LESSONS OF N.Z. LEAGUE TOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1051, 15 August 1930, Page 7

LESSONS OF N.Z. LEAGUE TOUR

(From THE SUN'S Special Representative with the. Touring Nei• Zealand Rugby League Team in Australia.)

SYDNEY, Thursday, August t. MOW that thr Australian tour of the New Zealand Rugby League football team is almost over, I suppose tbe League followers in the Dominion are wondering just wliat sort of a side this 1930 touring team really is. Well, to weigh tilings up, it is, in my opinion, the weakest side that lias represented the Dominion for many years.

The form displayed by the members on New Zealand soil certainly gave supporters hopes of the side developing into a fair team, but its showing over here has been most disappointing. No excuses can be put forward for its drab displays. It has been beaten on its merits. The 1925 sides over here did reasonably well. It succeeded in winning the rubber from New South Wales, but the standard of League in that State

was nowhere near the high standard that has been attained in the last few years. Then, again, we must look at the game in New Zealand. I think it has slipped a good deal. Go back to the last English tour only two seasons ago. and compare the side that was fielded against the Englishmen in the first test at Carlaw Park with the best team that we can field at the present time. We have not got any wingers approaching Len Scott or Hardgrave, or forwards like Lou Hutt, that fine bustler from the Ponies, or a good open man in the same class as Trevor Hall. There were a few others in that 1928 side who were fine players, but they

is concerned. Yet. if it were not for having them in this side, I just hate to think what would have happened here. It is bad enough now. but we have to thank the “old heads” for the very little success that we have had on tliis tour. The Ausshes have the game on a very high plane at present, the systematic coaching that the Kangaroos had while on tour in England being the main factor in bringing about this high degree of efficiency. I can say without fear of contradiction that at the present time Australia can place .a team in the field that would beat anything in the world. The game in New South Wales has made great strides since our last tour. They play League football as it should be played, absolutely no kicking at any time. There is no such thing as solo work. If a man cannot combine with the others, lie is quickly dropped. The big winning factor in Australian play is “possession and position.” This is where we have failed as a team. It is a common thing to see one of our players break away, but he is either tackled, or kicks the ball to his opponent, simply because he has no support. Every player moves with the man who has the ball, and all are ready to take part in the movements more than once should that be necessary. Queensland is not as strong as the last side that toured New Zealand in 1925, but it has some line promising young players. As a team, 1 do not think they could beat New South Wales if that State, fielded its strongest side. I should say that the present New South Wales side is the best that I have seen in the last 12 years. The 1925 Queenslanders had some combination, but the State side of New South Wales at present is a better team than that. With such players as Busch, McMillian, Shankland, Hardy, and Kadwell in the backs-, and Kingston, Prigg, Treweeke, and Root in the forwards, it can field a wonderful side. It has not fin© individual players like Horder, Thompson, O’Rorke, Blinkhorn, Burge, Watkins, and Latta, of a few years

back, but individualists are a thing of t.ho past now. All that is wanted at present is teamwork. There is talk of New Zealand having a visit from a New South Wales side next season, but I am afraid the followers of the League code will not have the opportunity of seeing this fine combination in action, as several of its members have received tempting offers from clubs in England. The Australian Board of Control made the players of the "Kangaroos,” which toured England last season, agree that they would not sign on for any English clubs until twelve months after the tour was over. That time expires very soon, so the Home clubs have got busy and it looks as if several members of that splendid combination will forsake the land of the “Kangaroo” and play with some of the English clubs this coming season. Something will have to be done in the Dominion to boost our game along. It may appear all right from our viewpoint, but after seeing the way the game is played over here and the great improvement it has made since our last visit it looks as if we are slipping back. The members of this side have learnt a great deal; now it remains to b€s seen if they can introduce those methods into club football. If they can, then the game is going to go ahead. If they fail in this, however. I would suggest that the New Zealand Council get busy and engage playing coaches from Australia, or else give the clubs a percentage of the gates and let them attend to their own coaching arrangements.

In short, it means that the time has arrived when the players will have to get something for their services. We in Auckland have toe many senior players and the sooner the “heads” see fit to introduce a reserve grade, such as they have in Sydney, the better for the code. ’•This will make the first grade something that is for good players only, and we will have quality instead of quantity as at the -present time. The reserve grade is well worthy of consideration and the controlling body could do a lot for the game if this was introduced. In conclusion, I would like to compliment Brisbane on his splendid form

while on tour. He has been easily our best player and anyone could take a lr*af from his book on and off the field. Gregory, the skipper, did not produce the splendid form he displayed in club football as a five-eighth. He is still a good fullback, and in this position he showed fine form. Duftv has slowed up a lot, but still his boot helped the side on numerous occasions. Wetherill was showing good form, and he was unfortunate in receiving an ankle injury that kept him out of some of the more important games. The younger members of the side did

not show the form which gained them places in the side and tlieir displays were most disappointing. Eckhoff was our best forward. He showed good form in most of the matches he played. Amos was tried as last man down. This lad is going tc. go a long way as he is the ideal type of forward. The rest of the forwards are too slow, and the rucking methods were against them right through. We will have to develop forwards who can keep pace with backs and handle equally as well. The tour has been wonderful as far as the boys are concerned. We have been just one, big happy party from the start and we have had numerous compliments paid Us on our behaviour everywhere we have stayed. The boys are disappointed at the showing they have made, but all are determined to get busy on their return and do tlieir best to bring tbe game up to the same standard as in Australia.