *

Best Team at Present k. Devonport and Ponsonby have m a ,consistent performers and are i tomorrow as two of the finest ® * n . Auckland League, there is Drp< ag: the fa ct that just at the D ', em time » a nd after its recent of Kl msnc - S> the best team is that D « a ;2 Marist Leaguers. They outthousrh ii hoie last Saturday and althey have yet to play Ellerslie, Cap ftave as Srood as won the Thistle

* Good Trie ]?', G reg,,rj--Rr £ *3* X ®T S’ ts laTt •specially i* Satur <Jay jri*!? naust be -or V he u honour * v°L'> ,n chi, K tho Wa ß ry ' and w 22f Undinß fce '’’’Position worrie^ 6 ,*7* for Saturday •i- epn quite evident that dur‘hat ?a mes there has not been r( 'fere» a harmony between the ; n r h,* b, some teams. Although fling 7. , r^. ty of cases it is unfair j‘b u Cr Jt'cism at a referee, as his ny i n ': l H naou htedlv a thankless one, u st.r which may be caused

by certain clubs, appears, on the face of things, to be justified. Such dissatisfaction is to be deplored to the utmost—it is not true sport and it is high time that all concerned laid their cards on the table. Next Saturday's game is one of the greatest importa"ce. It is the final of a competition which has taken long to plav and which throughout has been closely followed and well received by the fans. It thus falls as the absolute duty of the Referees’ Association to make certain that the referee for Saturday’s game is one whose abilities are beyond question. Both Shore and Ponsonbv are sides made up of very decent fellows and they certainly would not take a deal of pleasing. Unless the Referees’ Association is certain of its choice for next Saturday, and feels that both sides and the fans Mill leave Carlaw Park satisfied with tlio exhibition, then it is only a matter of fair play and for the sake*of the code that it should agree to allow the Auckland League to go further afield and make a selection.