ROWING REPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 8

ROWING REPORTS

MIXED RECEPTION

SELECTION OF CREWS

The reports on the Empire Games lowing crew, prepared by the coach, Mr. H. Ayres, and manager, Mr. A. M. Hale, which were placed - before the meeting 'of the Wellington Rowing Association last night, were subject to considerable comment, and after a lively discu&sion a motion was passed expressing the association's views as to the best method of selecting future Overseas crews. The reports, the greater portion of which, has been published in "The Pobt," devoted a considerable amount of space to thi3 question, one of the recommendations being,that the selection of crews should be left to the coach. "They seem to be very much at variance," said the secretary, Mr. R. Tregurtha, after he had read out the reports^ j The chairman (Mr. T. M. Hinkley): Mr. Hale is at variance with Mr. Ayres in some places, and is at variance with Mr., Hale in other places. "J don't know one man, in the country that ( I, wou\d feel confident of letting coach and select a 'crew, bar-, ring perhaps Mr. Ciarrie Healey," said Mr. A. Jones. ."When you are selecting a crew in a country the length of New Zealand it is impossible for one man to ,go through the country and gay 'That's the man' I want.'" „ A coach, who was also selector, should be able to choose a' crew whose styles were similar, and therefore would have more combination, said Mr. G. Leopard.1 - ; ; The only way' to select the cre\ys was to have elimination trials, said Mr. Jones, to which Mr. T. Watson replied tnat' they' had not the mopey to bring men from all over New Zealand for that purpose.

If about 28' men assembled in a centre for three days, and five or sjx series of races were held, said Mr. Jones, surely the selector could aelect the number required.

Some discussion took place on the merits of a composite crew. The Australian crew was a composite o.ne, said Mr, J. Thodey. They wanted men of a. certain stamp, and they got them,

Each of the clubs should be asked to nominate men' in order of merit, said Mr. Watson, and submit the nominations to the associations. Mr. Thode-y: What isfwrong with,as-^ sociations having their own trials?,

Mr.1 Hinkley: I don't see ,why associations should'stop at four men,; Mr.' Thodey: We.Jiave to look - $o 1940, haven't we? - , « One of the disadvantages .of a 'sole selector, said Mr. Hinkley, was that if the crew were not successful -there was no "let out" for him." Il i Mr. Jones: Soma of the selectors didn't even see-some-of tHe men | in action. , i .

After further discussion it was decided to incorporate the views pt the mfeetinff irr at motion, which was proposed by Mr. H.i Spoor. It was "That it be »■ 'recommendation' that ''club selectore be -ngked. to nominate the' best men in their'1 clubs >iri order of merit to a selector of the local associa-tion,-who will, after local trials, select the.best of those men, not necessarily' lour*in number,, and forward their nominations ,to the New1 Zealand selector, with the object of assisting' him in his task, a further series, of trials to be arranged by the New Zealand Selector on some central course in order to get the best possible combination."