Greatest NZ Warriors of the Last 20 Years!

2015 marks the 20th season of New Zealand's most followed professional sports club. With the usual run of commemorative jerseys and celebrations to come, what better way to kick off a historic year that should see us win the NRL Grand Final but with a greatest ever Warriors team.

I've tried to pick a team where players are picked based on the positions they've excelled in rather than trying to fit plenty of great players into the side, i.e. left wing was quite contentious.

So without further ado, here is my Greatest Warriors XIII and bench of the last 20 years.

Fullback -
Ivan Cleary - The Warriors have had plenty of good fullbacks in their time so this was quite a difficult call. However, Cleary gets it over Tomkins, Locke, Mackinnon and Webb for his stability and consistency.

Right Winger -
Henry Fa'afili - A standout on the right wing. The Warriors have had plenty of talented wingers, although their more consistent performers have all played on the left. Fa'afili didn't play as long as Vatuvei and Hoppe but still had a pretty good strike-rate out on the right.

Centres -
Dean Bell, Clinton Toopi - Former Kiwis and Warriors captain, Dean Bell is one of the best players ever to don the Warriors top, while Clinton Toopi was a feature of the Warriors backline for so long being a strong, powerful runner in an electric backline featuring Fa'afili, Meli, Tony, Jones, etc.

Left Winger -
Manu Vatuvei - lots of depth in this position with Francis Meli and Sean Hoppe in contention but I'll go with Vatuvei as he has consistently been a key in the success that the Warriors have had throughout his career. Fellow blogger, Scotty Donaldson, once said that Vatuvei to the Warriors is like Shane Bond to New Zealand cricket.

Five-Eighth -
James Maloney - A problem position for so long for the Warriors, James Maloney proved to be the Warriors' best and most consistent exponent at the standoff position. A pity that the Warriors couldn't hold on to Maloney who has now become a big star back home in Sydney for the Roosters and Blues but I guess credit should go to Penrose for helping develop one of the game's most underrated players.

Halfback -
Stacey Jones - one of the greatest rugby league players ever to come out from this country, Jones was for so long the Warriors, its heart and soul and its character. While Shaun Johnson has proven to have more all round talent and as much exuberance as the Little General, Stacey Jones has to be considered for this side. That try in the 2002 NRL Grand Final will forever go down in folklore even if it was for the losing side.

Props -
Steve Price, Ruben Wiki - the Warriors have been blessed with plenty of good props but for manna and leadership, Price and Wiki as a partnership stand head and shoulders over everyone else.

Hooker -
Monty Betham - the multi-talented Monty Betham is easily the standout hooker of the last 20 seasons for the Warriors. There are quicker and more versatile hookers but Betham still stood out.

Second Row -
Ali Lauitititi, Simon Mannering - Mannering is to the Warriors what Richie McCaw is to the All Blacks, while Lauitititi's reputation speaks for itself. Mannering is the player that never looked like being a big hit but his work ethic, manna and leadership speaks volumes. Lauitititi would complement Mannering with his x-factor.

Lock -
Micheal Luck - I was going to put Kevin Campion, a multiple NRL Grand Finalist at lock but then again, Luck's consistency and versatility means he gets in ahead of Campion. One of the few Warriors players to play State of Origin, underrated and Luck go hand-in-hand. An absolute workhorse of the bygone era. An absolute first choice selection.

Interchange -
Lance Hohaia - My favourite Warrior of all time. Lance Hohaia probably has more versatility this side of his more famous compatriot, Sonny Bill Williams, being able to play any position but the second row. Unlike SBW, he had the modesty and charisma which made him a fan favourite. Absolute club legend.

Shaun Johnson - I could have put Johnson in at five eighth to play with Jones but Johnson's success has all come at halfback, his best position. Nevertheless, his ability to play both positions with aplomb means he earns a spot on the bench.

Jerry Seuseu - One of the best players to feature for the Warriors. He featured in their run to the 2002 Minor Premiership before leaving to become one of the highlights of the Super League in Britain. Club legend.

