FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 383, 7 May 1910, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

(By "Spectator"), The curtain will rise next Thursday on the championship fixtures under the control of the Taranaki Rugiby Union. Something, nrobaihly the weather, has prevented very keen interest being evinced so far by the public. The recent Thursday afternoons have been suggestive more of tennis or bowls than of football. But, weather or no weather, footballers will have to 'buck in next Thursday., for every point scored makes a bid for championship honors. The contest will doubtless be as keen as ever, and-it will have to be as clean as ever. Perhaps r. little improvement can be made under the latter heading, lest the Rugby public ser-k Thur-dav afternoon animMiii-nt elsewhere. Hoekev and soccer, both excellent games and attractive, are gradually emerging from the shade of "not, understood," and can be depended on to keep improving, and attracting bigger gates.

There's no room on the Taranaki football field for the football "rough/ ii a man feek that he must biff and bang at something, let him take on boxing or the big drum, preferably the former, because the bfg drum isn't licensed to hit back: Taranaki football to date has been fairly free from systematic roughness, .but there have been isolated instances. Referees arc enjoined to keep an eye open for fou-1 tactics, and .there is no doubt that the Rugby Union will have to lend ■4 favorable ear to the referees' complaints or reports. We want a clean game, and that the excellent name borne by the Taranaki province as me home of football, and as the one "smaller union" whose fifteen can give the big centres a big shaking by real, honest football, will long remain with us. Men must "play ,the game" as men. Hard knocks can scarcely be avoided, of course, in a willing game, where both sides strive hard to win. "There neve; yet was a game worth a rap. for rational men to play, into which no accident or mishap could possibly find its •way," someone .wrote, and it's true. Players receiving a knock or a blow need not' lose their tempers about it and "lash out." Of course, if a man is sure that he has been intentionally or foully hit, it's hard to turn the other cheek, and even the strictest moralist finds it hard to argue that he shouran t return the compliment. There must be a good fellowship, as of old. 'Players going on the field are not to adopt the rule of a club down south a. year or two ago to "mark a man" from the outset for knocking out. And they ougiht to be able to fraternise like a lot of schoolboys when the whistle sounds "no-side."

OPENING GAMES. The Saturday competitions commence to-day, when Rovers meet Warehousemen and Civil Service play Pirates. The teams are an unknown quantity to the writer so far, but many of the players have been practising hard, whilst others are reported to have lost the way to the practice-ground. We are promised some keen competition. The remaining fixtures in the first round of the Saturday competition are as follow: —May 14 —Rovers v. 'Service, on racecourse; Pirates v. Warehousemen, on Recreation Grounds; ,May 21, Rovers v. Pirates, racecourse; Service v. Warehouse. Recreation Grounds.

For next Thursday the fixtures are as follows:

Seniors: Tukapa v. Eltham, at Eltliam: Stars v. Inglewood, at New Plymouth; Clifton v. Stratford, at Stratford.

Second grade: Tukapa v. Eltham, at New Plymouth; Star v. Inglewood, at Inglewood; Clifton v. Stratford, at Waitara.

Tihrd 'grade: Tukapa v. Eltham, at ElthfiJki; Star v. Inglewood, at New Plymouth; Clifton v. Stratford, at Stratford.' NORTHERN DIVISION TEiMS.

The Inglewood Club, which 'has not been in a very prominent position on the list for some years promises to have a much better team this year, and every footlballer will be pleased ,to see them making a good bid for the championship honors. Their ipluck in canning out their programme time after time, when defeat was assured, has stamped them true sports. It isn't easy to keep a team going when its chances are nil. This season, the club officials state, gives nro-pcct of being move successful. Owing, however, to the distances 'players have to travel, not much practice has been indulged in. Several new players have been out, and have shown fair form, notably Russell Bros. (Wairarapa), McGec, and Jennings (.Upper Thames). . They all shape well as forwards. Some of the junior players are showing good form, and will probably be promoted, immely, Smith, Saywell and Karalus Bros. The two former are fast backs. Tlic club has 'ts own little difficulty to face. The first juniors are a Tariki team, and they want to stick togethw. The selection committee can see several in tile team who are easily good ,enough for seniors. These men ought not to stand in their own light, but talcs proomtion as socm as they can get it. .Better to win a senior cup than a junior; better be third

