H
Hedley
Who, in their right mind, would want to be a selector for the Queensland Rachuig Men's Team? Looking at the "field" on paper, it was always going to be a tough job to select the last two spots, especially if a couple of roughies/rookies made the top 5. Knowing this, I would not want the job for quids; for every person you please, you disappoint many, many more. However, someone has to do it, and these hardy souls have my sympathy and grudging admiration for their courage.
In a recent post on the old Tenpinbowling.com Forum, Leftback (aka Tony Hamilton) asked the question: "What would happen if three or more of the big names miss the first 5 spots". Well Tony, take a bow, your crystal ball must have been working overtime, because that's exactly what happened. Four of the "big names" that Hamo mentioned by way of example were, Cameron and Jason Walsh, Morty Douglass and Brandon Qualischefski. Two of them, Cameron (4th) and Morty (5th), qualified automatically, together with Jon King (1st), David Turnage (2nd) and Phillip Ramsay (3rd). Unfortunately, the other two, Jason Walsh (9th) and Brandon Qualischefski (13th), finished outside the top 5. Complicating matters further, another BIG name, Ian Hughes (10th), also missed the cut, along with at least fifteen other bowlers with varying claims for consideration.
The final margin between 6th spot (Robert Muller) and 13th (Brandon Qualischefski) was only 61 pins, so the selectors had plenty of "food for thought" when they convened to make their decision. How, for example, could you leave out someone with BQ's record, a proven performer at the top level with a string of firsts to his credit and international experience. He had a very un-Brando like day on Saturday (26th after 6 games) and was still 21st with only 3 games remaining. He then finished with a typical "Brando-Burst", bowling a 731 block (265-233-233) to narrow his personal gap on 6th spot by 116 pins. My personal view is that IF there had been another 2 games, he would have finished in the top 5. (Not that this would have helped the selectors much, since it would have been at the expense of another top-class bowler.)
On the other hand, Ian Hughes also has the runs on the board and a Queensland Rachuig Team without Poppy would be un-thinkable. And what of the other six bowlers who finished in the top 13? Four of them (Robbie, Jason, Matthew Middlemiss and Alistair Howard) are in the Youth National Training Squad and Robbie bowled brilliantly for Queensland last year. They all have great futures in bowling if they continue their, so-far, successful transition from the Junior to the Adult ranks without succumbing to the lure of all the other siren-calls (both duty and pleasure) on their life. Ian Schuller and Darryl Alford (who bowled a 300) finished 7th and 8th, respectively, and, obviously, merited very serious consideration. (There are another dozen or more names I could mention but Andrew Shinnie will really get up me if I go on much longer!!)
The reality is that 8 into 2 does not go and neither does 3 into 2. So Tony's "what-if" had become a "what-is" and it was time for the selector's to "earn their keep" (they are unpaid, of course) and make some real tough calls. In the end, they selected the 6th and 10th placed finishers, Robbie and Poppy. I'm sure both (along with the other 12 Team members) will do a great job for the Sunshine State and the Holy Grail of Tenpin Bowling will, finally, come North of the Boarder to keep company with the Pura Milk Cup (it never sounds as good as the "Shield") and the NRL Trophy. Go Queensland!
Incidently, with only a game or two to go, the Ladies Team selectors looked like having to make at least one equally tough call about whether to go out-side the top 7. However this sorted itself out in the last round and they had an "arm-chair" ride compared to the Men's Team selectors.
In a recent post on the old Tenpinbowling.com Forum, Leftback (aka Tony Hamilton) asked the question: "What would happen if three or more of the big names miss the first 5 spots". Well Tony, take a bow, your crystal ball must have been working overtime, because that's exactly what happened. Four of the "big names" that Hamo mentioned by way of example were, Cameron and Jason Walsh, Morty Douglass and Brandon Qualischefski. Two of them, Cameron (4th) and Morty (5th), qualified automatically, together with Jon King (1st), David Turnage (2nd) and Phillip Ramsay (3rd). Unfortunately, the other two, Jason Walsh (9th) and Brandon Qualischefski (13th), finished outside the top 5. Complicating matters further, another BIG name, Ian Hughes (10th), also missed the cut, along with at least fifteen other bowlers with varying claims for consideration.
The final margin between 6th spot (Robert Muller) and 13th (Brandon Qualischefski) was only 61 pins, so the selectors had plenty of "food for thought" when they convened to make their decision. How, for example, could you leave out someone with BQ's record, a proven performer at the top level with a string of firsts to his credit and international experience. He had a very un-Brando like day on Saturday (26th after 6 games) and was still 21st with only 3 games remaining. He then finished with a typical "Brando-Burst", bowling a 731 block (265-233-233) to narrow his personal gap on 6th spot by 116 pins. My personal view is that IF there had been another 2 games, he would have finished in the top 5. (Not that this would have helped the selectors much, since it would have been at the expense of another top-class bowler.)
On the other hand, Ian Hughes also has the runs on the board and a Queensland Rachuig Team without Poppy would be un-thinkable. And what of the other six bowlers who finished in the top 13? Four of them (Robbie, Jason, Matthew Middlemiss and Alistair Howard) are in the Youth National Training Squad and Robbie bowled brilliantly for Queensland last year. They all have great futures in bowling if they continue their, so-far, successful transition from the Junior to the Adult ranks without succumbing to the lure of all the other siren-calls (both duty and pleasure) on their life. Ian Schuller and Darryl Alford (who bowled a 300) finished 7th and 8th, respectively, and, obviously, merited very serious consideration. (There are another dozen or more names I could mention but Andrew Shinnie will really get up me if I go on much longer!!)
The reality is that 8 into 2 does not go and neither does 3 into 2. So Tony's "what-if" had become a "what-is" and it was time for the selector's to "earn their keep" (they are unpaid, of course) and make some real tough calls. In the end, they selected the 6th and 10th placed finishers, Robbie and Poppy. I'm sure both (along with the other 12 Team members) will do a great job for the Sunshine State and the Holy Grail of Tenpin Bowling will, finally, come North of the Boarder to keep company with the Pura Milk Cup (it never sounds as good as the "Shield") and the NRL Trophy. Go Queensland!
Incidently, with only a game or two to go, the Ladies Team selectors looked like having to make at least one equally tough call about whether to go out-side the top 7. However this sorted itself out in the last round and they had an "arm-chair" ride compared to the Men's Team selectors.
