FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 99, 12 September 1912, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

THE REP. TEAM.

"Onlooker" writes:—'T 'have been awaiting with interest the publishing of the Taranaki hacks " selected to -play against Canterbury next Thursday* at Stratford, and am more than astonished to see some of the "has beens" still preferred. In the last few matches what do we find? The forwards have always held their own and in most of the matches have done more than that. But can this be said of the Taranaki backs? Decidedly not. They were sadly disappointing and in the last matches the ''reputation" men especially seem to be badly on the down grade and appear to go one worse each 1 match they play. Why has not the selector put one or two of them on the terraces for a spell? The change would proI bably do them the world of good, and take some of the ''swelled 'head reputation" business away. For instance, Iliad | Don Cameron been playing under a i selector worthy of the name, that player should not -have gone more than one ' match. He seems to have lost his foot--1 ball science absolutely and it was painl ful to watch his tactics, especially in the I Wellington match, and even more so in ) the Otago one. Any third-grader could I not'have given a worse exhibition. His i policy of "fear" in the past bus now j come to one of ''dread." Stohr also j*seems to have lost most of lik science, j but his kicking on the other hand re- | trieves him at times. He is not fit for I a three-quarter in any iii'nt-class rep. ! team on his present play and is essenj tially a full-back. Cameron at present, j however, is not lit for either position in lan ordinary club team. Roberts is far I and away the best of the backs, but hangs on too long at times and is ini cline.d to go too much on his own. ProI bably it is because be cannot rely on the ! wings. S. Cameron has been treated by the selector much worse than hw namesake and if one of them deserved to be sent to full-back we know which one j should have been. While playing at five- : eighths atlTawera he was the only one of J the backs that put a bit of "devil" into ibis play. McLcod is a very inconsistent player and could not go right at Ha worn, j However he is one of the best defensive j backs in the team and lints saved them !time and again when others step aside. Brown, along with McLeod, shares the hard work but is rather slow behind the scrum as compared to some of the other I rep. half backs. He fumbled badly I against Otago and spoilt many a good opening. Taylor, wiho at wing has been .playing a dashing game all through, did i not appear to put his usual vim into Jit last Wednesday. Let us hope that j some of them will "'play'' for a change in their match on Thursday.

It is ihigli time we liad a selector who ■exercises more discretion, and one we can rely on to do his duty. "Mismanagement of tiliis sort is teliiiur heavily in favor of the Leajrue name, and little wonder that it. is making- syieh rapid strides. .The selector has been n failure, and we have to thank him for Taran >ki being a third-class rep. team to-dav. He has lid excuse, as he has witnessed these mistakes with open eyes at each niatoh. The only conclusion is that :he does not know his work, and should resign.