Halberg’s obsession counts against worthy candidates
The Halberg Awards desperately need another category if they want to remain relevant. The two greatest achievers in New Zealand sport over the last 12 months were arguably Chris Wood and Steven Adams, but there is no room for either among the current set of honours.
Both have been nominated over recent years, but they haven’t even made the final cut, aside from Adams in his NBA rookie year (2014).
That’s because of the Halberg’s general obsession with “winning something” or making the podium, rather than a more measured consideration of context and overall excellence.
Let’s recap on what the duo have managed over the last 12 months.
Wood became just the sixth Kiwi to play in the English Premier League, but more importantly, the first striker. That’s the most coveted position in world football.
Burnley paid an estimated £15 million and the 27-year-old is now probably worth at least £20m.
Over 10 years, he has climbed to the top of an incredibly steep pyramid. There are around 65,000 professional footballers across the world. Most are concentrated in the hot beds of Europe and South America, but there are leagues and aspiring players in almost every country.
The holy grail for most is the Premier League, the richest and highest profile football competition in the world, where only around 500 players can feature in England’s top flight in any one season.
Wood’s feats have been staggering. He notched 10 league goals for Burnley last season (only 15 players scored more), including memorable strikes against Spurs and Everton. Earlier this year, he found the net at Old Trafford, against Manchester United, in front of more than 70,000 people.
But Wood is unlikely to feature prominently in the Halberg Awards, thanks to the narrow criteria and unimaginative judging panel.
Adams is of a similar vein. The 25-year-old has become one of the highest rated centres in the NBA, and was close to making the all-star game during this past season. He has come through one of the most competitive sporting conveyor belts on the planet and every match is followed fanatically by fans across the globe, including a wide support in New Zealand. Adams earns an estimated US$25 million a year, and might be the best basketballer we ever produce, as he constantly shines against some of the most well known athletes in the world.
But unless he “wins something” — such as the NBA title — he doesn’t really fit the criteria of the Halberg Awards, either the Sportsman of the Year title, or the Supreme Award.
A new category, perhaps “best achievement in a global sport” might cover them?