Rowing: RNZ need to find answers

Mahe Drysdale's position as the nation's premier sculler is not as certain as it once was. Photo / Getty Images

As the country's top rowers prepare to embark on their international season, several areas shape as pivotal to Rowing New Zealand's position as our premier Olympic sport

1. Is Mahe Drysdale the country's premier single sculler?

The Olympic and five-time world champion's exit from the quarter-finals at last year's world championships came as a shock. He had a sore rib after colliding with a light truck on his bike the previous week, but it burst a bubble of invincibility which had surrounded him for the most part since 2005.

It's yet to return, especially after fellow Olympic champion Hamish Bond beat Drysdale in three regattas - including the national championships - over summer. Bond's locked into the pair with Eric Murray so no one is threatening the 35-year-old yet, especially with the retirement of Nathan Cohen. George Bridgewater's anticipated return presents an unknown quantity if he opts to scull rather than use a sweep oar.

2. Where is Emma Twigg best suited?

Twigg's understood to have been keen on a swap to the double sculls or the pair with friend Rebecca Scown this season but had the notion rejected by the RNZ selectors.

There's logic in that decision because she remains the country's premier women's single sculler with a silver medal at last year's world championships. However, athlete wellbeing and medals in other disciplines need to be considered.

The New Zealand women's pair took bronze and the double scullers took silver in Korea last year. Could Twigg have increased the speed of those boats? We won't know ... at least not this season.

3. Where is the biggest untapped area of depth?

There are several crews to watch in the women's ranks. Word has it the Mike Rodger-coached women's quad of Erin-Monique O'Brien, Lucy Spoors, Georgia Perry and Sarah Gray are competing strongly on the New Zealand squad's prognostics chart which measures how each crew stacks up against their peers.

Elsewhere, the strength of contenders for the women's pair - a boat which took bronze last year - saw Louise Trappitt join Rebecca Scown instead of 2013 incumbent Kayla Pratt. Under-23 pair Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast are also believed to have impressed. The duo's performances are tracking on a par with their elite counterparts, Scown and Trappitt.

4. What is the biggest campaign loss?

Michael Arms' back injury. Arms and Robbie Manson were new to the double sculls last year but stayed unbeaten through three World Cups and the Henley Royal Regatta until Arms suffered his injury before the world championships. They finished sixth. The facets joints in Arms' back are inflamed - in layman's terms, the spiky bits swell up and give him grief. He's had epidural cortisone injections and rehabilitation to fix the problem. He's returned to the boat and completes 16-20km each morning in preparation for a competitive comeback in September.

5. When will consistent investment be placed in the men's eight?

The dream of moulding an Olympic gold medal-winning eight to match New Zealand's 1972 crew remains alive in the sport's blue rib and discipline, courtesy of last year's under-23 representatives.

If the national body want to fill the entire 14-boat classes at Rio, this area needs constant nurturing as an investment rather than an expense.

Stephen Jones, Brook Robertson, Alex Kennedy, Joe Wright, Finn Howard, Shaun Kirkham, Isaac Grainger, Tom Murray and coxswain Caleb Shepherd won last year's eights at the under-23 world championships in Austria under the coaching of former Olympic bronze medallist Ian Wright.

There's enough height and natural ability to justify persevering with the crew through to the 2016 Rio Olympics and beyond. They've been guaranteed a place at the elite World Cup at Lucerne in July, followed by the under-23 world championships 10 days later.