Why bother with the AAGPS sculling at all? No results they do not go on to scull race at any Regatta what the??
Word on the street or at the boat shed is that St Joseph's College boys took out the top places on Friday. Yes I agree the stroke of Newington is a big boy but sometimes it is not the beef cakes - that win. I could be very wrong but that is what I heard.
Did the pathway selectors attend the sculling races on Friday? And what is with the bloody rolling start - seriously if you race - you race 2km with a held start. If you want to play like the big boys race like them as well. In a race there is a start and a middle and an end train like it and race like it.
And before anybody has a go at me - yes there are time trials on the Nepean River but my understanding is that is to sort everybody out. Cull from a pack so to speak.
1) the sculling trials are used as a selection technique to select an honorary GPS VIII. From the first time trials they grade them, race them and select the top 12. They then should seat race the top 12 and select an VIII. That's why they do it.
2) The stroke of the Newington VIII isn't as big as the Joeys stroke. I just know he finished in the top 6 at the Nationals and/or Junior Nationals sculling and trained during winter. Beyond pushing school bias (I'm not a Newington parent etc.) he's just a pretty good rower.
3) Will someone tell me who these mythical pathways selectors are!!!??? Do we really think there is an organised selection committee examining results, measuring biometics and taking individuals/crews aside for psychological testing???
4) The rolling start is a quick way to grade scullers into A, B, C etc races. They then will do held starts after they're graded and as you put it... "play like the big boys."
5) The time trials on the Nepean are run by NSWIS and open to anybody except you won't see GPS rowers there because their dance cards are already full. It is used to get intel on who's who coming in to the various squads that will happen in 2015, i.e. Youth 8, Under 21 etc.