Can we still call this cricket?

EACH weekend The Chronicle sport team jumps on its Saturday Soapbox and voices its opinion on some pressing sporting issues.

Q: What do you think of the changes to the junior cricket format that allow children aged 9-12 to play on a smaller pitch, defend shorter boundaries with less fielders and use modified equipment they can grip properly?

Madolyn Peters: To be honest I don’t think the new changes take too much away from the “real” game of cricket.

I think they are a great introduction for juniors who may have never played cricket before.

Sport at that age is all about having fun, sharing the bowling around and cheering each other on.

The new format encourages them to have fun and will hopefully keep them playing cricket for longer.

At the end of the day, as long as the juniors are outside, being active and getting involved in sport, I think the new changes could really help that.

Glen McCullough: I agree with Maddy’s thoughts and I know where these junior sport innovations are coming from and what they are aimed at.

But we need to be careful not to get away from the traditions and basics of the sports our kids aspire to play.

We all had sport idols we looked up to as kids.

You might have wanted to bowl fast like Dennis Lillee or play tennis like Evonne Goolagong.

So you picked up a six-stitcher (more likely a painted cork ball) or tennis racquet and tried to imitate them to a tee.

And I’ve got to say so many kids, even in primary school, made a pretty good fist of it.

By all means make it appealing to become involved and participate with things like modified equipment but don’t get too far away from the actual sport youngsters love to watch and crave to play themselves.

We don’t want modification to become mollycoddling.

Q: Which team would you like to see play against the Gold Coast Titans when they bring one of their ‘home’ games to Clive Berghofer Stadium next year?

MP: It has to be the North Queensland Cowboys.

They’re the only other Queensland team that rugby league fans wouldn’t get to see as much as the Brisbane Broncos or the Titans.

It would make sense for the Brisbane Broncos to travel into Toowoomba for the game but with Suncorp Stadium a drive away for most people, I don’t think that will be the case.

If not my beloved Cowboys it would be good to see another hometown hero return.

So as much as Melbourne Storm hurt me last month, for a chance to see former Highfields Eagles player Brodie Croft back on Toowoomba turf, I will say Storm.

And it wouldn’t hurt seeing Billy Slater play either.

GM: I couldn’t believe my ears on Thursday when I heard of an NRL game heading to the Darling Downs. It’s amazing news for our region and so many positives will flow from it.

It is naturally exciting for Titans fans.

But not everyone follows Queensland-based teams and there are going to be many chuffed supporters of the opposing side when it is announced.

St George (forget the Illawarra bit) for example is just one club to have many fans in the Toowoomba region who would be equally as stoked to have their team playing on Toowoomba soil.