Kiwis for Halberg Award

[miguel de cervantes]

What would be the chances of seeing the Kiwis get an Halberg Award this year, considering they were snubbed after the world cup which was probably a bigger achievement than the 4 nations win?

Much competition from the NZ winter olympics results? Perhaps the undefeated soccer team?

 

[African Monkey]

They aren't rowers so they can count themselves out.

 

[LeagueNut]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/best-of-sport-analysis/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502180&objectid=10687618

Forget Halbergs, Kiwis have prizes that matter

The Kiwis won't win the team of the year Halberg. They probably won't even be nominated. But really, who cares?

Who cares what the cucumber sandwich-munching luvvies whose primary function is to bestow their favour on our rowers each year think. They can choke on their Lake Karapiro canapes for all league cares.

For a large number of New Zealanders, the Kiwis are - once again - the team of the year.

That they won't be officially recognised as such by a select few doesn't change that.

In a nation that specialises in second place, the Kiwis are winners. Our national league team has brought home three of the game's last five major international trophies. It took extra time to deny them a fourth title.

They may have sucked a little in between, but when the silverware is up for grabs our boys deliver.

They are the polar opposites of our other national oval-ball team.

What would the All Blacks give for the Kiwis' tournament success rate?

All the Kiwis' successes have been delivered on foreign soil by an underdog team facing enormous odds. Australia's playing resources vastly outweigh the Kiwis.

Even England enjoys the benefits of its own professional competition.

But time and again the rag-tag Kiwis triumph on the big stage. Once might have been a fluke, and maybe lightning does strike twice. But three times out of five?

This year, their achievements are sure to be tainted by the shameful crowd behaviour at Eden Park. Such drunken scenes are common in cricket, and the Wellington Sevens is hardly a study in sobriety, but it's league's lot to be disproportionately tarnished, to have its status and value questioned, to have its achievements undervalued by people who wouldn't know a play-the-ball from a basketball.

So go ahead, Halberg judges. Give your gong to your beloved rowers. Or maybe to an All Whites team that didn't win a match in South Africa.

Having snubbed the Kiwis World Cup triumph in 2008, what choice do you have? You'll look like even bigger plonkers if you change your minds.

Keep your awards. The Kiwis don't need them. They've got plenty of trophies as it is.

 

[ozbash]

surprisingly good article from the Herald.

makes a change guess.

 

[Wilson1]

surprisingly good article from the Herald.

makes a change guess.

LOL so any article which praises league is a good article?

To be honest the Kiwis have no chance of winning it this year. They don't deserve it but they probably do deserve a nomination. The article was terrible. I mean trying to belittle the achievements of the All Whites who were the only team to go undefeated in the only truly world wide sport is just pathetic. Why should the Kiwis win the title over the All Blacks? The All Blacks won their equivalent of the Four Nations going undefeated in what is a much harder tournament. They will also probably only lose once this year, have retained the Bledisloe Cup and may yet pick up the grand slam as well. To say the Kiwis achievements outweigh these efforts are laughable. I just hate these one eyed articles. As a sports fan I like all sports and when I read an article like this it just turns me off league. One of the commentators in the article summed it up well "This is why league struggles, a truly fantastic win and you denigrate everyone around you. Sounds a little bit like Eden Park?" Soccer fans do it too. I have heard several say I hope the All Blacks lose in the quarter finals next year, I would not be half surprised if this Steve Deane agreed with that. People like that are losers, not true New Zealanders and can just f**k off as far as I am concerned. The Kiwis did deserve the Halberg in 2008, however.

I think you could argue that Stephen Kearney would be deserving of coach of the year should he win it. I think one problem with the Halbergs is it is hard to compare individual and team sports. There should be another category for best sportsman in a team sport which I would say Benji Marshall would have a good chance of winning.

 

[SilentOne]

I'm pretty sure the Halberg's will have a viewers choice award this year, so the Kiwis might be shoe-in for that.

 

[ozbash]

LOL so any article which praises league is a good article?

did I say that, SFB ?

 

[Wilson1]

did I say that, SFB ?