Logan Swann - Another club legend who could cover second row and lock with aplomb. Had two terrific spells for the club.

Coach - Daniel Anderson. Still regarded as one of the best coaches in the business. Finally brought success to the Warriors after 7 odd seasons.

And

Favourite Warriors jersey - 2009 Warriors Auckland Rugby League special edition - simple design yet elegant. Plus it's in my favourite colour, blue!

What Will Cricket Look Like in 10 Years Time?

- More Double Tons
- More Games with Aggregate Scores of 600 plus
- Average Run Rate of 7.5

Canberra's petite Manuka Oval was blessed on Tuesday afternoon. Not only did the rain stay away, they also got to see Chris Gayle score the first ever double ton in World Cup cricket history.

As you'd expect from a double ton scored within 50 overs, it was full of big sixes and fireworks - a typical innings from the experienced West Indian opener who is the last of a generation of great West Indian batsmen.

The previous highest score in a World Cup match was by South Africa's current batting coach, Gary Kirsten who scored 188 against UAE in 1996, 19 years ago.

Back in 1996, coloured clothing in World Cup cricket was only 4 years old and Twenty20 cricket  was only a twinkle in the sky. Indeed, it was New Zealand's very own Cricket Max that was being touted as the new short form of the game at the time.

19 years later, Twenty20 cricket has transformed the game in many ways, expected and unexpected.

The array of shots and run rates at this Cricket World Cup and in test matches has definitely increased since Twenty20's arrival in the middle of the noughties - an expected outcome really when you consider the effect of one day cricket on test matches in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

What many cricket fans - and the ICC - didn't expect was to see a rise in popularity of the 50 over game, thought to be doomed once Twenty20 cricket was in full blossom. Indeed, the saturation of Twenty20 cricket, still consider hit and giggle cricket by purists, has actually resulted in a renaissance for 50 over cricket which still has the twists, length and drama of test cricket which Twenty20 cricket lacks.

Indeed, 50 over cricket's future looks set in stone now with the success of the 2011 and 2015 Cricket World Cups and the ICC set to take advantage of 50 over cricket's renaissance with a rebrand and changes to make the years between World Cups more relevant, i.e. rebranding ODI Cricket as World Cup Cricket and putting more weight on the bi/tri-series towards the World Cup.

The improving form of Ireland and Zimbabwe could mean a further expansion to ensure those two nations along with the rest of the 2nd tier nations, i.e. Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, UAE, Afghanistan, Canada etc. all have a chance to improve and make the step up.

As to the game itself, expect double tons to be more common place especially in games between test nations as the quality of wickets improve and batsmen are more adept to playing just about anything. With that, expect more games with aggregate scores of 600 plus - 300 is the new par score as they say.

Remember that game where South Africa and Australia both got 400? Expect to see more of those in the next 10 years particularly on the fast bouncy wickets and smaller grounds. Global warming will have a role to play as the drier and hotter climes means wickets have more time to dry and harden up.

Finally, expect par run rates to be 7.50 going up to 8. Even required run rates of 10 might be quite gettable.

On paper, the game clearly looks set to favour the batsmen over the bowlers. However, the quality of the wickets as well as the growing knowledge of groundsmen worldwide means that may not necessarily be the case. Yes, the dust bowls of the subcontinent will remain so but they are not as benign as a road as they once were.

Could we see a World Cup Final where both sides score 300? It seems more realistic than it was even 5 years ago.

Greatest - and Not-Quite-Greatest Black Caps ODI XIs (Post 1980s)

Whether the Blackcaps go on and win the Cricket World Cup, cricket fans and New Zealanders will forever remember the summer of 2014-15 - it has been some time since we've seen a cricket side from this part of the world be so competitive and dominant over their opponents in the sport, whilst being so exhilarating to watch.

It has been a long journey from obscurity and mediocrity I've realised, as I was chatting with friends over an unexpected early dinner after the Blackcaps thrashed England before tea time in Wellington - the dinner service at Long Bar in Brandon Street probably had more fortitude and endurance than any of the English batsmen.

