1938 Auckland Rugby League season
City had not won a trophy since 1925 but had been boosted mid season by the addition of Bob Banham who the Auckland Rugby League had brought over from Australia as a player coach.
At a meeting on February 17 the Auckland Rugby League decided to start the senior competition at the early date on April 2 due to the tour of New Zealand to Australia during the season.
During the summer improvements had been made at Carlaw Park, and the system of flood lighting, which was so successful for sports events, would make night football possible".
During the meeting Archie Ferguson appealed for more senior matches to be played on outside grounds, particularly at the Devonport Domain with Mr. Campbell saying that the matter would be considered.
Probert, Jim Rukutai; chairman junior control board, Mr. D. Wilkie; auditor, Mr. R.A. Spinley; honorary physicians, Drs.
[4] Otahuhu nominated Jim Clark, who had recently been elected as returning president of their club as a life member of Auckland Rugby League.
[8] At the annual meeting on March 23 it was announced that Papakura were being promoted from the Senior B grade which they had won comfortably for 2 consecutive seasons to the Fox Memorial competition.
On March 26 several teams held organised practices with the Manukau side playing a South Auckland XIII at Waikaraka Park.
[12] It was reported that Richmond Rovers had erected a dressing and club rooms at Grey Lynn Park and that the senior team would be a strong one with Mervyn Devine joining the forwards.
The form showed [after the preliminary games] by Mills and Abbie Graham, two of the juniors can earn them permanent places in the senior team, [while] Furnell was the most improved full back in Auckland last season".
[13] Mahika Panapa, the North Auckland Rugby Maori representative halfback signed on to play for Manukau prior to their first Fox Memorial game.
[13] Ponsonby would have a similar team to the previous season with a strong backline and the forwards strengthened by J. Fraser from Taranaki who was said to be a "splendid place-kick".
They had virtually the same backline as in the previous season and had gained the services of Clark who was a "young player from Ellerslie [who had] the making of a good fullback.
Following the first preliminary round of games at Carlaw Park on April 2 it was said that they "have a good solid pack of forwards and have an exceptional back in R. Burgess who has great dash and pace [and that they] will further strengthen their team for the competition matches.
While "Kendall, a full back from North Auckland showed promise", they also had a "fairly good pack of forwards who stuck to their work well in the preliminary match".
However, Hutchinson's form at the base of the scrum is excellent, Cyril Wiberg can be relied upon to gather points consistently with accurate goal kicking and the forwards may shake down into a solid combination".
[22] In early May the Richmond club applied to celebrate the opening of their clubrooms at Grey Lynn Park on June 4 by holding a match with South Auckland on its bye date.
[53] Arthur McInnarney scored his first senior points for Mt Albert after transferring from the Ellerslie third grade team where he had been coached by Charles Gregory.
Bob Banham had been moved by the Auckland Rugby League from the North Shore club to City Rovers where he played for the remainder of the season.
Prime Minister, Michael Joseph Savage was a guest of the Auckland Rugby League and came to Carlaw Park to watch some of the play.
Remarkably in the North Shore v Papakura match the referee was Ted Mincham who had spent the first half of the season playing for Mount Albert seniors.
Roy Hardgrave made an appearance for Mount Albert after recently returning to Auckland from his time playing professionally in England and France.
Robert Marshall, the wicket keeper for the Auckland representative cricket side, scored a try in Mt Albert's loss to Manukau.
Anderson, Hemi, and Smith all went on the New Zealand tour of Australia mid-season which meant they missed 6 Fox Memorial games so their point totals were significantly below than what they would have been.
Otahuhu won the competition and their final round match was against Green Lane (who finished runner up) at Carlaw Park on July 16.
Due to the amount of time left in the season following the conclusion of the Sharman Cup it was decided to play a full home and away competition for the Walmsley Shield.
Competing teams in the 7-a-side tournament were St. Patricks, George Court's (2), Ellerslie (2), Richmond, Ponsonby, Green Lane, Point Chevalier, Balmoral, Northcote, Manukau, Newton, Glenora, and Marist.
St Patricks School on Wellington Street in Freemans Bay entered two teams in the competition after 5 weeks under the umbrella of the City Rovers club which was situated in the area.
Napier Street school also entered a team on August 20 but they only played a small number of fixtures and lost 2 games by default.
[243] Twenty six player registrations were approved on March 30 with P Young being transferred from Newton Rangers to Ponsonby and J.J. Campbell formerly of Hikurangi being reinstated.