Well why is it a good article then?

Also a response to people praising the league article posted in the international forum.

 

[ozbash]

I dont know where you're from Wilson but anytime mainstream media (nzherald) has anything positive to say about rugby league I usually look out the window to see if there is a pig flying past.

NZ media is consumed by rugby union, it only has time for rugby union.

League is the sporting whipping boy here, always has been.

It is a very rare article and also a very good one..

 

[Hindyscrack]

I mean trying to belittle the achievements of the All Whites who were the only team to go undefeated in the only truly world wide sport is just pathetic.

Correct, but come on the only way to go undefeated if you make it out of the group stages is to win the cup... Clutching at straws anyone who trots out this statement without a giggle.

 

[Perth Red]

nah, if they'd won the Anzac test and the 4nations game plus the final then they would be faves and should have won it.

 

[Usain Bolt]

lol Kiwis are probably 3rd or 4th on the list.

I'd personally pick the All Whites, but even the All Blacks have a better case for the Halberg team award then the Kiwis.
All Blacks have only lost one test all year from 12 so far and will most likely win their next 2 so would have 13 wins and one loss. The kiwis have played 5 tests this year, won 3 and lost 2

 

[ANTiLAG]

If winning the world cup is nto enough - then nothing will be. There is a real difference between going through a four nations season undefeated or winning a World Cup. The World cup is the higher jewel. The pinnacle.

In my view because of the limitations of League's international game - the only way any kiwi league team will win awards is if the Warriors took out the premiership.

Would the warriors even be eligible?

 

[ozbash]

Steve Kearney should be up for Coach of the Year. Nominated anyway..

 

[SilverSteeler]

It is a great to see an article like that being published in NZ, League gets bugger all recognition over here and its about time there was something positive.

For me as a League Fan, the All Whites deserve to be Team of the Year, even though they didnt make it through. They unluckily drew against the Former World Champs Italy and were the only team unbeaten. Coming from a country where soccer is way down the scales past League and proving themselves at the World game, whereas probably 100 countries have Soccer as their National Sport.

Until the ABs win a World Cup they should not be Team of the Year, everything has been in their favour and they still can't win the sport's No 1 Trophy.

The Kiwi's should have got Team of the Year in 08.

 

[shiznit]

It is a great to see an article like that being published in NZ, League gets bugger all recognition over here and its about time there was something positive.

For me as a League Fan, the All Whites deserve to be Team of the Year, even though they didnt make it through. They unluckily drew against the Former World Champs Italy and were the only team unbeaten. Coming from a country where soccer is way down the scales past League and proving themselves at the World game, whereas probably 100 countries have Soccer as their National Sport.

Until the ABs win a World Cup they should not be Team of the Year, everything has been in their favour and they still can't win the sport's No 1 Trophy.

The Kiwi's should have got Team of the Year in 08.

lol... someone needs to do some research.

 

[ozenzud]

God I get sick of the "All Whites, only unbeaten team in the world" comments. They didn't win a game and consequently didn't leave pool play. Good teams on form didn't get a chance to flog them. They performed way above expectations, but won nothing. Not even a match. regardless that soccer is the world sport, they simply didn't do that good, just avoided being flogged. So what?

Rowers, well there are probably more RL players in Papua New Guinea than there are rowers in the whole world. Its NOT a big sport. But to the Halberg judges Rowers are household names.............name a current rower from another country, just one.

The tri nations RU. Australia, a 5th or 6th rate sport in Oz, but NZ manages to beat them regularly. A cause for national glory of course. Sarfers, well, they take it seriously I admit. But really, is winning that comp that good? But an all white or a rower or a raa raa player will get it. Don't even watch the Halbergs.

I stopped paying any attn to the Halbergs years ago.

 

[wittyfan]

The All Whites should sh*t this in tbh.

 

[SilverSteeler]

lol... someone needs to do some research.

Haha, I should have said: still haven't won it since 87. The ABs havent been to a World Cup final since '95 btw

 

[Brutus]

LOL so any article which praises league is a good article?

Well this is a RL website arsehole.