Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Triangulated by Fools

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  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Kyle Matthews,

    I think numbers are important, but the structure that they’re in is more important. NZ cricket just isn’t a very competitive environment. Coaching is part of that, but a good competitive structure utilises coaching well. Your team only comes from the top 100 or so players, so our six cricket regions are probably enough to create a good team

    You can get a good team from our pool of cricketers. But you can only do it by picking players that want to play as part of a team. Cricket is an odd sport in that individual skills play a much bigger part than many other sports. The contest between batsman and bowler is quite solitary at times. Yet neither can succeed independant of the other players in the team. Players that function essentially only for their own benefit may look good at times but inevitably lead to poor team performance.

    An oddly apt metaphor for the performance of the Labour Party.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    The Standard actually terrifies me. They appear to be about as reality-based as the US Republicans.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Barnard, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    Reality has a ABC bias as well as a liberal one.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2012 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Yes, but Hockey is their No1 sport, and aside from an average football team they play little else.

    They're also very into skiing, bialthlon, and tremendously successful at Canoe Slalom, good at Kayaking, and they shoot fairly well.

    But the conclusion to your argument is likely that there isn't enough money to support our top cricketers because most money goes to supporting rugby - when there clearly is - our top batsmen have been incredibly well paid in the past five years or so by spending a few weeks in India. McCullum and Taylor would be better paid over that period than most All Blacks, and for far less work. When playing for the Black Caps and while playing in the IPL and the Big Bash they play with and against world class players. NZ Cricket should have this more together and have a team that is more competitive.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    So I went and looked at this horrible site, expecting recipes to cook middle class children and the like. All it had was:

    A party finds its voice
    A discussion of how changes to Labour's constitution will now involve ordinary members in policy development.

    NRT: More dictatorship from Brownlee From No Right Turn, a piece of Brownlee's threats to override the democratically elected Christchurch council's plans with his own.

    Democracy is not the problem
    An article on how the Green party and other movements manage fine in a system where leaders have to get re-elected.

    My take from this is that the writers and associates are pretty keen on democracy.

    Of course the comments can be a bit intemperate, but that's because the site is a honeypot for tory trolls of every kind, and people respond robustly, as one might expect.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    So I went and looked at this horrible site, expecting recipes to cook middle class children and the like.

    Heh. Funny how the poor old Standard seems to provoke more squeamishness than the the smarmy feigned reasonableness of Audrey Young, John Armstrong and David Farrar over what an absolutely capital chap Shearer is.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    No, I mean the actually disconnected-from-reality insistence that Cunliffe has done nothing wrong at all whatsoever why would the nasty David Shearer pick on that lovely lovely man isn't Mike Smith an arsehole?

    Please don't play the `oo you just don't like left-wing stances' card here.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    Of course, the alternative disconnected-from-reality discourse is that Shearer is a lovely man who is an excellent leader and any stumble he makes is all the fault of that wicked David Cunliffe...

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie, in reply to Deborah,

    Except no one thinks that; there is no such discourse. It is a strawman. My strawman, on the other hand, is called the New Lynn LEC.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    James Dann's explanation of the conference's reality-distorting properties seems plausible.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • martinb, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    The Standard actually terrifies me. They appear to be about as reality-based as the US Republicans.

    this intrigues me.

    expand the analogy- where is Tenessee?

    if there’s something as good as this rhetoric would love to see it :
    a thousand years of darkness

    Also agree that analogies could be made between a Clark Labour Party and a Fleming NZ cricket team and both current lots! Though I’m sure Fleming wouldn’t necessarily appreciate it as he had a game of cricket with Key for charity a few years back…

    The balance of the teams, the overall averages, runs on the board and the first class experience of both earlier versions at the moment are much better.

    Also could only think of Helen among Kiwi political leaders who would have the determination and class to do a political equivalent of scoring a big double hundred in Sri Lanka…seems I’ve obviously thought about this waaaay too much!

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    The Standard actually terrifies me. They appear to be about as reality-based as the US Republicans.

    Where did you get that line from? Trevor Mallard via Jane Clifton?

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    Yay for moderately sexist innuendo!

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    And, just to be clear, this isn't some kind of right-wing nonsense, here's Matt McCarten making the same point.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • martinb, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Also though there was the McCullum/Taylor leadership tension Shearer is a loooooong way from proving himself to be Taylor or McCullum-esque in this situation. And Cunliffe is no Boycott.

    I dunno- the contest between batsman and bowler is dictated by the field, tactics, position of the match and the bowler is reliant on the field to get many wickets. Batsman feel under much more pressure at 55/5 than 120/1 and generally speaking anyone putting runs on the board is helping the team. The new games places an emphasis on the speed of scoring.

    how far can we stretch an analogy?

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to martinb,

    And Cunliffe is no Boycott . . . how far can we stretch an analogy?

    So is he at the bottom of Huka Falls now, politically speaking?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    Well before that. He's not even in the barrel. Over it, at best. He may have only just reached the point where he's considering the safe words.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • martinb,

    well played.

    Sorry gunna be serious again- had to on the basis of this (maybe there should be a full time website using cricket-based commentary on politics, even better than Paul the Octopus) :

    Martin Crowe gives advice

    Mostly I just want you to decide on who and what you are and what you know, what you bring to international cricket, what you want to give for your country. From the outside, you look dispirited, disjointed and disoriented.

    Wrongly, you are looking outside for the answers. Look within, look in the mirror and ask yourself to stand up and be the men you are. Look within, be honest, strip away the rubbish and focus on what's important and what's really and essentially you.

    Labour should be signing this guy up and getting in a few good net sessions!

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • martinb,

    I know there isn't anyone reading any more but!
    It’s understood that that Taylor has lost the support of senior players which could lead to Brendon McCullum taking over the captaincy of the BlackCaps.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • martinb,

    Cunliffe placing calls to McCullum's manager Stephen Fleming...!

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report Reply

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