The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 62

V( 1 Provan leads DRISBANE, Sat. "''Queensland Rugby' to vote onMuly JT will be a novel experience for cricket in NJS.W. having Proud of a pi FIELDS in the Fifth Tnurnn- mcntorCWmpion, which ends at North Manly to day read like a Who's Who of bowlers in N.S.W. It Is doubtful if a greater number of top-line bowlers has ever assembled at the one club at the one time in any tournament. The names of only a small number of the State's leading players were missing and they were conspicuous by their absence due either to sickness or inability to play midweek bowls each day.

The standing of this tour nament has now been firmly established and it must rank as one of the prestige events in the N.S.W. bowling calendar. A tournament such as this immediately preceding or tollowmg the world series in October would" create great interest if it succeeded in attracting some of the in- 1 ternational players who will a new president. It has not had to do so for 30 years, this being the length of time 86-year-old Syd 'Smith has held the job. Anybody is eligible to become N.S.W.C.A, president, but we doubt cricket will make use of this unexpected opportunity.

It. sorely needs and drive in its outlook. We can think of a number of former test players alone who could give it just this. taken in turn from Austra lian Rules. This involves two semi-finals, a final and a grand final.

Under it one of the four teams has only a single chance. There are other advantages and disadvantages. Soccer this year will have its four leaders play each other in a "double headers" Round Robin series in the following order: 1 2 and 3 1 3 and 2 1 4 and 2 3. A 3. 2, 1 points basis will apply and the teams with the most points will contest the grand final.

This system, too, has its drawbacks, but it will be an interesting experiment. Imlmg WHILE the N.S.W. hockey team announced last Friday night may appear lacking in its depth of experienced players, the selection obviously was designed to develop a strong State team for the future. With 90 applicants seeking selection with the State junior team, a final choice has been considerably delayed. The Australian tournament, to be opened by Lady Cutler, will be played from August 22-29 at Forsyth Park, North Sydney.

Forsyth Park is an excel-ent all-weather ground, but. unfortunately, spectator facilities are non-existent there. It is a sad state of affairs that a city the size of Sydney has no suitable ground available for women's sport of interstate standard. The Hockey Association is endeavouring to remedy the deficiency and has launched ai i fund-raising dfie "develop -'the a it 9 ti BY BILL FITTER THERE are no sur-' prises only a certain degree of optimism in the State1 nominations for the Australian team to contest this year's Eisenhower Cup. Four players are named: Harry Berwick, Noel Bartell, Bill Tobin and Phil Billings.

The first three finished in that order in the series of trial games run by the Golf Association. Billings finished sixth, and he has clearly been included because of past performances, which were excel lent, and his experience as captain of former Australian' teams. We'll be lucky to get two New South Welshmen in the four-man team because Victoria's Kevin Hartley and Kevin Donohoe seem certainties. The naming of Bill Tobin even though his chances of selection may be slim is nevertheless a well-merited distinction. Since he won the Riverina championship in 1961, Tobin has been one of the most enthusiastic club golfers imaginable.

He plays in everything. Last season he notched up 39 Vardon Trophy rounds, compared with 15 played by the eventual winner, Tony Gresham. NOEL BARTELL This year in the same competition Tobin has a 73.11 average over 27 rounds. HUNDREDS of golfers will remember with affection Fred Popplewell, who died in Sydney this week, aged 79. "Pop" served identical 21-year periods as professional at the Australian and Royal Sydney clubs, covering the years 1909 to 1951, and even in retirement he retained his intense love of the game.

Until a couple of years ago he spent two days a week at St. Michael's, assisting Dan Cullen. By example and patient coaching, "Pop" brought renewed hope to hundreds of battling long markers and helped even champions to master their lapses. His long career started when in 1903 he was apprenticed at the age of 16 to Victor East at Royal Sydney. He was a formation member of the Professional Golfers' Association in 1911, won the Australian Open in 1925 and 1928 and the State professional title in 1923 and 1929.

In 1926 he went with Carnegie Clark, T. E. Howard and H. R. Sinclair in the first official Austra lian team to visit Europe.

laws Balmain lock Peter yesterday took a three-point lead in "The Sun-Herald" best and-fairest Rugby League player contest. With 18 points, Provan leads from team captain Keith Barnes. Provan yesterday gained points for his play Manly-Warringah at the S.C.G. Barnes received two points. Other major award winners were Billy Smith, half-back in the match in Brisbane, St.

