Is this a test match or a testamonial

The Anzac Day test - moves another week further away from Anzac day and another week closer to state of origin. The ARL and NZRL are always hard pressed to pick a team around this time of year. Do you pick a team based on the form of only seven weeks or do you go for the players that have done the job for you before.

Well fortunately this year selectors were able to base their team selections on an entirely new formula - The highest paid players. This is great news for the storm who will field four Australian players plus two New Zealanders. Not so great news for Scott Prince whose free house fell through when the builder went broke thus making Melbourne's Cooper Cronk the highest paid halfback. Of course this honour usually goes to Johnothan Thurston but unfortunately for him he was injured tripping over a bag of money someone had left outside the cowboys change room.

These days with the picking of virtually all the rep teams in the same week virtually all established first graders not carrying injuries can be assured of getting a start somewhere. Its not quite that bad but its fairly close ie there are 4 representative teams playing this weekend and their are only 8 teams in the NRL so roughly one in every two NRL players will be playing rep football this weekend.

The means that the different selectors spend two hours before their team selections ringing around and talking to each other - what about so and so? Is he a Pom? No, Is he injured? No, Do you want him? No, Then can we have him?

This is pretty much the formula that saw Jammie Lyon back in the Australian team, the ARL selectors hate Scott prince, Jammie didn't want to play for Country Origin and Australia needed a decent goal kicker. Its also the case with the City- Country Sides - Todd Carney has been selected being described by Country coach Laurie Daley as a tremendus rugby league talent. He own club coach Brian Smith says "his forms a bit patchy , he's just spent 12 months out of the NRL and for the last 8 weeks he has been playing full back." Mmm this is a classic dilema - Two men says they are Jesus - at least one of them must be wrong.

That's not to say the Kiwi side is any better in fact its worse. Most of their good players are in Europe and wont be released by their clubs. That leaves them to pick players with 5 games of first grade or players who are carrying an injurry - like Steve Mati whose back goes out more than I do.

Why do we have to have a mid year test - is it our only opportunity to beat the Kiwi's. Why can't we go back to the Days of City country matches at week 10 of the playing roster State of origin two weeks later and the test matches two weeks after the grand final. The only reason is because we have to fund Geoff Carr and Colin Loves retirement, but for the sake of the game can't we just give them a job on a government committee ( I suggest the parole board as they would be with friends and would be able to talk with Brian Waldron) so we can get on with the game.