We discussed the greatest Black Caps ODI XI since the 1980s and it is quite satisfying to see quite a few of the current players in contention for that lineup.

And we also discussed the most average Black Caps ODI XI from the same time - and man there were plenty of good candidates there.

So firstly, here IMO is my greatest Black Caps ODI XI since the 1980s -

Martin Crowe (captain)
Brendon McCullum
Kane Williamson
Stephen Fleming
Scott Styris
Chris Cairns
Daniel Vettori
Richard Hadlee
Ian Smith (wk)
Tim Southee
Shane Bond

And my not-quite greatest Black Caps ODI XI since the 1980s -

Michael Papps
Matthew Bell
Mathew Sinclair (captain)
Shanan Stewart
Richard Jones
Chris Nevin (wk)
Andre Adams
Tama Canning
Kerry Walmsley
Lance Hamilton
Michael Mason

Donetsk and Christchurch - When Sport Becomes Irrelevant

As Shakhtar Donetsk take the field for their Champions League clash against 2013 champions, Bayern Munich, they do so away in Lviv, several 1000 miles away from their usual home in the east of Ukraine which is currently in the middle of a bloody civil war.

Lviv itself was once part of Poland and is much closer to Krakow than Kiev - and Donetsk. Imagine the Crusaders playing their home game in London - which they have done funnily enough.

Much has been made in the media about the conflict between the pro-Russia separatists and the military in the east including the Donetsk Oblast - and we all know about the MH17 disaster that took place near the city of Donetsk; the Malaysia Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur allegedly blown out of the air by accident by pro-Russian separatists.

Sport is an irrelevance when cities and homes are being bombed and people are dying each day. Yet for the purposes of this blog, there is no denying that the war has definitely had an effect on what was once a thriving football team and pride of the region and country.

Shakhtar Donetsk and its ultra sleek Donbass Arena, specifically built for EURO 2012 and hosted 5 games including the semifinal between Spain and Portugal, symbolised modern Ukrainian football - and indeed modern Ukraine.

The likes of Fernandinho, Willian, Henrikh Mkhitrayan and Darjio Srna, now playing in the big leagues in Western Europe, all played for the orange and black at some stage of their careers.

While Donetsk still has some good Brazilian imports, many of them have left the club due to the instability in the country. However, the club remains in the top half of the table, albeit 5 points behind traditional powerhouses, Dynamo Kiev - the war has definitely had an effect on the club.

The Donbass Arena itself has been bombed and severely damaged by the ravages of the persistent bombing and it is unlikely that it will see any of the events its 5-star rating from UEFA warrants. It is a pity as I recall from watching the Champions League and Euro 2012 games, that it is probably one of the best football stadiums in the world in its heyday.

War aside, Donetsk's plight is actually not dissimilar to another highly successful sports team.

While the Crusaders are back in Christchurch via Addington, they are still a team without a permanent home as a result of the devastating 2011 earthquake which has now rendered Lancaster Park in the east of the city unusable - Richie McCaw and Kieran Read still have to walk out of their makeshift sheds onto the ground.

At least it was a better scenario than 4 years ago when the Crusaders had to play their entire home season away from Christchurch, playing in Timaru, Nelson, Napier, Wellington and London - although being a franchise servicing the north of the South Island, they were still technically at home for many of their games.

SBW at Twickenham in 2011 v Sharks

The future of the Crusaders' home remains up in the air with plans for an indoor stadium not dissimilar to Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium in the running but buried below priority jobs, i.e. fixing the roads and CBD. Indeed, Lancaster Park, or Jade Stadium, still has not been bulldozed while the pitch is overgrown. Its future is also still unknown although it is likely that Lancaster Park will be completely demolished in the next couple of years as the city shifts to the west.

Earthquakes and war may be two different types of tragedy but their effect on sport remains the same, particularly when fatalities are involved.

While the Crusaders' future is brighter, Shakhtar Donetsk's future remains up in the air and its legacy and potential is set to be wasted away by the conflict in the east.

