Club League Again

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1039, 1 August 1930, Page 6

Club League Again

FINE BATTLE EXPECTED City to Play Marist THE chief match in the Auckland Rugby League’s senior A grade competition tomorrow will be the meeting of Marist and City, two of the three leading teams, at Carlaw Park, No. 1, at 3 p.m. Tomorrow’s matches will be the third in the second-round series, the competition being resumed after a break of one week for the New Zealand-Britaih Rugby Union third Test match last Saturday.

When the teams last met in the first round, Marist won by one point after a thrilling game in the first half, which was witnessed by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe. Both teams were then at full strength, but they have both been weakened since with the absence of several men with the team in Australia. City has lost four, Watenf, Wetherill, Clark and Barchard, and Marist two, Gregory and Brisbane. If City can display better form than it did in its last match with I’onsonby, it should be able to make tomorrow’s match a very close one. However, Marist showed distinctly improved form in its last match, and it may be that the Greens will have another victory tomorrow. On the No- 2 ground at Carlaw Park at 3 p.m. Ponsonby, the leading team, will have to resist the challenge of Newton, and should score a victory if it is in the form which trounced City a fortnight ago. However, Ponsonby has been very erratic this season. having several close games against the apparently weakest teams in the competition. Ellerslie will engage Devonport on the racecourse ground, and KingslandAthletic will meet Richmond as the curtain-raiser to the main game at Carlaw Park. Senior A Grade Ponsonby.—l. Wilson, F. Delgrosso, C. Thompson, Schofield, Riley. McLeay, C. Moore, Lunn, Gardiner, Fagan, Stevens, Angelo, L* . Skelton, W. Skelton, Winter, Mclntyre, Goodwin, Ussher. City.—Bare-hard, Hamilton, Lawrence, Pascoe, McLaughlin, Hadley (2), Perry (2). Bass, Reynolds, Ivesen, Shortland, Horne Paton, Allen, Davidson. Newton. —Middleton, St. George, Mollett, Kirkup, Allan, Butler, Francis, Ferrall, E. Brimble, McCleod, C. Brimble. Hill, Murray, Beattie, Dempsey. Richmond.—Lee, Mlncham, Wheaton, Patterson, Clark. Davis (3), Prentice, Peckham, McKinnon, Potter, Lennie, McCarthy, Jones (2), Ragg, Thomas, Richie. Devonport.—O’Leary (2), Smith, O'Donnell, Laing, Rhodes, Coughlan, Ilardlng, Ruby, Rule, McCarthy, St. George. Casey. ! Gytle, Morris, Tate, Hooker. Senior B Grade Mount Albert.—Bagnall (2), Wilson (2), McDonald, Simpson, Mattson, Martin, Akehurst, Forbes, Jamieson, Brough, Kerwin, Whaley, Winks, Gregson, Hanlon, Head. Broadfoot, Magee. Richmond.—Sale, Hobbs, Stewart, Jordon, Ramsey, Deason, Fairman, Jacob, Ferrall, Farrell, Blundle, Bryan, Lawless, Broadley, Kerr, Goldwater. Second Grade Ponsonby.—Wilson, Deason, Francis. Rogers, Pennell, Young, White (2). Flanagan. Ashby, Jones, Spencer, Thomas. Orums, Barclay, Blair, Fla veil. Devonport.—Meikiejohn (2), Joins, Hawkes, Hunt, Strude, Darrocli, Edwards, Clayton, Midgley, Tate, Oliphant, Kills, Pen nail. Palmer, Clarke. Richmond. —Powell, Dunn (2), Stallworthy, Pell. ICstell, Agnew, Hayes, Cowan, Cavanagh, Fraser, Blood, Allen. Stehr.

