That the national selectors are biased towards New South Wales players is one of the great furphies of Australian cricket.
Why is it continually perpetuated? Do cricket followers really subscribe to this theory, or is it merely raised to inflame debates and rile up NSW fans?
Let’s consider whether there is any weight whatsoever behind the myth. There have been some NSW players in recent years given opportunities in the national side which they appeared not to have earned.
Young NSW quick Josh Hazlewood was just 19 years old when he made his ODI debut against England almost four years ago. His selection came on the back of nothing more than a handful of reasonable performances at state level.
He was then selected ahead of numerous other far more accomplished quicks to be 12th man for the Aussies in the third Test against South Africa at the WACA in late 2012.
Blues all-rounder Moises Henriques, too, was lucky to get an ODI call up in 2009 as a raw 22-year-old. It could also be argued he was fortunate to be handed a Test spot against India last year, although that seemed largely due to Australia’s obsession with unearthing all-rounders.
Teenage quick Pat Cummins had played a mere handful of Sheffield Shield games when he was granted a baggy green cap, prompting the usual claims of NSW favouritism.
Granted, it was an extraordinary rise that Cummins had completed in making his Test debut. But his astounding efforts in that match, against superpowers South Africa, confirmed the selectors had made an inspired rather than biased selection.
In the meantime, there have been plenty of players from other states who were just as undeserving of their places in national sides.
There was the shock Test recall of WA batsman Shaun Marsh this year despite the 30-year-old having made just 692 runs at 21 in first-class cricket since the start of the 2011-12 season.
Even more staggering than Marsh’s selection was last year’s decision to ditch incumbent Test spinner Nathan Lyon, who had taken nine wickets in his last Test, in favour of Marsh’s WA teammate Ashton Agar.
When Agar debuted in the first Ashes Test in England last year it was only six months after his first-class debut.
To further make the case for favouritism towards Warriors’ players, not that I believe it exists, I would point you towards another left-arm spinner in Michael Beer. The innocuous tweaker was gifted a baggy green in the 2010-11 Ashes less than three months after playing his first Shield match.
There have also been vehement claims of undeserved Australian debuts levelled at the likes of George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Lyon, John Hastings, Rob Quiney, Bryce McGain, Mitch Marsh, Clint McKay, James Pattinson and Peter George, none of whom played for NSW at the time.
Meanwhile, there are numerous Blues’ players who could justifiably claim to have been hard done by in terms of national selection, and none more so than Blues’ spinner Steven O’Keefe. The left-armer has been the standout slow bowler in the Sheffield Shield for years, yet he has been continuously ignored by the Australian selectors.
His snubbing has been so pronounced that he has rarely even made Australia A teams. O’Keefe’s former captain at NSW, Simon Katich, was treated with similar contempt by the Australian selectors in 2010.
Amid a rebuilding period for the Test line-up, Katich had been a rock at the top of the order. It mattered little as he was flung atop the scrap heap for next to no reason, other than the fact he was 35 years old.
Katich’s final Test was against England in Adelaide in December 2010. In that same match his NSW teammate Doug Bollinger struggled as the England batsmen dominated.
Despite having had a brilliant Test career to that point he was banished, and has never played another Test. Bollinger is one more recent example of a NSW player being dealt with harshly by the national selection panel.
So where does this leave us Roarers? Have I made a strong enough case to declare the NSW bias theory a myth?
Normyzee
Roar Rookie
Well if the best players happen to be from NSW then you pick them. I do believe there was bias towards the Blues but i think it's not so evident now. The bias was justified, Just think of that long list of greats from NSW.
Josh Allerton
Roar Guru
I hope Steve O'Keefe's inclusion in the recent Australian A side is going to improve his chances of selection in the test team.
Ruminate
Roar Guru
I think it has a lot to do with the young sporting talent predominantly going to AFL in Vic, SA, and WA. NRL doesn't see to have the same player drain impact in NSW and Qld and AFL is not that strong there...yet. Just a theory...
