North Queensland Rachuig Teams

[Funky Chicken]

I thought this would be a super interesting post, to see who everyone thinks should make up our first team for 2003.

For those of you who don't already know, the roll-offs will be at Kirwan on the weekend of the 8-9/3/2003. The format is top 5 past the post and two selected.

The first six guys mentioned have all finished in the top 5 - 6 in almost every tournament that they have bowled in the last couple of years, and if form and consistency counts for anything then they should make it.

In my very humble opinion the teams should be (in no particular order):

Men
John Dunn
Rob Buckley
Sam Nucifora
Angelo Nucifora
Trent Bosel
Steve Hunt
John Wilk/Brad Carr/Frank Nucifora/Joseph Nucifora/Chris Carney

Women
Leigh Harris
Kate Murray
Maddy Hill
Marissa Astorquia (Is she back bowling ??)
Rebecca Waters (If she comes back from Brissy)
??????????
??????????

Our mens team will be even stronger in a year or two when the likes of Shaun Dunn get out of juniors.

Come on NQ be brave and make a prediction, but as an old fortune teller once told me "Be careful what you wish for, coz it might come true".

Cheers

Tubby

:twisted: :twisted:

 

[RobbieB]

Steve, I think it's a bit early to be picking teams just yet.
Any of your top 6 would expect to make the team if they bowl well at the rolloffs. Problem is, it's top 5, so one will miss automatic selection no matter what. It also depends on the condtion put down at the trials. After the bowling on the weekend, anyone who thinks it's just a matter of turning up and making the team has rocks in their head.
Having said that, from the bowlers you have for the odd place, I'd be taking Frank N - you have to have a lefty in the team, IMHO.
The nice thing is that NQ is in the position of having too much talent for the available spots, so no matter who makes it it will be a very competitive team.

With the womens team, there is not quite the depth there is in the mens - 3 juniors made the cut in Townsville. But, a couple of people I expected to make it had absolute shockers in qualifying, and Bronwyn McKay only missed by a few sticks; I'd expect her to make the team.

Ther might just be a few surprises in store for the southerners next year.

 

[Funky Chicken]

Rob,

I agree with what you say, but I still say that roll off, especially over a small amount of games does not reward consistently good past performances.

For example my worst result since 1/1/2000 is 7th in this years Suncity Open where I still averaged a respectable 207. In this time I have had 2 x 1st, 1 x 2nd, 3 x 3rd, 1 x 4th and 1 x 7th for a combined average of 205 over 209 games.

Now, say at roll off I have the flu, no luck or just a bad day and the top 5 includes a couple of bolters like Harvey Watkins or Gary Norman. This means that regardless of what I have achieved previously, I am at the mercy of the selectors. Now say Angelo, Trent and I all miss the 5, it means that you have 3 guys who deserve to be in the team (one of whom will miss out) while someone like Harvey who has done very little gets rewarded.

IMHO the most fair way of selecting the team would be to have a weekend where all persons who have nominated attend for two FULL days. They, in the presence of the State team coaches and selectors then bowl a large number of games on a variety of different patterns (ie oily, dry, short oil, reverse block etc) to allow the selector to see how they adapt and adjust as well as seeing how they perform in a team environment. It also allows the selectors and coaches to have some time to talk to the bowlers on an individual basis and see what their motivations are, what they perceive to be strengths and weaknesses, their equipments and anything esle they see as important.

At the end of the weekend the selectors who would have a copy of each bowlers resume, and two full days of seeing them bowl and interact with other bowlers, have a fully informed picture of each bowler to enable them to select the best possible 7 bowlers. This was how the Qld Rachuig team was picked in 1995 (except over 3 weekends) and it was no coincidence that there were a lot of NQ bowlers selected that year because they could see that they had the knowledge, talent and experience.

Like I say this is just my opinion!!!

Tubby

PS I did not use my results to skite or be a bighead, I just used them so that the facts were as accurate as possible.

 

[RobbieB]

Steve,
I'm going to disagree with you and say that a rolloff is the only fair way of selecting the team, provided it is over a reasonable number of games and on a condition that bears some resemblence to what the actual Rachiug will be bowled on.
Apart from the fact that an all-selected team will always draw criticism of favouritism no matter who makes the team, your own figures show that you have only bowled a total of 8 tournaments in the last two years. As far as open tournaments go, there were only two or three this year in NQ, being Cairns in January, Kirwan (?) and the Sun City. There is no way any selectors can get a fair idea of current form based on only two or three tournaments spread across a year, especially with the rate that some of the younger guys like Shaun Dunn & Brad Carr are improving. We have the huge bonus that the rolloff this time can take place at the actual centre that is hosting the Nationals; I would hope that they will be putting down a shot similar to that expected at the tourney.
As for your suggestion of a 2 - day selection 'camp', again you are at the mercy of someone else's idea of your ability. Not to mention that you can still be crook for a 2-day camp anyway.
Under normal circumstances, (ie Nationals not up North), I'd like to see the rolloffs held in conjunction with say the Cairns, Townsville and Mackay (if it's on) opens. It's unlikely that anyone unwilling to travel for the major tournaments up here would want to travel for Rachuig anyway, and the rolloff(s) should be rotated around the centres from year to year in any case.
A rolloff gives you the same shot at making the team as anyone else. If you're good enough, you are in - and that's the way it should be.

 

[GeorgeF]

Good idea Robbie

Qualifying scores from Townsville Open (Suncity) + Cairns Open qualifying scores + 16 games over 2 days in a camp enviromoent. What you would have there is 40 games on at least 3 different patterns. Bowlers can get lucky over 10-15 games but there is no luck involved at 40 games!

Thats what needs to happen in Brisbane but the powers that be would never allow it. This is the only real way of ensuring the best and most deserving bowlers make the team.

As for who's going to make it???

Well you could throw at least 3 Nuciforas in to start with and then.......... well you just don't know what's going to happen over the next 12 months.

HUNT
BUCKLEY
NUCIFORA x 3 (Sam, Joey, Angelo,Frankie)
CARR
BOSEL
DUNN
OTT

It's anyones pick, lets just hope your association up there makes a decent decision on how they will pick the team.