A FOOTBALL MATTER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10691, 10 August 1912, Page 4

A FOOTBALL MATTER

A SELECTOR REPLIES TO CRITICISM. Mr D. K. Logami writes as follows-; to the Wairarapa Age:— "As always happens when there are a number of players of equal ability in a football competition, the selected team nit',t ruffer severe criticism at tli? h.imis of those tnat are left out, or their admirers. This is only natural,, and fair criticism is, or should hn; welcomed by a conscientious selector. This year the teams are a very even lot, and there are aieo but few individual player? who can be said "to stand out by themselves." Witlt ■regatrd to certain criticisms of , the Wairarap:.' team, one is tempted to f •icrtr'-xt. t.lint p.ome of- the critics are disappointed ones whrse opinions are unlikely to carry weight with the public or the 'Selectors. Of the literairy critic, I would like to ask the following questions:— ; ' ' 1. Upon what does he base his knowledge 'of the gime, or.cf the present Rugby players?" 2. How many games has he witnessed in-the Wairarapa this year in which the .Red Star team did not take p n't ? 3 1 . ]» lie aware that tliiy team wa« selected upon the form displayed in the North v. Sdutli .match of last Saturday, and did he see that game? 4. If lie saw the match (a) who worts the best of the "hookers" taking all their play into consideration P (b) Did not Thompson, Sievere, Matt son and O'Brien play in&nitely better games than K. Welch, Tait, Roes and Ball? 5. h> he aware that the Carte-rtom team have played Mattson in the fiveeight position for amp weeks past? 6. Can he suggest a better full-back than Darville? 7. Will Darville himself bear out this writer's criticisms? I wish only to add th.it the selector's desire was-, nod- is, to. select the best players en their form at the timo of selection., To-morrow's game will supply an opportunity for the critics to roll up in force and pay their shillings with a view to picking out "the glaring incompetencies" of tho mail: (Selected in. their fancy's place. This opportunity will not be lost by the selectors, and each player must know that no certainties in the team, on account of the equality of the general form of all the players in this; year's competitions.

Mastcrton, August 9th, 1912,