‘Jinx’ staying away

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 34

‘Jinx’ staying away

By

FRANK DUGGAN

Dave Taylor, something of a guru of Nelson basketball, will not be at Cowles stadium this evening for a vital Countrywide Bank national men’s league match because he thinks he is a jinx. "Every time I go away with the team its loses, so with that in mind I’ve shelved going to Christchurch,” Mr Taylor, a long-time former New Zealand representative and administrator, said yesterday. “Officially, I’m not available to travel because of business commitments; unofficially, I don’t want to continue the jinx.”

In recent weeks Nelson has worked its way out of the relegation zone, which its coach, Ritchie McKay, said yesterday was the result of teamwork. “The team is now more positive, every guy gets his turn on court and they are talking,” said Mr McKay. “It’s now a team and with the pressure off possible relegation the players are enjoying themselves.”

Nelson-Canterbury matches

have always been classics and this evening’s match should be no exception. Provincial rivalry is uppermost and in recent years the difference in the scores has been little. In the first-round match at Nelson, Canterbury won in extra time and against the run of play. What is important is that Canterbury has to defeat Nelson to be assured of a finals’ four-team play-off in Auckland next month. The Canterbury captain, Clyde Huntley, said yesterday that it was a back-to-the-wall situation. “It’s make or break. It’s as clear as that and the players know their responsibilities,” said Huntley.

"To heck with last weekend in Auckland when we won one and lost the other, but there was a reason for dropping points to Waitemata — Kenny (PerkinS) was playing 85 per cent because of a leg injury and I was 80 per cent overcoming the ’flu.” Huntley, like Mr McKay, is uncertain of his future in New Zealand. Mr McKay will

return to the United States for a coaching stint after the end of the season next weekend. The Nelson association has still to discuss his reappointment. In the case of Huntley, now a real estate agent, he would like to stay in Christchurch. “I guess we will get around to renegotiations in the next couple of months,” said Huntley.

However, there could be changes in the wind, prompted by the retirement of John Rademakers. Huntley said yesterday that no other league players plan retirement.

• Peter Randle, who has returned to study in the United States, is the only Canterbury B men’s basketball league player missing from the squad to play unbeaten Otago in the cur-tain-raiser to the major league match at Cowles Stadium. The B squad includes Anthony Romano and Bill Duggan, who have also been named in the A team.