Nudge
Guest
A bit sus outside off stump I always felt. Good length balls a foot outside off stump he seemed to be in two minds whether to leave or play. A bit like Steve Smith 18 months ago. But I agree Bearfax fine player great first class average, just born in the wrong era
Johnny Boy Jnr
Guest
Fair point. He would have been a fine batsman but in that era batsmen were only going to break into the team if they not just batted well but in an attractive fashion. No doubt in hindsight I would have loved to see him get another crack in his early 30's
Bearfax
Roar Guru
Point taken JBJ but the ting is he got that double century, and we could just as easily dissect many a top innings scored. As they say, fortune favours the brave.. And his first class performances suggest he would have been a strong regular test player.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I must admit that it was all a while ago and I can't remember details, but I do remember thinking that at the time he struck me as one of those players who was probably a good first class player, but just missing something to be a really good international player. The funny thing is that later in his career he started to become even more dominant and looked like at that stage he might actually make a top international player, but at that time the selectors were more looking to regenerate the side by picking younger players rather than 30+ guys. I don't remember anything about his double hundred other than this vague feeling that it really didn't impress me much at the time. I think it probably was, as you described, because it was really scratchy and lucky more than anything.
Ducko
Guest
Based upon averages alone, are we really arguing that Hodge was better than Sachin, Kallis or Lara? All have lower test averages than Hodge.
Johnny Boy Jnr
Guest
Bearfax - his average of 55 was primarily due to a Test Double hundred which to date is the worst, clumsiest and blind luckiest double hundred I've ever seen. The only other 'terrible double ton' which comes to mind in this vein is Ponting's 200 against Pakistan in 09/10 where he got dropped a million times (most obvious case of match-fixing I've ever witnessed)
Nudge
Guest
Fair enough Bearfax. I just think with the amazing batting talent we had around that time he just had to produce more consistently. 1 good knock every 8 or so innings wasn't good enough. If he was in his prime right now I'm sure he would have been given more of a chance to show some consistency
Bearfax
Roar Guru
A bit over 33 Nudge. But you cant take scores out of what he has achieved at test level. This fellow averaged in the high 40s in FC cricket. He was no novice and certainly had better FC averages than some who were promoted ahead of him. The point is he performed better than most starting his career and should not have been dismissed so early before he had a chance to show what he could do. Point is he was given only five tests and dropped despite performing better than most. Not a good look.
Nudge
Guest
I'm not sure what he would have averaged Bearfax if you take that 200 odd out of his average but I don't think it would be very much.
Bearfax
Roar Guru
Chris it really surely wasnt so much that Brad Hodge was playing in a period where there was a strong settled line up that kept him out. When he got his opportunity he played five tests and then was amazingly dropped. Why amazing? Because he was averaging after those tests better than any other batsman at almost 59. He came back for one last test a couple of years later and scored 67 and 27, averaging for the match 47. His final test average was better than any other Australian test batsman who has played in the past 30-40 years at 55.89. The question is why was he dropped? Surely not because he was so successful. If he had failed I could understand, but he was outscoring everyone else. This was certainly a case where talent and performance were not the criteria for selection. A DISGRACE
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Brad Hodge was really just quite unlucky. The period where he was at his best he was behind a very strong and settled Australian batting lineup and opportunities rarely came up.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Except in Sam Whiteman's case it would be well deserved. He's earned his way to the top of the Keeper pecking order. If Haddin was replaced now then Whiteman really should be the one picked.
Seano
Guest
It's not NSW favoritism it's anti Vic that's the issue, explain Brad Hodge? Steve Waugh gets 50 tests before he scores a ton while SOD is killing it for the Vic's! Dean Jones gets punted while averaging 50, mark Taylor played for years as capt without scoring!! Spare me!!
Gregor
Guest
Sorry, can't count. NSW have won 12 in the last 50 years (still under the odds)and Victoria have won 7(way under the odds).
Gregor
Guest
Given WA having 1/10 of Australia's population you'd expect them to win the Shield once every 10 years, but instead have won it 14 times since 1948,better than twice that average.And no,it's not due to t'othersiders. And remember they did provide 7 of the Test team at one stage.Maybe NSW are underperforming...In the last 50 years WA has won it 12 times, NSW and Victoria 9 times each and Tasmania,boxing above its weight ,3 times...they're the stars
deccas
Guest
I think he is a decent pick on potential, I think he could well be the best bowler of all the young guns. It is worth pointing out that his career isn't nearly as impressive looking as other young quicks most notably sayers and mcdermott
formeropenside
Guest
it is a surprise, because they are New South Welshmen. Quantity over quality. I suppose they may be better than Victorians, or Tasmania, or people from a State named for a compass direction, but as shown by the long dominance in State of Origin league, NSWmen are just not as good as Queenslanders.