Wrong, wrong and wrong again

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Caffell on sport
If sports journos are judged by the accuracy of their predictions I know someone who should be looking for another job.
My picks over the weekend were for the Kangaroos to smash the Kiwis in the rugby league, Waikato to upset Wellington in their NPC first division semi-final and Wairarapa-Bush to knock off Poverty Bay for the NPC third division title.
You don't mind being wrong once but all three times???the crystal bowl is in smithereens!
The Kiwis proved a draw can be every bit as enjoyable as a win and isn't it great to hear the Aussies complaining about the size of the playing field.
I mean, if the only excuse they have for not handing out the expected walloping is that the width of the playing area wasn't as big as they are accustomed to then the poor diddums really are feeling sorry for themselves, aren't they?
The big danger for the Kiwis now is not to get too carried away with the strong start to the international campaign.
Consistency has never been a long suit of our rugby league boys and to make the weekend's effort worthwhile they have to keep up the good work.
Lose to Great Britain in the tri-nations series, for instance, and it will be back to square one.
It hurts me to say it but Wellington were simply a class above Waikato. Sure, the boys from Moolooland had their injury woes but even at full strength they wouldn't have troubled the city slickers on that display.
Wellington played with controlled aggression in all parts of the game and when points were there for the taking they took them.
Mind you, they'll get their comeuppance when they meet the Cantabs in the grand final. A one-horse race that one and we'll explain why later in the week.
Wairarapa-Bush could have beaten Poverty Bay - with the emphasis on the could.
The refereeing was, in partsdiabolical with two of Poverty Bay's three tries clouded in controversy.
Wairarapa-Bush coach Peter Russell is not the type to complain for the sheer sake of it so when he criticises the standard of refereeing at third division level all season then those running the show should take careful note of what he says.
Most of the refs at that level are labelled as being in the "promising" category and their lack of experience too often shows out.
They might know the rules off by heart, but that doesn't mean they can get a game to flow. Or that they have the communication skills so necessary in this day and age.
Russell correctly made the point that one of the country's top-ranked refs should have been assigned the third division final but instead some of them were doing touch judge duty in the first division semis.
In fact, when you think of it shouldn't the number one-ranked ref do the first division final, the No 2 the second division and the No 3 the third division.
Or is that just too logical for the big nanas making the appointments?