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The heroic Warriors and their coach have been snubbed in our national sports awards, a decision angering fans, politicians and sporting greats.
The team that captured the hearts of the nation during its historic drive to the NRL rugby league grand final has been deemed not good enough to make the shortlist of four finalists for the sports team of the year at the Halberg Awards. Coach Daniel Anderson will also be left off the shortlist of finalists for top coach. "I'm flabbergasted. For the first time in my life I'm lost for words. The people who do the judging need to have a look at themselves," said the Warriors' number one fan, "Mad Butcher" Peter Leitch. Warriors chief executive Mick Watson said the team deserved to be a finalist. "It's disappointing for the players not to get recognition. The players desrve it as does Daniel Anderson, who is recognised as up there with the elite coaches in Australasia." But the judging panel has defended its decision, saying the Warriors did not measure up. The team finalists, to be announced on Thursday, are 470 yachties Simon Cooke and Peter Nicholas, rowing twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, the Tall Blacks basketball team and the Crusaders rugby team. The respective coaches of those teams, John Clinton, Dick Tonks, Tab Baldwin and Robbie Deans will battle it out for the coach award. The Evers-Swindells won the double sculls world championship in Seville in September, breaking a world record. The sailors won the 470 world title, the Tall Blacks came from nowhere to reach the semi-finals of the basketball world championships and the Crusaders produced a perfect 13 victories to win the Super 12 title. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Auckland on February 20. The judges' decision to overlook the Warriors clashes dramatically with popular opinion. Sports Minister Trevor Mallard was surprised last night about the snub. "The Warriors captured New Zealand's imagination and they were an amazing case of a massive turnaround of fortunes. If I was doing the list, they would be there and I think Daniel Anderson should be too." Kiwi athletics legend John Walker said he could not understand the decision. "The Warriors did something no one has done in a long time - it's very seldom that a team unites the country in the way they did. And Daniel Anderson should be coach of the year. "You have to wonder how they came up with the names and the criteria they used. It seems to be someone's whim." The Warriors enjoyed an outstanding season, being crowned NRL minor premiers for the first time and reaching the NRL grand final, where they lost 30-8 to the Sydney Roosters. Anderson told the Sunday Star-Times he would not let the snub affect him. "It's not something I can do anything about," he said. "I don't know what the criteria is. I've got influence on the way the team performs but not on the awards." New Zealand Rugby League president Selwyn Pearson said he was "extremely disappointed". "They should have been picked, they really are the people's team. "And I think it's hurtful that Daniel Anderson is not there. The NRL is the toughest competition in the world and the coaches he was up against were all-time greats. To get to the grand final in his second year is a phenomenal performance." Pearson said he would welcome the introduction of a people's choice award as part of the event. Dave Currie, executive director of the Halberg Trust, gave a strong hint the public sentiment surrounding the Warriors' performances of 2002 counted for little with the judging panel. "The awards are about sporting performance, not about being a popularity contest," he said. "There was a bit of chat about that when the judges met but we decided we had to focus on talking about performance and not about who was more popular than someone else." He said he was comfortable with the make-up of the judging panel of 10 journalists and five sportspeople. And there were no plans for a people's choice award. But he conceded the addition of the sportspeople - in only their second year on the panel - had added a more "hard-nosed" approach to the judging process. "At the end of the day, doing well and nearly getting there is fine, but you've got to nail it." Olympic kayaking gold medallist Ian Ferguson, one of the judges, said the lack of international competition in the NRL counted against the Warriors. "It was all very close in the team and coach awards, with one point between the top six," he said. "The Warriors were in a competition that just involved New Zealand and Australia, compared to sports like the basketball championships where 60 countries were competing, making it much harder. "We couldn't be persuaded by what the popular choice was. We were looking for sporting excellence, not the country's favourite because it got good TV coverage." As well as Ferguson, the judges are former netballer Sandra Edge, former tennis star Chris Lewis, former rower Chris White and former swimmer Anna Simcic. The journalists on the panel are Tony Johnson (Sky TV), Brendan Telfer (Radio Sport), Joseph Romanos (Listener), Bryce Johns (The Dominion Post), David Leggatt (NZ Herald), Geoff Bryant (TVNZ), Ron Palenski, Kevin Tutty (The Press), Howard Dobson (TV3) and Duncan Johnstone (Star-Times). There is brighter news for the Warriors' inspirational captain Stacey Jones. He is expected to be named as a finalist in the best sportsman award. Jones said the judges' decision against the team would simply spur it on to greater glory.
