DOMINION ROWING CREWS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 162, 5 April 1938, Page 15

DOMINION ROWING CREWS

Empire Games Reports Discussed

METHOD OF SELECTION CRITICISED

Forwarded to the Wellington Rowing Association for comment,' the reports of Messrs. G, Ayers and A. M. Hale, who accompanied the New Zealand rowing representatives to the Empire ‘Games at Sydney, caused a long discussion at last night’s meeting of the association. Mr. Ayers strongly recommended that the selection of crews be left to the coach and that each centre should be asked to name its four best men in order of merit. The selector could then visit the centre and see the men in action.

Mr. Hale suggested that each of thO seven associations should be asked to nominate the four best oarsmen considered to be up to "All Black” standard and that the New Zealand council having chosen the coach, should make him sole selector and allow him to select his crew by visiting each association. Mr. Hale favoured the appointment of a member of the council or other competent person to accompany the coach, the two to act as selectors. Both Mr. Ayers and Mr. Hale were in favour of composite ciews. At Variance. “In one or two aspects Mr. Hale seems to be at variance with Mr. Ayers and also with Mr. Hale,” remarked the chairman, Mr. T. M. Hinkley. “He can’t make up his mind whether to have one selector or two. Personally I am in favour of one selector.” Mr. H. J. Luke (Wellington): That would be a sound scheme. Mr. A. Jones (I’etone) : The only way to select a New Zealand crew is for.the clubs or associations to select their best men, assemble them and have elimination Mr. G. Leopard (Petone) referred to the cost of assembling the rowers as a possible bar to such a scheme. Mr. Jones: A series of races, five or six in number, would eliminate some of the men and leave about 10.

. During a discussion on the merits of composite and club crews Mr. Jones said that if one club crew beat another by half a length it was not correct to say that was the best crew in New Zealand when obviously a composite crew from the two clubs Would obtain better results. Mr.- H. S. Spoor (Wellington) said club selectors should be allowed to nominate men'in order of merit, but the number should not necessarily be limited tofour.

Mr. J. I. Thodey (Star): What’s wrong with associations holding their own trials? Members criticised the method of selection of the eight-oared crew, Mr. Jones remarking that some of the selectors had not even seen ’ the rowers before they were selected. ■ Mr. Luke: It might have been done with a pin. Affected By Heat. Referring to Mr. Hale’s statementthat the Petone four had rowed below form, and had suffered from an inferiority complex, Mr. Jones said the crew had been affected by the heat. He alleged that neither Mr. Ayers nor Mr. Hale had given the crew any real encouragement. On one occasion, ho said, Mr. Ayers had been asked by the stroke to time the crew over a certain distance, and afterward he told the stroke he had forgotten to take the time. Mr. T. Watson (Petone) said that two members of the crew had lost a stofie in weight. The trouble was they did not know bow to finish off their training. Mr. Thodey said it was a pity the crew’s own coach, Mr. A, E. White, had been unable to accompany the crew.

Mr. Luke said one of the biggest mistakes made.had been selecting the crews twelve months before. After further discussion it was decided on the motion of Mr. Spoor to recommend to the council that the club selectors be asked to nominate the best men in their club in order of merit to a selector of the local association, who, after local trials, would select the best of the men, not necessarily four in number, and forward their nominations .to the New Zealand selector with the object of assisting him in his task. A further series of trials could then be arranged by the* New Zealand selector on some central course in order to obtain the best possible combination. The association also passed a motion recommending the appointment of a sole selector who should not necessarily be the coach.