Kiwis cant handle the hype?

[imported_bronco]

The heading really explains what i think is really holding NZ sport back at the moment. The media tend to hype teams up and put tremendous pressure on them.
The Warriors in 2000 is the perfect expample. I don't think i've seen any other team besides the All Blacks hyped up so much in the NZ media. It was almost expected that they make the top 8 and nearly win the bloody comp. This all came on the back of their 4 wins in a row at the end of 99. Now 4 wins don't suddenly change a history of a club but apparently the NZ media think so.
This year with the Warriors, the media wrote them off from day 1, they were tagged as no hopers and would finish last or there abouts. What you are seeing now is a team that is taking the club to new heights. They are on the brink of the top 8 and besides a great front office and coach one of the things i put their success down to is the lack of expectation. There was no pressure for the first time in the Warriors history and they have revelled in it.
Another example is the test on Friday. The Kiwis have been hyped up many expecting them to totally take the Aussies apart. It was being labelled as their best shot at the Aussies and was really in reality. What happens the media hype them up and the Kiwis have a shocker of a night.
The same goes for the cricketers, the media constantly crap on them, they suddenly hit a purple patch, they are the media darlings and we go right back to our lows.

I think our kiwi sports stars need to concentrate less on the NZ medias expectations and concentrate on the task ahead. I don't want to see this hamper NZ in the future because no matter how much the Australians deny it there is still enough raw talent in this country to beat you in most sports.

Cheers
bronco

 

[imported_Kaon]

Maybe it's not about choking(sp?), but not knowing how to win. The reason the aussies are so good at winning the big competitions is because is they have already done it.

When they get to the big tournaments, they can call in people who have already done it to help them. Classic examples are last years Rugby League World cup and Soccers World Cup.

They kiwis were in red hot form in last years world cup and were favorites going into the final. They gave the Aussies a run for 60 minutes but when they need to land the killer blow, they didn't know how to. When the Aussies put the pressure on in the end, the Kiwis didn't know how to respond.

Australia have the same problem in the Soccer world cup, because we haven't made the finals for a long time, the current crop of players don't know what to do when confronted with the final hurdles. This is also the reason why all our institutes of sport are stacked with foreign coaches, they are there to teach us how to win.

The kiwis are refusing to spend money on how to win therefore, they will always fail when confronted with challenges in sports they don't have a history in.

 

[legend]

They did win the Americas cup and womens cricket world cup. Maybe the Kiwis could call on both teams for some motivation. I think they just won a netball series against us recently too. I'd love to be a fly on the wall to see the womens cricket side give a lecture to the Kiwi's. My tip would be to get the All Blacks to have a chat on how to get inside the Aussie mind. Having said that blokes like Cayless and Smith should know themselves.

 

[imported_bronco]

Some fair points guys.

"They kiwis were in red hot form in last years world cup and were favorites going into the final. They gave the Aussies a run for 60 minutes but when they need to land the killer blow, they didn't know how to. When the Aussies put the pressure on in the end, the Kiwis didn't know how to respond."

Well i wouldn't have called them favourites but they were in with a good shot. They did lose their way and i think you were spot on that they just didn't know how to deliver the killer blow because they haven't been in that position before.

"The kiwis are refusing to spend money on how to win therefore, they will always fail when confronted with challenges in sports they don't have a history in."

I think that is extremly unfair. NZ have seen the benefits of the Australian sports academy and are following the Aussies lead. It takes time, the Australian academy has been going for a long time and the results are only really just coming through. NZ will take time but yes they maybe are a bit tight on funding. The top sports get lavarshed but minority and womens sports are left in the cold. The womens hockey and cricket had to work extremly hard to achive some success before they were noticed.

"They did win the Americas cup and womens cricket world cup"

Well NZ has always had a rich history in sailing and has produced some of the worlds greatest sailors i our time. We had been building and it took a few americas cup campaigns to really find our feet but the results are paying off.
The womens cricket was sensational against the dead set favourites australia. Can't say enough for the womens cricket, they did it the hard way with limited exposure and funding and good on them.

