Dylan.....Finn Allen.....apologies in advance this is a hobby horse of mine. I really think he is going to go the way of Colin Munro, only quicker because his foundations are weaker. I’ve opened my mind to the concept that he is a modern day player etc but the more I look the more flaws I see. The 83 was indeed a match winning knock, but they are too few and far apart. This series exposed a very rudimentary method and several ugly swipes and misses. It doesn’t take much to take him off his stride - a bit of pace off, a bit of swing, the barest of spin. He plays very early and doesn’t watch the ball closely. It’s a see ball, swing hard power game. He doesn’t have the slightest appreciation of touch and timing. His first class and list A averages in our very modest NZ competition are 19 and 29. Essentially he displaced Guptill and no doubt Guppy was going down the other side, but I wonder now if it was done in undue haste because I can’t see any future in it. Certainly his best will never even approach Guppy’s best.
Probably worthy of a more detailed reply as the CWC approaches but I largely agree. I would say however that I think Munro was/is a much better player. You don’t have a FC average like his by fluke. Munro’s issues, I believe, were his career coincided with our greatest 3-4-5 combination in history… and he didn’t help himself at times with his temper. The Guptill-Allen dilemma is tricky, though Gup has not scored runs anywhere lately, so the debate has faded away. Chad Bowes not putting pressure on because he’s probably not good enough. Personally, I’d go in a totally different direction and give a proper strokeplayer (Young) licence.
Just heard Ross Taylor speaking to D’Arcy Waldegrave on this exact subject. His view is that Finn Allen is playing a lot of cricket all around the world but is “making the same mistakes too often for my liking”. He was also quizzed on the jettisoning of Guppy. He declared Guppy is a good mate so he’s conflicted but also said he thought Gary Stead let go of him a bit too soon and was disappointed he didnt get a fitting farewell. But when pressed on whether he thought he should be at the CWC he was equivocal, saying there was a place for him if Kane hadn’t made it, but less essential with Kane pulling through.
Thanks Dylan, interesting to read about the tribulations of other national rugby teams. Is any national team/Union doing well? Or is rugby in decline generally?
I’ve never been one for sports highlights - they’ve never made sense to me because I don’t know what went on beforehand, the editing choices are esoteric (if I’ve seen the game, the highlight picks often seem different to the ones I would have gone with) and because my favourite watch is red ball cricket, it doesn’t really fit the medium - a bowler tormenting a batter for several deliveries, setting them up and then getting the wicket can’t really be covered in a 20 min highlight package. I get why they exist tho, not everybody wants to watch 25 overs in a session where the run rate is 2.7 an over no wickets are lost, no chances are missed and the commentary is desultory at best.
Thanks DC, always a good way to start the week reading your work during a very busy period sports landscape with the ‘not for long’ league underway this week - if you haven’t already sampled this legend of a columnist, give him a try - highly recommended.
Can't wait for NFL to start and Peter King is.... The King. Love his column and always learn so much. I can't see buffalo getting to the Superbowl, cincy really did a number on them last year in the snow. Allen just doesn't have the control or precision of the very top qbs, IMHO. AFC and NFC are about as unbalanced as the rwc draw by Philly to win it all seems a good shout to me
Random NFL chat. I like it. I used to read King when he was MMQB on Sports Illustrated. Used to love it how wound up fans would get when he injected a bit of politics in there!
Have you all watched “Inside the Mind of Aaron Hernandez”?
No I don’t think I have seen that one - I did see a documentary, maybe a 30/30 about him right through to his sad end - it was actually quite a hard watch as I recall. I did wonder how much of a blind eye regarding behaviour was turned on a number of occasions. In terms of on the field, He and Gronk would be up there in terms of a TE tandem - big contributors to the success of that franchise.
Yes agreed central casting and Liam.........of note he is from Pukekohe where the famous motor racing track, regrettably, has been closed forever. Former Formula 1 greats Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Denis Hulme,Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart and Keke Rosberg all raced there and, Phil Hill excepted who was a world champion before the circuit opened, went on to win the World Championship....something about the Pukekohe water.....and can add NZIGP winners Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon to the list!
