Unbeatable

One is physically imposing, the other; not so much so. One sports an impressive ‘tache, the other is usually clean-shaven. Yet although they seem very different physically, together they form an amazingly effective partnership. They are Hamish Bond and Eric Murray.

 At the World Rowing Championships this weekend they won their 16th consecutive title at Olympic, world championship and World Cup level. They haven’t lost, not even once, since they paired up in 2009. And it’s not like these guys have been ducking the competition; they are constantly pitting themselves against the top rowers in the world and beating them convincingly. This weekend they won the final by seven seconds and made the victory seem almost effortless.

So why are they so good?

Certainly there must be some physiological reasons for their superiority. Big hearts or big thighs or big guns. But I think there’s more to it than that.

They clearly work hard in training – the way they surge clear of their opposition in the latter stages of races is an amazing sight that surely has a great deal to do with extraordinary fitness levels.

Just as importantly they have an amazing connection that is clearly demonstrated every time they hit the water. They seemingly are in tune with each other and as a result operate as one.

Bond and Murray are a credit to New Zealand and will go down as two of our finest athletes we’ve ever produced. Here’s hoping they can keep it going through to the next Olympics in three years’ time.

Almost Gone

While the Warriors produced their best performance of the season to repel the Raiders this weekend, and they still have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs heading into the final round, it’s probably too little too late. Even if they defeat the Dragons next weekend they still require other results to go their way. So here are some proposed changes to the team that I think will make a difference next season.

Fullback: Sam Tomkins

The English Super League superstar is apparently on his way and will be pocketing a cool million bucks a season. If he says he wants to play fullback, he’ll play at fullback.    

Wing:  Kevin Locke

He was once a wing and can be one again. He’s too good to leave out

Wing: Ngani Laumape

Unimaginatively nicknamed ‘the nugget’ for his physical resemblance to this food item, he’s a fantastic talent who offers a physicality and deceptive turn of pace that confounds many a defender

Centre: Konrad Hurrell

Apparently also nicknamed ‘the nugget’ (the Warriors really need to work on their creativity); Hurrell is approximately the same width as he is tall. On his day he cannot be stopped and his defence is slowly improving.

Centre: Dane Nielsen

Nielsen is a former Queensland State of Origin rep and a quality footballer. He provides athleticism and tactical nous amongst the giants of the backline

Standoff: Shaun Johnson

I have a theory that Johnson would be more effective slightly further out. I also think he could do a good job in the centres.

Halfback: Thomas Leuluai

I also have a theory that Leuluai would be better at halfback, although wherever he plays he’ll be under pressure from new signing Chad Townsend.

Loose Forward: Manu Vatuvei

He had a storming game on the wing vs. the Raiders and seemed to have re-discovered a yard of pace that was lacking for most of this season. But I’d play him as a wide-ranging forward. Running off the shoulder of the props and second rowers and linking with the outside backs he’d be an absolute menace for opposition defences. It would also mean his often appalling defensive fragility would not be so much of a liability for his team.

Second Row: Simon Mannering

He’s Mr Dependable who never lets his team down. He provides a solidity that superbly complements the athleticism and flair of his team-mates.

Second Row: Jason Bukula

The Cronulla Shark has signed for the Warriors from 2014. Physically, he’s a solid chap who would provide the steel in the forward pack

Prop: Sam Rapira

He plays at a hundred miles an hour and is fearless. ‘Nuff said

Hooker: Nathan Friend

I could never quite work out why the Warriors were happy to let him go at the end of this season. But sense prevailed and he has been re-signed for next year, albeit on a reduced contract. His experience is invaluable as are his sniping runs from dummy half.

Prop: Suaia Matagi

The late bloomer with the chequered past has been something of a revelation this season. He must be a scary sight for opposing defences as he charges at them without an ounce of fear.

Interchange: Jacob Lillyman, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Dominique Peyroux

These guys have been riding the rimu on many occasions this year. They provide excellent balance on the bench.

Other key squad members:

Sam Lousi (massive), Sione Lousi (giant), Ben Henry and Carlos Tuimavave (talented but need to decide which position they prefer so they can lose their ‘utility’ tags), Russell Packer (must stop urinating on the field).

Result: playoffs 2014.

Sideline Guy guarantees it.

Passion

It’s been so refreshing witnessing the passion surrounding the Ranfurly Shield winners over the past two weeks. Last weekend Otago lifted the shield for the first time in 56 years. This Saturday, after one of the shortest ever tenures, they relinquished it to Hawkes Bay who haven’t held the log o’ wood since 1969.

The fantastic indoor arena in Dunedin was packed to the rafters with enthusiastic noisy supporters. The game itself was a great watch and in the end only came down to a missed conversion that would’ve reversed the result had it gone between the sticks. The joy on the faces of the winners from the Bay, and the distraught looks from the Southerners illustrated just how much this meant to both teams. It’s very hard to imagine a Super 15 match generating that kind of emotion.   

Money, Money, Money

The money that’s now involved with football now, especially in Europe, is obscene. Legendary player Michel Platini, now President of UEFA, has proposed rules be amended to change the way the game at the top level operates.

The thing I love about the NRL and the NBA (despite the exorbitant amounts spent in the latter competition) is the salary cap imposed on each team.  The result is a relatively even playing field that means it is often difficult to predict which team will win the competition. That generally doesn’t happen in football. Examples are Spain where Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate year after year, England where no more than five teams have any chance of ever winning the Premier League and Scotland where Celtic finish first and daylight finishes second. Then you also have the ‘nouveau riche’ teams like Paris St Germain and Monaco who are busily buying up more than their share of the world’s finest players. And what do all these teams have in common? Money.

They can afford to pay tens of millions for a player (Real Madrid have signed Gareth Bale for around 85 million pounds) and pay that player several times the average annual salary each week (Bale is rumoured to be about to ‘earn’ anything up to 300,000 pounds a week). If you were a top level footballer, and maybe you are, and you were offered that much money you wouldn’t turn it down. Nobody would. So there’s no way clubs with lesser budgets can compete.  

So what can be done to right this wrong? Despite Platini’s concerns, not a lot. Football is really the only truly global sport. If England imposed a cap, players could play in another country. If UEFA changed the rules pertaining to Europe, players could move to South America. Etc, etc, etc. Similarly if you try to set maximum player transfer values, the result would be that it is no longer a free market. It’s tricky.  But essentially it’s our fault. We want to watch games on the telly or the interweb so we pay and the money comes flooding in. The big clubs say ‘hang on, where’s our cut?’ That cut increases year by year and the big clubs just get bigger. So the solution must be: everyone should stop watching football. There, sorted.

Shout Outs

Valerie Adams, who won her 42^nd consecutive shot put competition.

Liverpool FC, who won their first three games of the English Premier League season for this first time since 1994. Take that, Man Utd fans!

The entire NZ rowing team. The investment made in that squad is paying handsome dividends at the world rowing champs.

Here We Ko

Lydia Ko is astounding. She took out the Canadian Open for the second year running, beating the best players in the world. The most amazing thing for me is watching Ko’s calmness. As she hit the lead for the first time, she looked like she was stifling a yawn. Then she simply walked to the next tee and with minimal fuss bashed the ball down the middle of the next fairway. Awesome.

Till Next Time

SG