Hockey: Selectors must play hardball

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Is the bell about to toll for some of New Zealand's top hockey players?

The selectors will tomorrow name a 17-player squad to play next month's Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.

While selectors Robin Wilson, Craig Hobbs and Grant McLeod should have few problems in naming their first dozen or so players, the search for emerging talent could force them to look outside the square.

This squad will almost certainly go on to play in the crucial Olympic qualifying tournament in Osaka, Japan, in March.

From goalkeeper to centre-forward there are questions begging answers.

Goalkeeper and captain Scott Anderson has yet to have his return to international hockey confirmed after being sidelined with injury. Should he take his place, the choice of a second keeper will be one of the tougher decisions.

Michael Bevin, Anderson's long-time understudy, played in the first two tests against Great Britain and watched 12 goals went by.

Paul Woolford made his debut in yesterday's 4-4 third test draw and did well enough to put Bevin under some pressure.

Rather than pointing the finger at the goalkeepers, the selectors must have some defensive concerns.

In international hockey, a team scoring nine goals in three tests would expect to win the series. But if your opponents score 16 in those matches to win the series 2-0 with one drawn, questions must be asked and answered.

At times New Zealand struggled against the British, who cashed in on some hesitant defensive work.

Rather than look for patch-up solutions such as switching centre-half Simon Towns to fullback as he did in the second test, Wilson and his fellow selectors must look elsewhere to find players with the pace demanded at this level.

"You can't be slow at fullback any more," said Wilson. "International hockey is about having athletes."

New Zealand's lack of pace at the back was exposed at times by the British. No more so than yesterday when Andrew Buckley was outpaced by Ben Sharpe who set up the goal which allowed David Hacker to score for 4-3.

While Wilson conceded that some of his players - including Simon Towns, Brett Leaver, Wayne McIndoe and Buckley - were struggling with illness, he admitted the makeup of the squad for Malaysia required some deep thinking.

Among players on the verge of a call-up or return to international hockey are Darren Smith, Andrew Timlin, Dion Gosling and maybe Craig Reynolds.

Phillip Burrows, newly promoted to the national side, justified the faith shown in him. The sport needs other young, similarly talented players to force their way in.

As well as the need to tighten the defence, the lack of an out-and-out goal-scoring centre forward remains a concern.

John Radovonich is better suited to playing an impact role these days. Perhaps those reins should now be handed to Burrows or Reynolds.

Wilson concedes the naming of the team "will be a pretty hard call." It is a call they must get right, even if some long-serving players are handed a "thanks but no thanks" card.