George prop Elton Ras-mussen, and Parramatta centre Fred Pickup. Players judged "best and fairest" receive special awards of $20. Points will be awarded at the matches today between South Sydney and Newtown at the Sports Ground and Eastern Suburbs and Can-terbury-Bankstown at Bel-more Oval. Judges' comment TOM GOODMAN N.S.W. Queensland 3: SMITH (St G), half-fack: Maintained great effort in cover defence and was also a force in attacking play.

Scored a determined try. 2i JOHNS (C-B) full-back: Tapped off a brilliant display with a great try. Kicked six goals from 10 attempts. Made tome fine tackles. 1i IRVINE (NS), winger: Shone as try-getter, with his anticipation and his great speed.

Quickly helped to. take a rip on the match. KEN McCAFFERY Balmain Manly-Warringah 3: P. PROVAN (B), lock: A strong effort, featuring a lot of excellent attacking work. His defence, as always, was immaculate.

BARNES (B). full-back: Kan well in attack, fed the ball to his supports with well-fudged Bmssei and kid ed well. 1: FULTON five-Ighth: While playing five-eighth was elusive and polished In attack. Defended strongly. LIONEL COOPER St.

George North Sydney 3: E. RASMUSSEN (St. second row: Solid dis- Slay in defence and attack, et up St. George's initial try, scored by Clay. 2i INGHAM (N.S.).

locki First class display In attack. Scored a try and "made" one for Cubis. 1: CLAY (St. five-eighth: Particularly good display In defence. His link between the forwards and backs set up several attacks.

FRANK JOHNSON Parramatta Western Suburbs 3: PICKUP (P) centre: Classy display. Scored two splendid tries and figured in another. Tackled effectively. 2: MAHBOUB (P) prop: His Straight, hard running was one of the features. 1: PAGE (WS) lock! Figured In numerous br-aks Scored excellent try.

Defence sound. PROGRESS POINTS 18: Provan (B). IS: Barnes (B). 14: Riper (St G) Lynch 13: I Jones (S) Smith (St G) Johns (C). 10: Wilson (N).

9: Langlands (St G). 8: Bradstreet (M) Greenwood (NS) Greaves (C) Weler (NS). 7: Tuttv (B) Barsley (W) Todhev (C)' Tennant (M). 6: Bolton (B) Stevens (S) Junee (E) Glllon (P Ras-mussen (St G). 5: Jones (P) Pittard (WJ Thornett (P) Jones (B) Taylforth (C) A Antunac (M) Fulton (M).

4: Coote (S) Meaney (W) Griffiths (NS) Quinn (N) Stanton (M) Hicks (C) Moore (N) Clay (St Pickup (P). League people are oreenina themselves over the prospect of sell-out for the second Test at Lang Park next Saturday. Thev nroudlv Doint to the crandstand which has been extended at each end so that runs from beyond the deadbalr lines. It seats 9.000 neonle and all seats other than those reserved for life members have long since been sold for the Test. The Queensland Leagues Club is accommodated be low the stands.

It has become a League community centre and it brings in a nice rent for the Lane? Park Trust on which the Q.R.L. is strongly rep resented. Lang Park has not the vast area of the S.G.G. but all those who get into the ground can see tne rootpau unlike many who crush into Sydney's football headquarters. Several Brisbane district clubs now control their own grounds which were obtain ed in a primitive state and are held on very long leases.

The clubs are steadily im proving public facilities ana are develorjinn a social at mosphere in club rooms where poker machines are barred by law. A DEPRESSING feature of Queensland football is the decline of Too-woomba from being a powerful football centre which used to draw young players from as far off as Sydney (Ken McCaffery) was one) who at financial sacrifice would go there for a football education from Duncan Thompson and others. DUNCAN THOMPSON to the ffltXl Women's War Memorial Ground at Matraville, which it hopes to have available for play by next season. An initial contribution to this fund of $1 has been asked of each registered player. THE winter swimming meets are continuing today and each subsequent Sunday at Ryde-Pymble centre, with special meetings on August 6, 13 and 14 designed as selection trials for the team to tour New Zealand later that month.

