Brendon McCullum. A credit to NZ, Steve Smith.....well

[AJS2154]

I am a very proud Australian, and a keen sports follower.

I would like to compliment Brendon McCullum on a career played in the right spirit, and played hard. McCullum represents all the good things about NZ, as do in my estimation, the All Blacks. I look at both the NZ cricket and rugby teams and think that they are a whale in a small pond, and wonder how, in contrast, how some of our Australian sports people would behave in similar circumstances.

I love my rugby, unsashamed to admit that, but I find many of the Australian cricketers to be small, immature and limited in their life experiences. Why don't we appoint a leader, like Mike Hussey (yeah I know he is retired) or Usman Khawaja and make it a mission to create a culture of humility and sportsmanship? We would benefit as a nation and would have a team we can be proud of.

Even though we beat NZ today, they seemed to be the winners.

I find NZ sportspeople far easier to relate to. They seem to be the Aussie sportspeople of generations past.

Well done Brendon McCullum, career to be proud of.

 

[madpierre06]

Agree with you there...Smith, well I'll give him time to grow up a bit and mature. He's not the first to make a few mistakes on his path to full growth. As far as sportsmanshiop from the Kiwis goes, I'll let Richie McCaw set the standard for rule bending, and maybe Colin Mead with a little Richard Loe thrown in for good measure.

Your points about the immaturity of our players I reckon stems from the fact that they have had everyhting handed to them on a silver platter from a young age, hence the great sense of entitlement and massive dummy spitting. They are not the only ones though, oncen the Indians found that their massive wealth allowed them to dicate terms (onl;y because other nations kowtowed to them), they were even worse. It's funny how stump mics only ever seem to piock up Australian indiscretions though.

 

[AJS2154]

Yeah, I get what you mean about Richie McCaw pierre. He was almost always outside the rules, had no concept of the gate in a ruck and got away with way too much, especially in NZ. All that said, he was the best breakaway I have seen play the game, and I can't remember him putting on a cheap shot. He was always a good loser, and more importantly, a good winner.

 

[madpierre06]

Can't argue any of that

 

[Dave70]

. It's funny how stump mics only ever seem to piock up Australian indiscretions though.

And the occasion English all-rounder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TAIdSsa9Vw

 

[AJS2154]

Hey pierre, do you know it is part of All Black culture that they clean their change room before they leave the ground? I watch Dave Warner walk off a cricket field and he spits out his chewing gum, peels off strapping and discards whatever he doesn't want any longer on the field. A bit of a contrast perhaps. Maturity, humility and resect springs to mind.

 

[madpierre06]

Hey pierre, do you know it is part of All Black culture that they clean their change room before they leave the ground? I watch Dave Warner walk off a cricket field and he spits out his chewing gum, peels off strapping and discards whatever he doesn't want any longer on the field. A bit of a contrast perhaps. Maturity, humility and resect springs to mind.

I had heard that one of the reasons that they are so successful is that there has been a culture which demands respect for the jersey etc of anyone who comes into the team. Yoiur point is one which does come to mind.

And it is very relevant.

 

[Denobrew]

The Aussie cricket team is often labelled at spoiled brats. And the way that the media portrays them, especially in other countries, is exactly like that. I agree with the "funny how only the Aussie's are ever caught on stump mic". Like today when Boult bowled Burns and clearly showed him saying "F%^& Off" wasn't mentioned, or the fact that Wagner bowled at the head and was applauded by the NZ commentary for his excellent bowling. Had that been an Australian bowler then it may have been a completely different story. As for Richie, don't get me started! I don't often contribute to this forum, but feel as I am married to a kiwi and know one of the Australian bowlers personally, that I am qualified to comment. I agree that there is work to be done to bring it back to being a gentleman's game, however the kiwi's and the media seem to exploit every misdemeanor the Aussie team makes and disregards anything that the Kiwi's do. Just my thoughts, Please be gentle

 

[LAGERFRENZY]

The Aussie cricket team can be called spoiled brats but at least they hold their own place in the sporting world and are now rated the Number 1 Test team - for whatever that's worth. I'd say they are earning their keep even if they do sometimes win ugly and act like mug lairs.

The Wallabies - well they are another story. They seem very content with their perpetual bridesmaid status and have killed any coach that dares to challenge their commitment to being better than nearly OK.

Back to McCullum - very well done indeed. I salute him but I just worry that he could have stayed a hell of a lot longer until someone was ready to take his place and take his team to a higher plane. His talent and the like of a Hadlee only visit the Shaky Isles every 25 years or so.

Like Wayne Bennett I just like to see a contest.

 

[Kiwimike]

"I had heard that one of the reasons that they are so successful is that there has been a culture which demands respect for the jersey etc of anyone who comes into the team. Yoiur point is one which does come to mind."

Pierre that is quite true the players and those younger have huge respect for the jersey and everything that it represents. It instills great pride and maturity in younger players still coming through the ranks.

 

[AJS2154]

Denobrew,

I was only speaking of the sports teams, not so much the media. The Kiwi media are the greatest pack of whinging, whining negative nellies I have heard. They make Ian Chapell seem like a fun bloke. They are still revelling in the underarm bowling fiasco, because it gives them the opportunity to be the victims.....look at us.....it's hard being the little guys......woe is me.

Australian media, Kiwi media......bunch of old sport jocks who have played a game for many years, then couldn't let go of their fame and get on with the balance of their life. Tehy sit around in a guarded community stroking each others' egos. How sad is that?

Not sure I agree with you about the Wallabies being bridesmaids Lagerfrenzy, but that might be a debate for another day.

Have a great Thursday.

 

[madpierre06]

I'm not sure if there is much player switching between the provinces in UnZud, or if there is/was the degree of hatred which has played out between QLD and NSW. I do reckon though that once Jason Little drove the thin end of the wedge in and defected to NSW, it set in motion a train whereby primary concern became money as to where I played, and how I played. There are going to be exceptions, but once what was your game becomes your job...well, for some I reckon it's about playing well enough to keep your job. That menatility does not seem to have pervaded the All Blecks, whereas at times the Wallabies just haven't seemed to have had the mentality needed. It did seem to change when Cheika came in.

And can you imagine the Blecks hiring an Australian to coach 'em?

 

[Blind Dog]

Personally I dont give much of a stuff about player to player ribbing, sledging, glares, swearing etc. they're playing (or bloody well should be) right at the edge. Step over the line and you should be fined or worse.

But umpires, refs or whatever you want to call them are sacrosanct as far as I'm concerned. Direct your verbals or worse at them, and you should be looking at a lengthy ban not a paltry fine. Nothing wrong with the captain having a quiet word if the rules permit it, but anything more and you risk descending into the farce that is soccer.

On the ABs, there's just something about that shirt and what it symbolises to the player wearing it, that adds an edge to their performance. If you were picking a world 15 (or 23 nowadays) based on club performances only, I suspect you'd have a fair sprinkling from both hemispheres. Pick it on performances in the last World Cup, and theres not many places for those not wearing black.