"My tip would be to get the All Blacks to have a chat on how to get inside the Aussie mind"

The All blacks are the last side i'd get in. Considering i'd rank them about 3rd in the world since 98. They have been on a steady downhill trip. They haven't held the bledisloe cup since 97 so if they knew how to get inside the Aussie mind i think they would currently have their hands on the cup.
I don't know what the solution is but i think few players have to harden up to media pressure. The Australians know how to deal with it and its really not an issue with them.

Cheers
bronco

 

[legend]

I know this is probably sacreligious from both sides of theTasmanbut what about appointing an Aussie coach for the national side like the non-bathing poms did? It may be the masterstroke that actually saves international RL. Then again what about Richard Loe, he has been in the head of many an Aussie in his time.lol

 

[imported_Storm]

Kiwi national coach - no
but how about someone like Daniel Anderson to be assistant coach to Garry Freeman. Anderson worked with all the Warriors in the side before, and I bet he would have no trouble working out a winning combination with top players like the Paul brothers added.

 

[legend]

The other problem is the Kiwis are only getting one crack at us every year. It's not enough. What we need is a series against the Kiwi's at the end of the season that does not include a Kangaroo tour. Ideally, I would love to see a triangular series between Aus, NZ and the U.K every year or every second year and alternate the country. Once GB become stronger then split the countries up into four. It would give the kids something to aspire to and with all that exposure league would surely flourish.

 

[imported_bronco]

I think Daniel Anderson as an assistant would be a huge assest to the side. Hes stamped his Aussie proffesionalism on the Warriors this year and the results have come through. Also with Freeman being very new to the coaching scene Anderson would be a huge boost and would definetly lift Freemans coaching skills.

Cheers
bronco

 

[imported_bronco]

Legend you raise a big problem with international league. We desperatly need to follow unions lead of planning in advance. World Cup hosts are picked 4-5 years in advance and most teams have an international program for the next 3-4 years. I know the All Blacks are locked into tours and the tri nations for a few years to come.
League should put plans ahead that ensure the World cups safety for say the next 12 years and make sure that its hosts are evened out fairly between the northern and southern hemispheres. ALL international sides should have an international program that spans 3 years from the present time rather than the year to year basis that league currently is built on. In that should be regular matches between the 3 main countries, with 3 matches a year played between NZ and Aus and maybe we could even extend that to a yearly tri series, this will help both NZ and Britian bridge the gap. In the program should include structures that make sure that developing nations get to have tests on a regular basis and that aus eng and nz should play one match a year against a developing nation otherwise face a penalty.
Things like a european cup or pacific nations tournament can be put into action. There are so many ideas, the key is just playing international footy, the more the lower teams play against the better teams the more they will learn and the better they will get.
The problem i see with all this is that there are far too many matches in the NRL season that there are just not enough time for internationals with the off seasons getting shorter and shorter and the risk of player burnout.

One day someone on the IRL board will wake up and suddenly say hey maybe we should put these plans into action and actually earn our pay check rather than see international league slowly day, then again pigs might fly.

Cheers
bronco

 

[ozbash]

i think that physically ,kiwis are as good or better than most other countries, particularly with the maori/polynesian sports people.
i think that mentally, we are about 20 years behind the rest.
unfortunately our media is up to date and dont hesitate in drawing our mental deficirncies out into the open.
nz spend 5% of what australia spends on sport.it will stay that way as long as we choose to remain the worlds biggest welfare state.(we,re #1 in something !) a glaring example is the world champion nz softball team (blacksox) having to pay their own way to events and the nz olympic boxing team having to pay there way to sydney to qualify.it sux. the govt dont care about our sports.although they will use sport as an opportunity for a photo shoot !!
as for the league world cup, i reckon a lot more work has to be done yet.i can gaurentee an aussie -nz or aussie -gb final next cup and that is wrong...