1 ill ihe first grade, than first in the sccj om;. iic-uif-, .[nit tile flub lirst, Ihe J ha... jii'.\i. .here ought lo be mi anx- ; ie,, .u iiu- ciussi'd as a senior, and until 1 in... is i.-.u! fnglewood club won't re- , ci. t . uir:; ..- jioau position of olden aa.yf. ; 15ul .l tiiose iiiriki chaps will just imht ; lor iirst-class honors, tneres no reason ', why their dub suouiua I be one of uiose lo be reckoned with, and very ! seriously too. Of lust year's seniors,! ' Brown, Nicholls, Kennedy, Jury, \V.! ! Kaynor (backs), and Boldt, llopidnson ' anti Humble ;ire available. Several of , tlioni lill their jerseys too tightly yet, i .but a few games will fix .that. Tile i team wants a good lock. I It is extremely difficult to say at! ; present what the Stratford team wni| ,je like this season. Of last year's team! Bradley, Brown, locker, Jb'earon, Kiveill and James, for various reasons, will not don the jersey, whilst some doubt ap-1 pears to exist as to whether Harmless l and Smith, the rep. lock, will be play-' idj. .New men are .Murphy, who played for Kaponga hist year, Burgess, wlio represented Eltham, and Burguam, who two years ago played for tlie Poneke Juniors. It is evident that some of nist year's juniors will have to be promoted, and last year there were not a great number of promising players in this team. The greatest blow to the seniors win be the loss of the hookers, and it is difficult to know whom to replace tiicm villi. The 'back division wili be auout up to last year's form, .but local enthusiasts are not so sanguine about.tlie Tor-, wards. Compared with the "heavy brigade" who do so much for Mamua the' local team will be light. Up to tile present the enthusiasm has not been as gieat as could be desired. A couple of practice games and a match have been played, and fair form has been shown. Gym. work is proceeding, and probably when players realise that the matches have started the attendances will in-, crease. 1

The Eltliam team has undergone considerable changes since the close of last season. Dive, F. Hill, Partridge, \V. Smith, P. Burgess, L. Moir and 11. Burke

will be numbered amongst the absentees through various causes. Dive has decided to retire. Partridge and iSmith have left the district. Hill is laid up in hospital from an accident which happened a few days ago. Moir and Burke will .be unable to play, as they have taken up the Northern Union game As a result, the Eltham team will probably be somewhat weaker than last year in tin. .back division; but, as usual, it again has a slashing set of forwards. In the forward division there are four new players of the strong and dashing order —W. Narbey, who lately tplayed in t'linstchurch cup matches; Horan, late of Wanganui and Inglewood; and McLean and Salter, who also hail from the South Island. The back division will be assisted by the inclusion of .UcKt:i;::e, a late member of the St. James (Wellington) team. Probable promotions from the junior ranks will be Cooper, C. Glenworth. (J. Robinson and Whitting. The latter player was a second junior last year, and scales nearly 15 stone. The building of a club gymnasium is now on the boards, and will probably he an accomplished fact within the next fortnight. Eltham will again probably liave two good junior teams. The senior team for next Thursday will probably be picked from the following players: —Salter, McLean, Whiting, Levick. Horan, Osborne, Gibson, Charters, Narbey, Robinson, D. Moir, Cooper, Porter, McKenzie, C. Glenworth and Workman.

