The Roar
The Roar

Michael Keeffe

Roar Guru

Joined May 2014

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Passionate sports fan, who'll watch basically any sport on tv, but am particularly passionate about cricket and rugby league.

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Not often I agree with you Don, but this is bang on the money. Get some red ball cricket under his belt rather than watching cricket in NZ

Bailey defends decision to recall veteran ahead of young guns as Aussies reveal Test squad for New Zealand tour

I’m a big fan of Bartlett but I wouldn’t be taking him to NZ at this point. He has a good shield record and is clearly in form but didn’t get to play the first half of the shield season due to injury. If he goes to NZ realistically he’s going to be carrying the drinks behind Cummins, Starc, Hazelwood and Boland, so I think he’d be much better off back here playing shield cricket for QLD and getting some red ball cricket under his belt.

'He's got a bright future': Bartlett bolts into Test frame as selectors face choice over injured quicks

Yeah Johnson has plenty of potential in red ball cricket but needs to string a good season of red ball cricket together first. He’s only played 4 first class games. He’s done well in them but it’s a little early to parachute him into test calculations any time soon. Morris is rightfully ahead of him.

Can't beat the Heat! Neser's relay catch stunner sums up brilliant Brisbane's second BBL title as Sixers smashed

Spot on. He’s not even close to those guys.

'Best six batters in the country': Smith will open and Green returns as Bailey denies Bancroft rift over Sandpaper saga

There was also a two game NZ A vs AUS A series in Australia and he made 84 runs in 4 innings. https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-a-in-australia-2023-1392778

'Best six batters in the country': Smith will open and Green returns as Bailey denies Bancroft rift over Sandpaper saga

QLD is running last in the shield at the moment (sniff, sniff) and at full strength they would beat the West Indies.

The two factors that’ll decide whether Smith’s opening gambit is a surprising success or ill-conceived failure

As a kid of the 80’s and 90’s I grew up watching both test cricket and world series cup (odi tri series). I loved both but as a kid the odi games were what I really lived for. It was so exciting. My Dad (born in the 50’s) liked the ODI games but was a rusted on test cricket fan. He still is a test match lover, but will also watch the BBL. I don’t think it needs to be either / or it can be both and.

Somewhere in my mid teens my appreciation for Test cricket grew and it became my number one form of cricket and still is to this day. Watching AB or Tubby throw Warnie the ball on day 4 & 5 of a test match with Boonie in at bat pad… just the best!

My son has grown up with BBL and loves it, we’ve been to many games together. Now he’s almost 15 and Test cricket is his number one game. He loves it and while he’ll still watch the BBL he’s much more passionate about test cricket. I hope this happens for many others of this generation just like it probably did for many of us in era’s gone by. The BBL is a fantastic gateway to get many new young fans into the game and I really believe it’s working too. Plus it means more cricket on the tv… there’s literally days of the Boxing Day or New Years Test where we get a full day of test cricket and back to back BBL games! Wall to wall cricket for 13 to 14 hours!

Time for Test cricket fans to do the annual ‘give BBL a try’ merry dance - it's not for everyone ... and that's OK

It has to be a balanced to make sure we do play everyone but also maximize revenue. It can and should be both. Host England, India, NZ, South Africa and Pakistan in our main summer. England stand alone, India stand alone, NZ four test with two tests against a less competitive nation, South Africa and Pakistan three tests each over a summer. Then we host Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies etc for short test series in winter in Northern Australia.

It’s worth noting that while some of these nations are routinely flogged in Australia they are competitive against us on home turf. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan etc.

Do Australians love Test cricket or just watching the baggy green side win at home pretty much all the time?

Paris is an impressive talent and probably has more natural ability than Boland. But the thing with Paris is he averages under 5 games per shield season. Behrendorff is another fine bowler who averages less than 4 games a season. Richardson just 3.5 per summer.

Bruce Reid has a reputation as an outstanding bowler who was injured far too much he averaged 8 plus shield games a season over his career.

If these guys stayed injury free they all could have potentially played some / more test cricket. If you’re asking me who do I want rely on in test cricket I’ll take a Boland any day.

Australia Test squad: Why Morris should be rushed in for injured star, Warner gets his wish, Marsh nudges out Green

I’m well across the shield Don and as a Qlder am much less inclined to favour someone from NSW or VIC but you can’t ignore consistent performances and Boland deserves his spot. I wasn’t over the moon when he was picked as Neser didn’t get to keep his spot, but I was wrong (words you’ll never type) and Boland has shown he deserved it both on his shield performances and what he did since in the test team.

Australia Test squad: Why Morris should be rushed in for injured star, Warner gets his wish, Marsh nudges out Green

I’m all ears Don. Name them along with their stats for that period along with their overall records.

