NZ- gutsy overachievers, gormless underachievers, or just kinda average?

[Prince EWS]

How about this?

Haha, gun usage.

 

[Flem274*]

Wanagnui seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons, especially with that recent drive by shooting. The talk of banning gang patches won't do crap TBH. In saying this though, I admit my own yard is'nt squeky clean . We've had some nasty stuff happen in Taranaki in the past few years, mainly Waitara.

 

[thierry henry]

thread of the week

 

[Smudge]

Once too many.

Wanganui does have one of the biggest Warehouse's in NZ.
It has about 5 sets of traffic lights.
A world class veldrome - coolies.
Cooks Gardens - sight of Peter Snell's sub-4min mile.
Home of the Cemetery circuit - coolest named motorcycle circuit in the world.
Um, did i mention Wanganui has one of the biggest Warehouse's in NZ?

Oamaru has one set of traffic lights - and they're solely to allow pedestrians across the road.

 

[Flem274*]

Oamaru has one set of traffic lights - and they're solely to allow pedestrians across the road.

Back on topic for a wee bit, it annoys me that yes, we do well but we could be so much better. If we stopped getting injured for five seconds we could have an excellent bowling attack, we could have had Bond, Allot, Nash, Cairns and Vettori bowling at the same time. At the WC we could have had Bond, Mills, J McMillan, Oram, Vettori and Patel in the squad. Also the early retirements annoy me slightly. Fair enough if they're not enjoying the game but it's disapointing that we don't get alot more out of them. Richardson and Parore spring to mind. We seem to select alot of guys quite early and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it? If we let them play a bit more domestic cricket and brought them in at around 23-24 instead of 19-20 like Rutherford, McMillan, Parore, Crowe, Vincent etc were then they may have lasted longer and in some cases realized thier undoubted potential. A consistent McMillan would be devastating. Crowe got injured constantly and could have done greater deeds for us.

Example of team of the decade we could have had:

Richardson
Vincent
Fleming
Astle
McMillan
Cairns
Parore
Nash
Vettori
Bond
Allot

Imagine all playing at thier peak.

Sorry for sounding like a stuck record.

 

[_Ed_]

Don't forget Shayne O'Connor - that guy swung the ball further than I've ever seen a NZ bowler swing it.

 

[Richard]

I've just never understood what it is about New Zealand and injuries, especially to seam-bowlers.

Is it that their bodies were built for rugby and cannot take this strange "cricket" thing that is forced upon them?

 

[Flem274*]

I've just never understood what it is about New Zealand and injuries, especially to seam-bowlers.

Is it that their bodies were built for rugby and cannot take this strange "cricket" thing that is forced upon them?

My unrealistic solution is replace thier bones with steel. Don't think it will happen though. But an investigation into why we get injured constantly should happen.

 

[Flem274*]

Don't forget Shayne O'Connor - that guy swung the ball further than I've ever seen a NZ bowler swing it.

Oh yeah, there's too many isn't there?

At least the selectors are a bit smarter now, if Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder had been in domestic cricket in the 1990's they would have been selected at around 19-20 as well. Thank god they let Taylor and Ryder (yet to play internationals but is damn good) develop a bit. Though Taylor looks very injury prone with regards to cramps.....

 

[pup11]

I think its time NZ appoint a high profile coach and support staff (physio and trainer) who could get things back on track in term of fitness and man-management.



Atm though the fitness levels of most of the NZ players is pretty dire to say the least.

 

[Richard]

Fitness - in terms of cardiovascular fitness - doesn't seem to be the problem. The problem is things like stress-fratures and muscle-strains. And there's no obvious reason as to why these should happen to so many people of the same nationality.