Third Grade • Ponsonby.—Thompson (2), Bright, Griffiths, Friend, Pyke, Dear, Orams, Voltz, Byrnes, White, Shcrer, Greenwood, Wardrope. Newmarket —Meehan, Donkin, MeConnal, Hunt (2), Clapham, Clark, Ford (2). Freeney, Daniels, Johnstone, Funnell Stewart, Henderson. Richmond.—Edwards, Latham, Johnston, Lake, Hansen, Cuneen, Phimister, Taylor, Lyons, Richards, Wiiker, Wright, Baker, Griffon. Richmond.—Swanberg (2), Mills, Preston, Ross, Buekton, McCormack, Watts, Williamson, Williams, McDonald, McKinnon, Verrall, Waldren, Busliell, Hale, Devonport.—Saxon (3), Smith, (3), ton, Adams, Fisher, Seagar, Williams, Rutherford, Neighbour, Scott, Kirk, LangChester. Fourth Grade Ponsonby.—Counihan, It. Jones, Clarkin, Brown, Cliallis, Robinson, Whitley Bailie Sanford, Moore, Wilson, Frisk, Moslem. City.—Thomas, Hutchinson, Brejt, Renton. Manning, Hannah, Strange, Axeman, McMillan, Ashby, Trainor, Giles, Buchan (2), Belsham, Gardner, Nicol, Heron, Johnston. Richmond. —Valentine, Brown, Johns, Miller, Agnew. Porteous, Simmons, Turton, Callinan, McCulloch. Noble, Conway, Marshall, Rainbow, Fraei. SMALL LEAGUE GATES SHARP DECLINE NOTED IN AUSTRALIA RIVAL CODE’S PROGRESS Prospects of declaring a profit at the end of their tour is daily growing less likely for the New Zealanders, and it looks a monte that they'll be mighty lucky to cut even, says the Sydney “Sportsman”. The fabulous gates received at Interstate League games of the past made the Kiwis wet their lips in anticipation of something in the same line when they crossed the Tasman, but they’ll bo saying that those were mere eyewash, after the way the public has NOT rolled up to see them this season. The gate in Brisbane for the first match was only £550, and the attendance 9,000, so that gives food for wonder whether Brisbane is as League mad as it used to be.

It is undoubtedly true that the recent brawls between the Brisbane and Queensland Leagues have made the public up North very fed up, and It is going to take a heap ot gooc management to wipe out the memories of those long feuds. Say what they like, but it is plain that the Union is going to give the League a good run for its money in Queensland.

When a mere 9,000 turn out to see an international game it does not encourage the thought that that game is the top dog.

In August the British Union slue will be here and is sure of big gates. If those games are a success then the League is going to have a mote solid rival than ever in the North, to say nothing of Sydney. The tour by the New Zealand team has ddne nothing to resuscitate intei est in the League code. Rather it has done the reverse, for the standard of its play has been very low. Some League fanatics are so blind to the trend of things in Sydney that they profess to believe that the unintentional clash of big League club games with the British Union games is going to seriously affect the latter gates

Those men will have to wake up to themselves, the Union gates will not bo affected and are sure to attract bigger gates than have attended any of the League’s big fixtures of the season.

To any unbiased fan that is apparent, and it is only in line with tne blind eye belief in their own code of some League men that they could believe otherwise.

The time has gone when the League could afford to think that way, and it is time that stock was taken with a view to tightening up in the future For one thing, the League must play its big games on the Cricket Ground; apart from all else the playing of games there is a sign to the general public that the game is classed A.T. The Show Ground and the Sports Ground do not attract the thousands who make the big gates, so it is imperative that the Cricket Ground be regained for the class games. Solid League man George Bali has already sounded the note of warning that finances must be tightened up, and there are other things that wan* attention. The failure of the New Zealand tou» and the comparatively small gates at the Queensland games, even allowing for. depression in trade circles, do no* make for an optimistic outlook SOUTH AUCKLAND NOTES From Our Own Correspondent TAUPIRI, Thursday. On Tuesday evening a meeting was held to resuscitate the League Club in Taupiri, Mr. F. Catley occupying the chair It was decided to place a junior team in the competition. A social and dance will be held on August 13 to raise funds. At the monthly meeting of the South Auckland League it was decided to cancel all matches on August 2, when the British team will bo playing Waikato in Hamilton. It is the intention of the League to form a Referees' Association. The South Auckland League has permission from the New Zealand Rugby League Council to play the proposed Cup match against Northland on a ground other than that of the holder. A copy of the letter received from the council was forwarded to the Northland League and another to the Auckland League, with which body now rests the decision whether the South Auckland-Northland match be played at Carlaw Park. Hamilton has been given permission to play Northcote at Northcote on August IG.