1941 Auckland Rugby League season
Chairman C. Grey Campbell said “in days of stress ahead the management would rally round any deserving war cause… [and] the future was very uncertain from a playing point of view, but the speaker had no hesitation in saying that the right thing was to carry on doing a part in New Zealand affairs as a sports organisation.
Wright, R.H. Wood, H. Walmesley, Joe Sayegh, R.H. Benson, A. Moody, H. W. Gray, J. C. Gleeson, B. Brigham, N. Kyle; trustees, Messrs. G. Grey Campbell, Edward John Phelan, A. Stormont; auditor, Mr. R.A. Spinley; hon.
Lock, H. Burrell, H. Smith; board of control, Messrs. G. Grey Campbell (chairman), Edward John Phelan, William Mincham, V. Rose, R. Doble, T. Davis, J.W.
[6] It was decided at a meeting early in the season to send a message of support to the English rugby league which was endeavouring to carry on its operations in spite of the war.
Mr. F. T. McAneny, chairman of the senior clubs’ officers’ association said “the general impression of his executive was that the scheme was a wartime measure, but, judging from the remarks of members of the deputation, their idea was a permanent one.
[11] At the meeting on April 23 it was decided to make no alteration to the senior teams from the previous season and to decline the applications from Huntly and Otahuhu to enter sides.
[23] At the June 25 ARL meeting the Newton club “drew attention to the lack of protection afforded players through goal posts on suburban grounds not being properly padded.
[27] On June 14 the Rugby League Old Boys’ Association opened its “newly established” club rooms on Great North Road in the evening with nearly 200 in attendance.
Jack Campbell who had played for Ponsonby senior side in 1938 before transferring to Christchurch was reported missing after serving in Greece and being evacuated to Crete.
[34] Prior to round 9 on July 5 both Verdun Scott of North Shore and Arthur McInnarney of Mount Albert departed to join up to camps at Trentham and Papakura respectively.
While overseas he saw other Auckland league players W. Walker (Mount Albert), Trevor Bramley and Laurie Mills (Richmond), Noel Martin and Dan Klane (Ponsonby).
[41] It was reported in May that former Papakura senior player, Gunner Walter Roland Clarke was killed in action on April 15 as part of an anti-tank unit.
Long had joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force and trained at the Levin and Ohakea stations before leaving for the war on April 26, 1940.
He had been born in Fairlie, South Canterbury, in 1918 and was educated at Curran Street School and later the Seddon Memorial Technical College in Auckland.
[59] He was married to Alys O. Osborne of Birkenhead, and 22 years of age when he died, and was buried at the Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya.
He had scored a record 53 tries for Hamilton Old Boys in the Stag Trophy but had broken his collarbone in a match in 1939 and not played again until this season with Richmond Rovers.
This was to be his only season playing rugby league as he enlisted in the army and was seconded to the Royal New Zealand Navy where he served as an intelligence officer in the South Pacific.
It was mentioned in the same newspaper that Joe Murray, who had joined Manukau at the start of the season had been a Hawke's Bay rugby player prior to coming to Auckland.
Chairman Campbell said “tentative arrangements had already been made, but it was found that at least six players hold important positions in various war industries, and unless the best combination was available, the trip was not advisable”.
[212] The All Golds team included Craddock Dufty, Roy Hardgrave, Allan Seagar, Clarrie McNeil, Stan Prentice, C Dunn, Roy Powell, Stan Clark, Jack Satherley, Des Herring, Jack McLeod, W. McLaughlin, Trevor Hanlon, with the reserves: Norm Campbell, Tim Peckham, Len Schultz, J Purdy, Gordon Campbell, and H Flanagan.
Short; delegate to the senior management committee, Mr. J. Kelly; delegate to the New Zealand Referees’ Association, Mr. Les Bull; secretary, Mr. Thomas E. Skinner; treasurer, Mr. A. E. Chapman; auditor, Mr. Percy Rogers; official critic, Mr. S. Billman; examination committee Messrs. Renton and Brady; appointment board, Mr. Percy Rogers; executive, Messrs. Maurice Wetherill, R. Otto, and Hawkes.
[224] They advertised for a general practice in the newspaper to be held at the Avondale Racecourse on Saturday, April 5 with all players to report to club captain, Mr. E. Buck at 2pm.
[235] They held their annual meeting on March 11 in the Labour Party Rooms, in the Strand Theatre Buildings on Queen Street in Onehunga.
Panapa was killed on December 16 in the same year in the Western Desert, North Africa and was buried at Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya.
[248] At the July 9 meeting of the ARL Newton were granted permission to travel to Taranaki on August 2 to play an exhibition match at Stratford.
Their president Mr. L. McVeagh explained that it was very difficult to secure senior players for the coming season as “no fewer than thirty members were now serving overseas and a dozen were waiting to be called up”.
Mr. J. Miller passed a motion that a special meeting be called with a “suggestion that a senior team be formed from the Papakura, Otahuhu and Ellerslie clubs”.
[254][255] At a meeting of the Papakura Council on March 24 permission for the use of Prince Edward Park was granted for the league club at a rental of £10, plus the cost of lighting.
[260] On July 19 a lengthy article was written in the Auckland Star about the poor showing from the Papakura senior team which had struggled in the past 2 seasons.
The following players were registered:- W. Major, M Thompson, J. Gregory (Manukau); W. N. C. Craig (Richmond), M. Smythe (Mount Albert); E. G. Wood (Marist); J. H. Corbett (City).