Subject to sufficient finance it is hoped to send a team of up to 20 from the under 16, 14 and 12 years i IHfll WJW 2 park By TOM GOODMAN There is not enough money in League in Toowoomba to pay club players and so Toowoomba finds it hard to retain men who gain State honours. Among the more recent "departures" are Johnny Gleeson and Denis Manteit who were in Queensland's team against N.S.W. today, Some players of ordin ary standard have left Too woomba to be paid player- coaches at nearby country centres. SOME of the disappoint ing features of big foot ball this season were brought about by the big crop of injuries to star players. Among the unlucky ones was John Morgan the Test second-row "discovery," of last season now happily re stored to Manly team.

Some compensations for the setbacks come in the development of new hopes for next year's Kangaroo tour. Among these is Manly's lock Bui Bradstreet, who gave a grand display against Queensland on Tuesday nignt. Incidentally, people with influence in League affairs have been attracted by the rapid progress of another young Manly player, huge second-rower Tony Antunac. future 0 lit Each of the three pro grams will include approxi mately 20 events in these divisions, together with four open and 10 under 10 years events. TV football Highlights of the Rugby League fixtures between Balmain and Manly, and North and St.

George will be featured on "The Rugby League Show" with Rex Mossop on Channel 7 at noon today. At 3.40 p.m.- today there will be a TV cover of the second half of the Canter bury East' game from Bel mo re Oval. vv. 30 (retired). THIS has been not Ron Clarke's greatest effort.

Many will regret that he should have made an issue of his Commonwe alth Games participation. The near-incredible dis tance runner has won his battle for the right to go directly from Europe to the Games. The Australian Athletic Union backed down in its demand that Clarke should travel with the rest of the Australian team to Jamaica. Clarke will have as a companion another Games runner of much less lustre, Tony Cook. Parallel Clarke's stand against authority in the sport in which he is such an arresting figure has a parallel.

Emerson and StoIIe felt they were indispensably strong enough to defy the L.T.A.A. Clarke has made commitments in Europe right up to the time the Australian team leaves for Kingston. These are of his own deliberate choosing. Ron we know, needs to drive himself. He could still have got all the competition he needed in Europe though and been back in time to go with the team.

There then would not be two vacant seats on the charter plane. Meeting the cost of this Games team has been the most difficult burden amateur sport has known. Sports officials do make mistakes from time to time, we know. Generally though there are pretty sound reasons for their decisions. These merit co-operation at all participant levels, especially from the top figures in sports as a lead to those making their way up.

Tennis hasn't had this cooperation for years; now its athletics. FINALS COCCER must be given marks for its attempt to find a more satisfactory system of conducting hnals. Up to now it has adopted the League-Union system Following be in Sydney at that time. THE Belmore masters fours begins next Sunday. Judging from the calibre of the 108 fours which have entered this tournament has also established itself.

There will be five Sundays of sectional play. Sectional play will be on a round robin basis of three games of 15 ends each Sunday. The 27 section winners will go into an open draw for post sectional play which will be on a knockout basis. Heading the entries are last year's winners from Bulli, Kevin Pearce, Jack Armstrong, Alf Pearce and Jack Phillips. Norm Black, Jack West, State selector Andy Fraser, and Les 1965 run-ners-up, will play next Sunday-in Section 1.

Three of the four which won last year's Australian fours championship will play together Harry Bev-eridge, Alan Crawford (third) and Keith Martin (captain). Other fours which catch the eye are: Arthur Griffiths, Bill Bradbury, Frank Honeybone and Gordon Reynolds (Mascot); Ernie Betts, Ernie Carpenter, Tommy Ackland and Alan Gregor (Francis Drake); Tod Hudson, Ray Beazley, Claude Unicombe and Lea Northcott (St. George); Phillip Metham, Ray Stewart, Arthur Cook and Russ Waugh(City). THIS afternoon the strong Northern Suburbs Group will play Central Coast, at Lane Cove West. The greens at such clubs as Harbord, Warringah, North Manly and Lane.

Cove, which are in this group, are among the best in the metropolis. It is a compliment to Lane Cove West that such an im- Eortant fixture should have een allocated to this club in preference to any of the 'clubs mentioned. 62 THE SUN-HEB ALD, JULY "10, 4966 62.