Yet in the wider scheme of things, considering the deaths of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the ongoing civil war in Ukraine, giant stadia and football games for once seem irrelevant to the humanity of the situation.

Has Irish Cricket's Time Arrived?

For the third World Cup in a row, the Irish have delivered an upset against one of the test nations.

Yet compared to their previous upsets against Pakistan and England, this didn't feel like an upset at all.

I guess we now expect Ireland to deliver the odd win against the test nation and this win chasing down 300 plus in their 2nd innings against the West Indies was a carbon copy of their shock win against England in Bangalore 4 years ago, with the likes of Paul Stirling, former England batsman, Ed Joyce, Kevin O'Brien, et. al hooking and pulling a West Indies bowling attack that is a shadow of its former self without any mercy.

Never have we seen minnows treat test bowlers with disdain on a pitch where the short ball deserved to be put away to the rope. It was all ruthless and thrilling.

Ireland's recent rise to respectable international cricket side is not dissimilar to an international rugby side from the Americas and the Emerald Isle will be hoping that the ICC are paying attention just as the IRB did following Argentina's meteoric performance in the 2007 Rugby World Cup by endorsing their inclusion in the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship.

It is funny to think that England is the only cricket power in the seasonal Northern Hemisphere - the Indian subcontinent and West Indies are quite tropical and don't really count. Having Ireland could be quite a nice addition and would be an easy inclusion on the itinerary of any cricket tour to England.

Cricket is definitely a sport on the rise, gradually gnawing away at the dominance of Gaelic sports in Ireland, with crowds at games rising. Now the Irish just need a few more test nations to pay them a visit even if it is just the odd one-off test.

Ireland have probably shown as much potential as Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka did prior to their inclusion into the test cricket fold and unlike another minnow with dreams, Kenya, probably have the organisation and finance to develop further as a respectable test nation. Dublin certainly has the grounds to host international one day cricket at the very least and they could easily afford to have grounds in Limerick, Belfast, Cork, etc.

So will those Irish eyes and souls be getting more chances to snare more scalps? I'm sure many cricket fans are hoping they will finally get their chance in the big time.

All Blacks Come 2016?

The All Blacks are facing the biggest fundamental change in their lineup in nearly a decade following the Rugby World Cup in England later this year.

It has been a while coming but even with the new generation of players now coming through the ranks, the departures from the side are quite significant and the personnel leaving will definitely be missed even if they may be past their prime (just).

I'm talking about Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu, Richie McCaw, Conrad Smith, Keven Mealamu and possibly Tony Woodcock who has only signed up to the end of the 2015 season. All 6 have been on the All Blacks scene for the last 10 years with Mealamu having made his debut back in 2001.

Fortunately, the mourning over the loss of these players is non-existent, with plenty of players now rising to the occassion and ready to step in to the shoes of these All Black legends.

Nevertheless, come 2016, when Wellington will host a All Blacks test - they will miss out this season as the Rugby Championship is down to one round robin and no other tests being played due to the Rugby World Cup - the All Blacks will look very different. Besides the 6 aforementioned players, Jeremy Thrush, Ben Franks and several other players have also announced their departure to pastures anew.

But how different?

Here's my tip -

1.Wyatt Crockett
2.Dane Coles
3.Owen Franks
4.Brodie Retallick
5.Sam Whitelock
6.Jerome Kaino
7.Sam Cane
8.Kieran Read
9.Aaron Smith
10.Aaron Cruden
11.Julian Savea
12.Ryan Crotty
13.Ben Smith
14.Charles Piutau
15.Israel Dagg

2015 Cricket World Cup - Dream Final!

The Cricket World Cup is now just a week away! There has never been so much hype and excitement in New Zealand leading up to cricket's biggest show with the Blackcaps' recent resurgence helping fuel that, along with Sky Sport's Cricket World Cup pop-up channel which has been showing past Cricket World Cups and highlights from that iconic 1992 World Cup, the last time the World Cup visited our shores.

