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FOOTBALL MERGER
RUGBY LEAGUE NOT TO PURSUE
NOT IMPRESSED BY CONFERENCE
SYDNEY, Monday.
By a majority of 15 votes to 10, the, New South
Wales Rugby League committee decided against any fur-
ther consideration of the proposal for the fusion of the
Rugby League and Australian Rules codes.
The committee also unanimously decided that any
delegate who attended the conference of the Australian
National Council did not show any disloyalty to the Rugby League.
The debate on the matter opened
when Mr. J. Quinlan moved a reso-
lution carried at the Interstate Confer-
ence that the code of rules be referred
back to the League branches of both
bodies and a vote taken for the
branches to decide whether anv fur-
ther conferences should be held.
Mr. J. Mostyn (St. George) In sup
said that there had been so much cri-
ticism of the whole matter that 'It
should be referred back to the clubs
to whom -they were responsible. He
declared that he did not want to have
the responsibility of having to make a
decision.
Mr. W. Ball then moved an amend-
ment that no further action be taken
in the matter.
The Rugby League, said Mr. Ball,
was virtually telling its public that H
had lost all faith in the game and that
it was slipping. The postiion was such
that Rugby "League, at the ,present mo-
ment, warranted all their care and at-
tention. When all was said, the
League rules had not slipped. Players
may not be of the calibre of old, and
the management might not be as good,
but It wris no jïood trying to blend the
ame with another.
| Mr. W. Beerworth (University) de-
clared that Mr. Ball's resolution was«
inconsistent with the attitude he adopt
ed at the conference.
"Out of common decency I demand
that we give the report to our clubs for
their consideration" he declared.
Mr. R. Clayton supported Mr. Ball's
motton because the Australian Nat-
ional Football League itself did not
want to have anything to do with the
matter. Mr. Clayton read from tho
minutes of the confeience quoting Mr.
W. Stooke as having declared that the
Aubtx-alian Rules would have nothing
to do with amalgamation.
Mr. J. Mostyn (St. George) in sup-
porting the motion, said "There is some-,
thing wrong in our organisation wheth-
er we like it or not. The days have
gone when at every fixture we had the
crowds on their toes fiom the begin-
ning to the end. The calibre of our play-
ers or the interpietatlon of our rules
is at fault." Giving away facts about
weaknesses in Rugby League does not
appeal to me. By consideration of the
conference report we may be able to *
obtain some infoimation as to how to
improve our game and benefit our fin-
ances.
Mr. Rowland, President of the Ref-
erees' Association, said that what sur
: prised him was the attitude of the
Australian Rules people. They defin-
itely did not want a fusion.
Other speakers supported the motion,
and the ballott resulted In it being
carried by 15 votes to ten.
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