“AUSSIE” LEAGUE TEAM

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20254, 24 July 1937, Page 22 (Supplement)

“AUSSIE” LEAGUE TEAM

TRIALS IN NEW ZEALAND. HOME BIDE ’’HAS THE GOODS.” TOURISTS’ FORMIDABLE TASK. Australian Rugby League touring footballers will have their capabilities | surely tested at Auckland next month : prior to continuing their nine months’ J tour of America. England and France, | for they will play two tests against j New Zealand and another game against ! the Maoris at Auckland, all within a j period of seven days. The opposition in Auckland wil be formidable, j New Zealand Rugby League football is particularly strong at present, even I belter perhaps Ilian when the Austra- | lian team was here in 1935 and sut- ! fered defeat in one of the tests. This ; means that the Australian players will need to be fft when they land at Auck- ; land from the Awatea to prepare for j the first game a few days later. Now Zealand Experience. j Thirteen of the men chosen for the | tour were in New Zealand with the last Australian team: McKinnon, Collins. -Gibbs, Curran, Fairall, Prigg, Stohr, Norman, Ward, Pearce, Lewis, Whittle and Gilbert. They will, therefore, realise the formidable nature of the three-match programme arranged for them. Should the Australians win all three games, the victories would stamp their side as good. New Zealand is difficult to beat at Auckland, owing to the high calibre of the players. Defeat would be a blow at the prestige of the touring team. In view of the three all-important games at Auckland, there will not be any slackening in training hv the Australians before leaving Sydney. Risk of injury will have to be taken just as if the men were on tour, or playing for places in the team. Fine Maori Team. The Maori game is going to be solid. Tbe eleventh member of the Maori Rugby Union team in Australia in 1935 to turn to Rugby League was Tommy Chase, who with his brother, Rangi, has just joined tlie ranks of Manukau at Auckland. T. Chase has represented the Wanganui district for a number of years. Rangi is a brilliant inside back, weighing 13 stone, and in his first League game at Carlaw Park, scored three fine tries. George Nepia, the famous full-back,

returned to Auckland from England recently. Other New Zealanders home from England, or due, are Ted Spillane, who played for Wigan. Keighley, and Bradford Northern; and Eddie Holder, of Duller, who has done so well with Wigan. Apart from all these notabilities New Zealand critics declare they ‘'have the goods" and there will he great difficulty in selecting the test teams to meet Australia.