Bowls: More than titles are on the line

Retirement, absence and unavailability mean there will be more than silverware up for grabs when the 88th national men's championships start in Wellington tomorrow.

The New Zealand team to contest the Trans-Tasman Trophy in February will be selected following the two-week tournament, and convener of selectors Peter Shaw is adamant the door is ajar.



"This year is what we call a development year, so it's an opportunity to introduce some new players at some stage ... the door's open for everyone I guess."

Shaw and his fellow selectors are to name a 10-strong team - five men's open and five under-30 players - as New Zealand attempt a fourth successive win over Australia.

The retirement of three-time world champion Peter Belliss creates the most obvious vacancy in the open mix, but Shaw said the national championships were more than just a search for a new skip.

He leaves no doubt the championships are the best place for players to press their claims.

"In terms of replicating what we get in Commonwealth Games and world championships, the nationals has the best format."

Shaw should know. He won the national singles, pairs and fours (twice) as a player before being appointed the New Zealand team manager and convener of selectors through to the world championships in Ayr, Scotland, in 2004.

Belliss' absence aside, there are selection quandaries aplenty.

Several top players, including singles champion Mike Kernaghan, Ben King, of Wellington, and Philip Skoglund jun, of Manawatu, have bypassed the tournament this year.

"They run the risk that other people will put their hands up," Shaw said.

Those with their hands highest include Canterbury's Gary Lawson and a young brigade including Jamie Hill, of Auckland, Glen McDonald, of Canterbury, and Wellington's Sean Robertson.

Pushing hard for the under-30 team will be Adam Newman, of Wellington, Raika Gregory, of Kapiti Coast, and Robbie Marshall, of Thames Valley.

Gregory will skip Marshall, Dunedin's Kelvin Budge and Gisborne's Shannon McIllroy in the tournament's most exciting young four, but Avondale's Rowan Brassey will be favourite to successfully defend the fours title he won last year.

He will be joined by Hill and Ross Haresnape, though Kerry Chapman is replaced by Mike Reid.

Lawson heads a strong composite team who include McDonald, Lou Newman and New Zealand representative Andrew Curtain.

Gibson and Wakefield will defend their pairs title, but face challenges from Lawson and Curtain, as well as Brassey and Hill.

The singles and pairs will be played in the first week, with the finals on January 3, and the fours in week two, with the final on January 10.

Shaw said that would test endurance and concentration.

"The good players will be consistently knocking on the door, so it's those last eight performances that we will be looking for."

- NZPA