Australia Test squad: Why Morris should be rushed in for injured star, Warner gets his wish, Marsh nudges out Green

I rate Richardson highly but his problem is staying on the park. With the quality of bowlers we have around I wouldn’t be taking a punt on his fitness without seeing him put together a run of games. 25 FC games in 7 seasons doesn’t scream durable for test cricket. If he can put a full shield season together he is a class bowler who at 27 should be in his prime and a walk up start to the test team.

Australia Test squad: Why Morris should be rushed in for injured star, Warner gets his wish, Marsh nudges out Green

Yeah 15 wickets at 10.8 from two shield games right before his debut (Covid prevented more), 30 wickets @ 24 the previous summer (again Covid affected) and 361 wickets at 24.5 for his whole first class career… what a plodder!

He’s plodding again this summer with 15 wickets at 18.20 from 3 games. Can’t believe this guy has ever played for Australia!

Australia Test squad: Why Morris should be rushed in for injured star, Warner gets his wish, Marsh nudges out Green

If Warner does retire at the end of the Pakistan series then whoever gets the spot will be gifted two home tests against the West Indies. You don’t get a much better chance than that to lock in your spot with some big scores.

Personally I’d go Renshaw or Bancroft, I have them both quite a way ahead of Harris. As a QLDer I’d pick Renshaw but Bancroft totally deserves a go if he’s given it as well.

Harris, Renshaw or Bancroft? Choosing Warner’s Test replacement should be opener and shut case for selectors

I didn’t have time to find the county stats. These were just Shield stats and Aust A games.

Selectors line up three-way battle to replace David Warner in strong PM XI

I think he’s gone really well actually. Since he’s returned to opener at the start of the 2022/23 shield season he’s opened in 23 first class innings to make 1129 runs at 56.25 with 5 centuries and 5 fifties.

In the same period Cameron Bancroft has also done really well. He’s opened in 32 first class innings and made 1534 runs at 54.78 with 6 centuries and 4 fifties. Bancroft got to play in a few more innings because Renshaw missed the second half of the shield season because he was in and around the test squad.

They would both be very deserving of an opportunity and just by the stats there is a split hair between them. I’ll concede that Bancroft is in better form at the in the first half of this shield season but on the same token its a concern that Bancroft has failed to get to 50 in his four most recent opportunities with Australia A while Renshaw has handled the step up and plundered runs.

It’s clear you’ve got a WA bias towards Bancroft and as QLDer I’ve got one towards Renshaw, the difference is I don’t allow mine to suggest that Bancroft shouldn’t be in the running at all like you do with Renshaw. Stats don’t tell the whole story but they also can’t be ignored either.

Selectors line up three-way battle to replace David Warner in strong PM XI

Don, I really don’t mind if you want to criticize Renshaw but please use actual facts if you’re going to. Renshaw has opened the batting in every game he has played for QLD this summer and last summer. This summer he and Street are opening together last summer the only time (bar one game) Street made the side is when Renshaw wasn’t playing because he was selected for higher honours. Aust A and PM’s XI squads (where he did really well) or you know in the actual Test squad! When Street and Renshaw did play in the one game together… in the first innings Renshaw opened with Burns and Street came in at 3, in the second innings Burns was injured so Renshaw and Street opened together. About 5 minutes worth of research or keeping up to date with games that don’t involve WA and you would be aware of this.

On current form Bancroft probably has his nose in front but Renshaw is well and truly in the conversation.

Selectors line up three-way battle to replace David Warner in strong PM XI

I really dislike it when they bill these matches as a selection shootout. One game can come some weight but shouldn’t be biggest factor in determining the next opener.

They all have fairly similar records and all average in the 20’s from their 10+ test matches. I think Harris was given a decent run and seemed to show the least promise so I’d be much more inclined to go with Renshaw or Bancroft. I lean towards Renshaw but that might be my QLD bias so either would be ok for me. Bring in one now and the other in 12 months or so when Khawaja goes. Which ever one they pick (Renshaw or Bancroft) give them a decent run to establish themselves.

Whoever gets the nod will get a dream start with two home test matches against the West Indies. Get a century in one of those and you’re guaranteed the two tests in NZ (won’t be easy) and short of getting 4 single figure scores in that series probably guaranteed to start next summer against India.

Selectors line up three-way battle to replace David Warner in strong PM XI

I think the Dolphins are well setup for the coming years. Flegler and Gilbert will be the long term cornerstones of the pack and they just need to get the timing right of their older players departing and being replaced with a combination of solid first graders and young forwards coming through the Dolphins pathways. I expect to see lots of young players making their way into first grade from Dolphins juniors over the next 5 years… it will just take a little bit of time.