| The Clifton Club (Waitara) has had | some splendid, practices this season, and j the enthusiasm aroused so far is keen. Some of the players, however, have not struck form, and will have to train hard to get into match form. Most of last year's seniors are playing again. Gillett Sampson has reconsidered his announced , decision to retire, and apparently Dan George is going to put in another season, that is, if his leg will stand it. , A. Goodwin, of Hawera, will have a place ' in the three-quarter line, and with Tate ' on the other wing will make matters lhely at times. The fifteen has not yet I been selected, bi.. :. will probably read something like this:- .':l]-back, Samp- ] son; tihree-quarters, Goodwin, Eggleston, j V. Tate;; five-eighths, Bond; half, S. George; wings, N. Kyle and D. George; l forwards, M. Cain, B. Berntsen, S. Lov- . eridge, J. De Blois, W. de Blois, Crow- '• ley and /ones. Those forwards are a I pretty solid lot. Beamish (Hawera) may i also be available for the seniors. The first juniors are an uncertain quantity.The second juniors will be very much the same as last year's—very light. j The Tukapa seniors have suffered very! little alteration. There are only two defections. Allen has gone from the forward division, and the team will miss j'the pushing power of this nuggety scrum- : mer. Mason is missing from the halfI back position, but he should easily be replaced and improved upon. The vetI eran H. Mynott is again in charge of operations, and he has a good lot with him. There are one or two backs and a couple of forwards to spare, which suggests the need for two members of the pack to put a bit more weight into the ■scrum if they are to retain their places. The selection committee has the following material to select from: Full, Clarke;, three-quarters, Jack Stohr, Bert Stohr,' Webster, Addison; five-eighths, Mynott; 1 halves, Loveridge and McGiven; wings,l F. Loveridge and Jones; forwards, Jones,! Perry, Jull, Steele, McAllum, Fair- 1 brother, Matlieson and Ward. There is, said to be some doubt about F. Jones' playing this season, .'nit the chances arei that he'll be chasing the ball next Thurs-j day. The Star team is probably about the ■best-trained fifteen in the northern dis-j trict. As haw been the case fori a. few seasons past, there is a weakness' in the back division. Clow will (probably! take his old place at full. Grant and L. Hill are certainties for the three-i quarter line, and Whitaker, Malone, Bach and Crockett are candidates for the' third place. Malone will most likely, be selected, though Bach is as clever,' hut he's very light. Wally Whitaker 1 and Charlie Brown will be'the pivots,! and Copestake and Dixon the wing forwards, the former having come up from the juniors. The forwards will be picked from the following: Hawkins, Coker, Turnbull, Bullock, Pearce, W.| Boss. Robinson. Richards, Davidson, T.j Hopkins. Lea land and Evans. Pearce ami Robinson 'are new to this district. ;

NOTES. The New Zealand 'beam for New South Wales will sail on June 3rd, pi • - ing the first match on the 11th. ] is intended to send twenty players, ilm programme *o be five matchos, the ; our requiring players to be .absent iron home for about four weeks. At file instance of a large and 'ifluential .committee representing the Maorisof the whole Dominion, negotiations have been completed witlh the New South Wales Union for a representative MAori team fo tour Australia during .(he season. The team will leave New Zealand on 'May 3(lbh to play a series of maiihes arranged for by the New South Waies Union. Great care is being exercived in the selection of ,pjaversr so as to ensure its being satisfactory both ■fr»m a playing and a personal stand-

I point. The team is to travel without liability to the Now Zealand or Now | South Walts Unions, the Maori (.'omn;i too inidor.aking tin- liability of all e.penses. Alt the suggestion of the Maori •Committee, any surplus from the tour is to bo devoted to charity. Tamu and Pini, both of the Waimatc CluJj, and both Tarannki reps., will make the trip, I as will .1. Martin, of Opunake. The annua! meeting of the Primary Schools Football Association will be 'held this afternoon. C. Carlson, one of Eltham's most promising junior forwards, had his leg broken i'i a -practice match on the Eltham ground on Thursday last.