The team that captured the hearts of the nation during its historic drive to the NRL rugby league grand final has been deemed not good enough to make the shortlist of four finalists for the sports team of the year at the Halberg Awards. Coach Daniel Anderson will also be left off the shortlist of finalists for top coach. "I'm flabbergasted. For the first time in my life I'm lost for words. The people who do the judging need to have a look at themselves," said the Warriors' number one fan, "Mad Butcher" Peter Leitch. Warriors chief executive Mick Watson said the team deserved to be a finalist. "It's disappointing for the players not to get recognition. The players desrve it as does Daniel Anderson, who is recognised as up there with the elite coaches in Australasia." But the judging panel has defended its decision, saying the Warriors did not measure up. The team finalists, to be announced on Thursday, are 470 yachties Simon Cooke and Peter Nicholas, rowing twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, the Tall Blacks basketball team and the Crusaders rugby team. The respective coaches of those teams, John Clinton, Dick Tonks, Tab Baldwin and Robbie Deans will battle it out for the coach award. The Evers-Swindells won the double sculls world championship in Seville in September, breaking a world record. The sailors won the 470 world title, the Tall Blacks came from nowhere to reach the semi-finals of the basketball world championships and the Crusaders produced a perfect 13 victories to win the Super 12 title. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Auckland on February 20. The judges' decision to overlook the Warriors clashes dramatically with popular opinion. Sports Minister Trevor Mallard was surprised last night about the snub. "The Warriors captured New Zealand's imagination and they were an amazing case of a massive turnaround of fortunes. If I was doing the list, they would be there and I think Daniel Anderson should be too." Kiwi athletics legend John Walker said he could not understand the decision. "The Warriors did something no one has done in a long time - it's very seldom that a team unites the country in the way they did. And Daniel Anderson should be coach of the year. "You have to wonder how they came up with the names and the criteria they used. It seems to be someone's whim." The Warriors enjoyed an outstanding season, being crowned NRL minor premiers for the first time and reaching the NRL grand final, where they lost 30-8 to the Sydney Roosters. Anderson told the Sunday Star-Times he would not let the snub affect him. "It's not something I can do anything about," he said. "I don't know what the criteria is. I've got influence on the way the team performs but not on the awards." New Zealand Rugby League president Selwyn Pearson said he was "extremely disappointed". "They should have been picked, they really are the people's team. "And I think it's hurtful that Daniel Anderson is not there. The NRL is the toughest competition in the world and the coaches he was up against were all-time greats. To get to the grand final in his second year is a phenomenal performance." Pearson said he would welcome the introduction of a people's choice award as part of the event. Dave Currie, executive director of the Halberg Trust, gave a strong hint the public sentiment surrounding the Warriors' performances of 2002 counted for little with the judging panel. "The awards are about sporting performance, not about being a popularity contest," he said. "There was a bit of chat about that when the judges met but we decided we had to focus on talking about performance and not about who was more popular than someone else." He said he was comfortable with the make-up of the judging panel of 10 journalists and five sportspeople. And there were no plans for a people's choice award. But he conceded the addition of the sportspeople - in only their second year on the panel - had added a more "hard-nosed" approach to the judging process. "At the end of the day, doing well and nearly getting there is fine, but you've got to nail it." Olympic kayaking gold medallist Ian Ferguson, one of the judges, said the lack of international competition in the NRL counted against the Warriors. "It was all very close in the team and coach awards, with one point between the top six," he said. "The Warriors were in a competition that just involved New Zealand and Australia, compared to sports like the basketball championships where 60 countries were competing, making it much harder. "We couldn't be persuaded by what the popular choice was. We were looking for sporting excellence, not the country's favourite because it got good TV coverage." As well as Ferguson, the judges are former netballer Sandra Edge, former tennis star Chris Lewis, former rower Chris White and former swimmer Anna Simcic. The journalists on the panel are Tony Johnson (Sky TV), Brendan Telfer (Radio Sport), Joseph Romanos (Listener), Bryce Johns (The Dominion Post), David Leggatt (NZ Herald), Geoff Bryant (TVNZ), Ron Palenski, Kevin Tutty (The Press), Howard Dobson (TV3) and Duncan Johnstone (Star-Times). There is brighter news for the Warriors' inspirational captain Stacey Jones. He is expected to be named as a finalist in the best sportsman award. Jones said the judges' decision against the team would simply spur it on to greater glory.