Dylan.....Finn Allen.....apologies in advance this is a hobby horse of mine. I really think he is going to go the way of Colin Munro, only quicker because his foundations are weaker. I’ve opened my mind to the concept that he is a modern day player etc but the more I look the more flaws I see. The 83 was indeed a match winning knock, but they are too few and far apart. This series exposed a very rudimentary method and several ugly swipes and misses. It doesn’t take much to take him off his stride - a bit of pace off, a bit of swing, the barest of spin. He plays very early and doesn’t watch the ball closely. It’s a see ball, swing hard power game. He doesn’t have the slightest appreciation of touch and timing. His first class and list A averages in our very modest NZ competition are 19 and 29. Essentially he displaced Guptill and no doubt Guppy was going down the other side, but I wonder now if it was done in undue haste because I can’t see any future in it. Certainly his best will never even approach Guppy’s best.
Probably worthy of a more detailed reply as the CWC approaches but I largely agree. I would say however that I think Munro was/is a much better player. You don’t have a FC average like his by fluke. Munro’s issues, I believe, were his career coincided with our greatest 3-4-5 combination in history… and he didn’t help himself at times with his temper. The Guptill-Allen dilemma is tricky, though Gup has not scored runs anywhere lately, so the debate has faded away. Chad Bowes not putting pressure on because he’s probably not good enough. Personally, I’d go in a totally different direction and give a proper strokeplayer (Young) licence.
Just heard Ross Taylor speaking to D’Arcy Waldegrave on this exact subject. His view is that Finn Allen is playing a lot of cricket all around the world but is “making the same mistakes too often for my liking”. He was also quizzed on the jettisoning of Guppy. He declared Guppy is a good mate so he’s conflicted but also said he thought Gary Stead let go of him a bit too soon and was disappointed he didnt get a fitting farewell. But when pressed on whether he thought he should be at the CWC he was equivocal, saying there was a place for him if Kane hadn’t made it, but less essential with Kane pulling through.
Great shout Dylan - can’t disagree with any of that
Thanks Dylan, interesting to read about the tribulations of other national rugby teams. Is any national team/Union doing well? Or is rugby in decline generally?
I’ve never been one for sports highlights - they’ve never made sense to me because I don’t know what went on beforehand, the editing choices are esoteric (if I’ve seen the game, the highlight picks often seem different to the ones I would have gone with) and because my favourite watch is red ball cricket, it doesn’t really fit the medium - a bowler tormenting a batter for several deliveries, setting them up and then getting the wicket can’t really be covered in a 20 min highlight package. I get why they exist tho, not everybody wants to watch 25 overs in a session where the run rate is 2.7 an over no wickets are lost, no chances are missed and the commentary is desultory at best.
Bang on Tanya, the real pleasure in red ball cricket is the subtlety and the patterns
Thanks DC, always a good way to start the week reading your work during a very busy period sports landscape with the ‘not for long’ league underway this week - if you haven’t already sampled this legend of a columnist, give him a try - highly recommended.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/fmia/news/eagles-bills-super-bowl-2023-nfl-season-predictions-peter-king-fmia
Can't wait for NFL to start and Peter King is.... The King. Love his column and always learn so much. I can't see buffalo getting to the Superbowl, cincy really did a number on them last year in the snow. Allen just doesn't have the control or precision of the very top qbs, IMHO. AFC and NFC are about as unbalanced as the rwc draw by Philly to win it all seems a good shout to me
Random NFL chat. I like it. I used to read King when he was MMQB on Sports Illustrated. Used to love it how wound up fans would get when he injected a bit of politics in there!
Have you all watched “Inside the Mind of Aaron Hernandez”?
No I don’t think I have seen that one - I did see a documentary, maybe a 30/30 about him right through to his sad end - it was actually quite a hard watch as I recall. I did wonder how much of a blind eye regarding behaviour was turned on a number of occasions. In terms of on the field, He and Gronk would be up there in terms of a TE tandem - big contributors to the success of that franchise.
Yes agreed central casting and Liam.........of note he is from Pukekohe where the famous motor racing track, regrettably, has been closed forever. Former Formula 1 greats Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Denis Hulme,Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart and Keke Rosberg all raced there and, Phil Hill excepted who was a world champion before the circuit opened, went on to win the World Championship....something about the Pukekohe water.....and can add NZIGP winners Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon to the list!