JBrom is 34, KBrom 32, Wallace 32, Nicholls 33, Kaufusi 31. So really it might be the last year in 24 for JBrom and Nicholls, then 1 – 2 years more for Wallace, KBrom or Kaufusi. Just stagger their departures. Ray Stone is in his 20’s, Lemuelu is only 25, they have Josh Kerr who is a solid first grader who is 27. As long as the five 30+ olds don’t all disappear together at the end of 24 they’ll be more than ok as a forward pack.

Smart Signings: Year one was a huge success for the Dolphins, but replacing their Dad's Army pack might prove tricky

Yeah not sure on Kuhnemann as a fielder. I’ve watching him play a bit for the Heat and he’s not a gun fielder but I also don’t remember thinking he was Phil Tufnel either. Zampa is not the world’s greatest fielder either so as long as he works hard at it and isn’t a liability I think Kuhnemann would be alright.

Australia’s 2027 World Cup mission starts now: The players title defence can be built around - only three incumbents to survive

Agar would be the obvious choice although his ODI record isn’t nearly as good as his T20 record. Tanveer Sangha may well be the answer and again has been good in T20 format, although he’s played a very limited number of 50 over games and his record is fairly middling.

The dark horse in all of it should be Matt Kuhnemann. He’s only 27, has the best List A record of any of the current up and coming spinners is three years younger than Agar and four years younger than Zampa.

I think Zampa at 31 has a lock on one spin spot as long as he keeps performing. Maxwell is filling the second spin role well now. If we want to play a second spinner batting at 7 Agar is an option, but I worry we’re putting an ok bowler and ok batter into the role. Or a second out and out spinner then either Kuhnemann or Sangha are really your other two options.

Australia’s 2027 World Cup mission starts now: The players title defence can be built around - only three incumbents to survive

I can’t see a team in PNG working in the short term at least. You’d need at least 15 of the 30 squad to be current NRL players including a few guns. Players would not relocate to a team based in Port Moresby and a team based in Cairns in effectively playing 24 away games getting on a plane every single week. Not attractive to players. There are plenty of other reasons its not a good idea in the short term.

Long term to have it work you need to create the development pathways strong enough in PNG to get to the point that there’s 50 NRL quality players coming from PNG (born and developed there). Enough to fill an NRL squad and then another 20 or so spread throughout the NRL. Then you could have an NRL team based in Port Moresby. Can’t see Albo sinking $$$ into development though.

To my knowledge at the moment to only PNG born players in a top 30 squad are Justin Olam and Xavier Coates. Before them the last was James Seggyaro.

Using the NRL as a political football for your Pacific solution is a dumb idea, Albo - and a waste of taxpayers' money

Cummins was picked to be Captain because he’s a good boy and the last two test captaincy’s haven’t exactly ended in glory. Paine was the “good boy” brought in to clean up after Sandpapergate and Cummins the good boy to be squeaky clean after Paine’s misdemeanours. By those standards he’s fine as a test captain and for all home series (except against India) and some away series against weaker opposition a nice guy leading the team works fine because we’re just better than opposition and it doesn’t matter if we have tactical nous. It’s the tough series against top opposition where we need more from our captain particularly from a tactical point of view. And he’s not a lock for our ODI side so shouldn’t be captain.

We should really be looking at Marsh and Head as our white ball captaincy options with someone like Turner being a left field option if he could lock down a spot. For Test matches I think Head is the obvious choice with Marnus and Carey to support him.

Warner’s papers were marked, Khawaja is a fine leader but in the twilight of his career and I think Smith is possibly closer to retirement than we think.

Flat Pat: Cummins' captaincy hits a plateau as conservative tactics hold Australia back

Yeah I think a preference system works well. So in the case of the Hammer he might have Aus 1, Samoa 2. Staggs – Aus 1, Tonga 2, Too – Samoa 1, Aus 2, Crichton – Samoa 1, Aus 2,

So leading into each year if a player is not picked for their first preference eligible team they can be picked for their second preference. The only qualifier I think would be once they are picked for a team or squad in a calendar year they can only play for that country in that tournament / year. It would be a little too farcical.

I think Mal’s solution would weaken the international game a bit. Take Kotoni Staggs… born in NSW and is both a proud Indigenous and Tongan man. He grew up wanting to play for Australia. He is a very good player but not a lock on an Australian jersey. Right or Wrong if Tubro and Latrell were fit and Holmes hadn’t had little oops moment he may not have made the squad. Why then rob him of representing Tonga and weaken the international game.

Mal Meninga is annoyed about international eligibility rules again - he should be careful what he wishes for

I love how they name the 17 and the Kangaroos social media account uses Nico Hynes who isn’t in the 17 as the picture. Trying to appeal to a female demographic…?

Pacific Championships Team Lists: Four Kangaroos to debut, Samoa spring surprises, Upton gets Jillaroos No.1 gig

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