Air New Zealand Cup Picks of the week

Published: 9:21AM Thursday July 30, 2009

Read

Over the duration of the Air New Zealand Cup six self confessed sports geeks from TVNZ's sport department will battle it out to see who can hit tipping gold.

Season Summary:
Jock boy Chris Matthews holds off the brave challenges of Max Bania and Michael Burgess to take the spoils. Matthews told tvnz.co.nz that he was honoured to take the title but was disgusted that pride was his only prize.
Meanwhile, the season summary reveals that all but one of the tipsters,' Andrew Morrison, led at some stage, but more disturbing, to everyone involved, was that Matthews was the only one able to exceed the 50% strike rate for the season.
So the summer now beckons but this lot will be back next season for the Super 14 and are hoping that they can get you (and themselves) on to the winners.
.

Air New Zealand Cup: tvnz.co.nz picks of the week

1st - Chris Matthews - tvnz.co.nz's Rugby Jock
Final Pick - (Canterbury 1-12) Total - 98/194 (51%)	Season Summary Highest round score - 12/14 Lowest round score - 3/14 Highest rank - First Lowest rank - Last Mean score - 7.2/14
2nd - Max Bania - tvnz.co.nz's Sports Encyclopaedia
Final Pick - (Canterbury 1-12) Total - 96/194 (49%)	Season Summary Highest round score - 11/14 Lowest round score - 4/14 Highest rank - First Lowest rank - Third Mean Score - 6.8/14
3rd Equal - Michael Burgess - tvnz.co.nz's El Senor Sport
Final Pick - (Wellington 1-12) Total - 92/194 (47%)	Season Summary Highest round score - 11/14 Lowest round score - 3/14 Highest rank - First Lowest rank - Fourth Mean Score - 6.2/14
3rd Equal - John Whiting - tvnz.co.nz's League Buff
Final Pick - (Canterbury 1-12) Total - 92/194 (47%)	Season Summary Highest round score - 11/14 Lowest round score - 2/14 Highest rank - First Lowest rank - Fifth Mean Score - 6.2/14
3rd Equal - Andrew Morrison - ONE News Sport Reporter
Final Pick - (Canterbury 1-12) Total - 92/194 (47%)	Season Summary Highest round score - 10/14 Lowest round score - 2/14 Highest rank - Third Lowest rank - Last Mean Score - 6.2/14
Last - Toni Street - ONE News' Sport Chick
Final Pick - (Canterbury 1-12) Total - 86/194 (44%)	Season Summary Highest round score - 12/14 Lowest round score - 2/14 Highest rank - First Lowest rank - Last Mean Score - 5.8/14

Semi-Finals: October 30-October 31
Double points were on offer for the semi-finals but no one took advantage of the 13-points blowouts. So it all comes down to this: Chris Matthews holds a two point advantage but Max Bania and Michael Burgess are still capable of overtaking him with a pick-margin combo. Stay tuned...

Week 13: October 22-October 24
With the championship within his sights Max Bania fumbles the ball over the try-line and delivers a last round shocker by hitting just 4/14. As a result Chris Matthews has pounced and his score of 10/14 has him in the box seat to take bragging rights. But wait - hold the phone........ In breaking news it has been revealed that for the final three matches of the season (in the semi-finals and final) will be for double the points giving Bania and Michael Burgess a slim chance of prevailing yet. It's good news for Toni Street too: she could yet to do one better than Counties Manukau.

Week 12: October 15-October 17
At the end of the season we may all thank Max Bania for giving us semblance of creditability. His 8/14 in round 12 has elevated him up to 50% for the first time since his School Cert maths exam. The other two contenders - Chris Matthews and Michael Burgess - also hit eight this round and while the Chinese would be counting their lucky stars, the gap remains the same. John Whiting meanwhile is now an outside chance of victory after cracking 11/14 while Andrew Morrison and Toni Street are still fighting for peanuts down the bottom.

Week 11: October 8-October 10
Another solid round by the tipsters' sees the top dogs eyeing the 50% threshold of respectability however round 10 leader, Michael Burgess continues his plummet down the table and is now in third position. As a result, Max Bania has reclaimed his top-spot while Chris Matthews continues his hot run to jump to second. And low and behold, Andrew Morrison is finally off the bottom of the table. That indignity is now held by Toni Street and it just goes to show that boys really are better than girls.

Week Ten: October 1-October 3
This was one of the better rounds by the tipsters' with very nearly everybody hitting
at least a 50% strike rate. Bania, Matthews and Morrison all hit double figure scores but Burgees, by scoring just five points, has relinquished his lead. He is now neck-and-neck with Bania going into the home stretch.

Week Nine: September 24-September 30
A horror round by Max Bania sees Michael Burgess take lead for the first time since 1984. He is now oh so close to that 50% threshold of respectively and for the sake of everybody's creditability - we hope he can crack it.

Week Eight: September 17-September 20
ONE Sport reporter Toni Street has scored the single highest round score of 12/14 to jump from last to third place on the table. It just goes to show that Max Bania is far from safe on top-of-the-table. Meanwhile, another ONE Sport reporter, Andrew Morrison, is propping up the bottom all by himself now. He says it lonely and cold down there but we all reckon he should harden up.

Week Seven: September 10-September 13
There has been an uprising in the TVNZ sport department this week. All tipsters' are now batting below 50% and there have been calls for a review of the scaling system but as sole adjudicator I will not consider change until the season is over. - (Ed) Meanwhile, John Whiting's horror midseason runs continues and he has now slumped to third position.

Week Six: September 3-September 6
A horror round from John Whiting sees him relinquish the lead, which he had held for four weeks, to the ever consistent Max Bania. Bania now holds a five point lead over the chasing pack while first round leader, Toni Street, continues to hold firm in last position.

Week Five: August 27-August 30
John Whiting and Max Bania have now opened a considerable gap on the chasing pack but this week Chris Matthews was the big mover jumping from the bottom of the table to fourth place.

Week Four: August 20- August 23
Another weekend of upsets hit the tipsters hard but Max Bania came through relatively unscathed to be now just two point behind leader, John Whiting, going into round five.

Week Three: August 13-August 16
Tough week for all the tipsters: Manawatu's upset win over Southland, Bay of Plenty's shock win over Wellington and the Taranaki-Hawke's Bay draw did nobody any favours. John Whiting though remains on top-of-the-table with Max Bania not far behind.

Week Two: August 6-August 9
League buff John Whiting jumps into the lead with a solid round of 10 out of possible 14 points.

Week One: July 30-August 2
After week one it is ONE News sports reporter and presenter Toni Street on top, showing the boys how it is done and leading the field with 8 out of a possible 14 points.