It is easy to get inspired from all this great archive footage of great players and games.

Taking a leaf out of Martin Crowe's Raw book, here is my dream World Cup final scenario. I've deliberately set it up as the Rest of the World against the Subcontinent given that the Subcontinent holds the most power in the game today. It's definitely one for the gamers!

DREAM WORLD CUP FINAL - REST OF THE WORLD v SUBCONTINENT

Venue – Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Umpires – Dickie Bird, Steve Bucknor

TV Umpire - Aleem Dar

Referee - Chris Broad

Reserve Umpire - Simon Taufel

TV Commentary –

Tony Cozier, Richie Benaud, Mark Nicholas, Ravi Shastri, Geoff Boycott, Ian Smith, Michael Holding, David Gower, Peter Williams (studio presenter)

Radio Commentary –

Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Bryan Waddle, Jeremy Coney, Jonathan Agnew, Henry Blofield, Peter Roebuck, Jim Maxwell

REST OF THE WORLD -

Martin Crowe, New Zealand

Adam Gilchrist, Australia (wicketkeeper)

Ricky Ponting, Australia

Clive Lloyd, West Indies (captain)

Steve Waugh, Australia

Ian Botham, England (all-rounder)

Jonty Rhodes, South Africa

Shane Warne, Australia

Richard Hadlee, New Zealand

Craig McDermott, Australia

Glenn McGrath, Australia

SUBCONTINENT -

Kumar Sangakarra, Sri Lanka

Tilakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka

Sachin Tendulkar, India

Imran Khan, Pakistan (captain)

Javed Miandad, Pakistan

Aravinda da Silva, Sri Lanka

Moin Khan, Pakistan (wicketkeeper)

Kapil Dev, India

Roger Binny, India

Wasim Akram, Pakistan

Anil Kumble, India

Clive Lloyd's captaincy skills extend to the coin toss. A last minute call on tails mean the Rest of the World win the toss and elect to bat on a unusually hot day in London with a wicket looking great for batting.

The Rest of the World score 100 without loss for the 1st wicket in 15 overs before the ball starts to swing for Pakistan's swing kings and Wasim Akram takes 3 quick wickets. Clive Lloyd and Steve Waugh help rebuild the innings and take the Rest of the World to 200 for 3 in the 35th over. Then spin takes over and Waugh and Lloyd go quickly. It's left to Ian Botham to help get the Rest of the World to 280 for 8 with cameos from the tail - Hadlee hits 3 sixes including one into the Member's Stand.

In reply, the Subcontinent score 100 without loss in 14 overs before McDermott and Hadlee finally get the ball to swing and remove both Sri Lankan openers. Tendulkar and Imran Khan steady the innings and the Subcontinent are ticking nicely to 200 for 2 in the 30th over. Up steps Warney who grabs a hat-trick to nab Khan, Miandad and da Silva in quick succession to leave the Subcontinent 210 for 5. Indian legends, Tendulkar and Dev hold steady to ensure the game is delicately poised going into the last overs as the precipitation from a hot summer's day results in cloud building up over north London. 

Sensing an opportunity, Lloyd sends Botham and Hadlee to bowl in tandem and they remove Tendulkar and Dev quickly. However, Binny and Akram are stubborn against them and the Subcontinent reach 240 with 5 overs to go. Binny quickly goes along but Akram hangs around with Kumble at the other end and starts slogging the ball around the ground, meaning the Subcontinent need 10 runs from the last over to win the Dream World Cup Final.

McGrath bowls the last over. The first three balls go for singles, leaving Akram and Kumble to get 7 runs from the last 3 balls. Akram hits a beautiful boundary with McGrath's 4th ball and it's now 3 from 2 balls with only one wicket to spare. McGrath bowls a yorker which Akram plays well for a single, leaving Kumble to face the last ball of the innings and needing 2 runs to win the game. McGrath bowls a short one which is played by Kumble well. Too well, though as Jonty Rhodes picks up the ball and throws it to the other end and runs out Kumble.

The Rest of the World win by 1 run.