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Albert Laing — news, coverage & facts — IJR

New Zealand test v England

Following the Inter-island match Albert Laing was selected in the first test team for New Zealand to play England. It was said that the “New Zealand selectors have placed a big responsibility on Laing, the youthful fullback. The Auckland custodian has given good displays in club matches, but he lacks experience in comparison to Sullivan, who is likely to make Laing’s task a more difficult one”.

The first test was played at Carlaw Park on 30 July before a crowd of 25,000. New Zealand was well beaten 24-9. Laing converted Bert Cooke’s try and kicked 2 penalties however he was said to have had an indifferent game. He opened the scoring with a “neat” penalty goal early in the match. A short time later the English wing Alf Ellaby “beat Laing badly and scored a nice try”. Laing then kicked a second penalty goal from twenty-five yards out to give New Zealand a 4-3 lead before converting Cooke’s try making it 9-6 in New Zealand’s favour at halftime. Later in the match England, through Evans intercepted a pass from Lou Hutt and “Laing made no attempt to tackle Ellaby” who had received the ball from Joe Thompson. Near the end of the match “weak play by Laing and Smith gave England another try” and the match ended soon after. Laing was then dropped from the side for the second test. The Auckland Star reported that he “showed that, apart from not being the fullback type, he was unequal to international requirements in that position”. He was replaced at fullback by Steve Watene for the second test which New Zealand lost 25-14, before also losing the third 20-18 with Norm Campbell at fullback with Watene moving to the wing.

Laing then returned to play for Devonport in their final round match of the Fox Memorial against City Rovers. They lost 19-13 but had already secured their 4th first grade title. He then played in their 19-18 loss to Marist Old Boys in the Roope Rooster semi final. On 9 September he travelled with the Devonport side to Pukekura Park in New Plymouth to play an exhibition match against a Ponsonby XIII. The match finished 28-28 with Laing kicking a conversion and two penalties. A week later he played in the Stormont Shield final against Marist Old Boys which Devonport lost 15-8 however he was injured early in the match and left the field, the injury ruled him out of the Devonport clash with Ponsonby for the Thistle Cup.

Devonport and Auckland

In 1933 Laing played 15 matches for Devonport and scored a try and kicked seven conversions. Devonport once again won the Fox Memorial title which was their 5th first grade title. Laing played in their final round match win over City Rovers 17-12 which sealed the title. He also played in their Stormont Shield final win over Richmond Rovers by 12 points to 7. The Auckland Rugby League had stated that the winner would earn the right to play the touring St. George side from Sydney who had finished runners-up in the 1933 New South Wales Rugby League season. Ultimately both teams ended up playing St. George. Devonport’s match was the first of the tour and they lost 19-8 with Laing kicking a conversion for Bert Leatherbarrow’s try.

On 10 June Laing played for Auckland against South Auckland for the Northern Union Challenge Cup at Carlaw Park. Auckland lost 14-0 however it was said that Auckland would have lost by more if not for his defending. He played for Auckland again against Taranaki on 5 August at Western Park in New Plymouth. Auckland won 25-17 with Laing converting a try. His try came after he “made the extra man and then easily beat Lawrence to score the try”.

The 1934 season saw Laing take over the goal kicking duties at Devonport. In his 14 matches for them he kicked 11 conversions and 10 penalties. Devonport finished with a 5 win, 1 draw, 7 loss record. He was concussed in their round 3 match with Newton Rangers on 12 May and taken to Auckland Hospital in a St. John ambulance with his condition reported to have been “satisfactory” that night. Four days after the match he was reported as still being in hospital. He missed two matches but returned for the round 6 clash with City Rovers which was played on a public holiday. He kicked 3 conversions in a 18-15 win. At the end of the season on 15 September Laing travelled to Hikurangi in Northland to take on a Northland representative side. Devonport won 17-11 with Laing kicking 3 conversions and a penalty. Then on 2 October Laing played for a Ponsonby XIII against the touring Western Suburbs who had won the New South Wales premiership. Western Suburbs won the match 26-13 with Laing converting Brian Riley’s try. The start of the 1935 saw the New Zealand Herald report that Laing had moved out of Auckland. It is unclear where he moved to and it appears that he did not play rugby league again.