Munster tips Crichton callup for Blues squad

Seventeen-year-old Paris Chin is set to be one of the youngest athletes representing New Zealand at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Zoë George reports.

Queensland playmaker Cameron Munster is expecting NSW to exploit Penrith’s lethal player combinations and pick Stephen Crichton for his State of Origin debut.

With incumbents Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic ruled out through injury, Blues coach Brad Fittler is on the hunt for a new centre pairing for the opening Origin in Sydney on June 8.

Fittler will name his squad tomorrow night, with Penrith’s Crichton and Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs favoured to make their debut.

While Mitchell and Trbojevic are two of the game’s best, Munster said the depth in the NSW player ranks means their absence won’t make the centres a vulnerability.

He thought premiership three-quarter Crichton would get the nod given Penrith halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai, winger Brian To’o, second-rower Liam Martin and lock Isaah Yeo are all expected to be in the starting side.

‘‘There’s a very, very talented pool in NSW and they’ve got Stephen Crichton and he’s playing some in-form footy for the Panthers,’’ said Munster, following Melbourne’s 28-8 win over Manly.

‘‘They might go that avenue due to the fact that they will have Cleary and maybe [Liam] Martin on that edge and having an all Panthers edge wouldn’t be a bad idea for them so I’m sure they’ve been looking at that.’’

Crichton is only 21 but has already clocked more than 60 NRL games and two grand finals, including a 2020 loss to Munster’s Melbourne.

The Panthers, including tryscorer Crichton, towelled up the Storm 32-6 in their Magic Round clash earlier this month.

Munster said his age wasn’t a barrier given his experience on the big stage. ‘‘He’s a very confident kid, Crichton, I’ve played against him a fair bit and he’s a very good player.

‘‘I’m sure if he does get his opportunity, he will take it.’’ Munster was also expecting to see North Queensland’s Valentine

Holmes get his first State of Origin start in the centres.

Holmes has played on the wing in all but three of his 10 games for the Maroons when he has been fullback.

But this season the 26-year-old has been reinvented by Cowboys coach Todd Payten as a centre to help steer the team into third spot on the NRL ladder.

‘‘There was obviously a lot of question marks on where Val should play whether it be fullback or wing, but Todd Payten has seen a lot of good in him in centres and he’d be one of the most in-form centres in the competition,’’ Munster said.

‘‘He’s earned his position so whether Bill [coach Billy Slater] decides to go that way, I’m not entirely sure but I know he’s put his hand up to play centre.’’

Meanwhile Fittler says the contract saga between Payne Haas and Brisbane is ‘‘not ideal at all’’ with State of Origin selection looming.

Haas would be one of the first names on Fittler 22-man list for the opener June 8,having made seven appearances since his 2019 debut.

But the 22-year-old prop on Thursday asked the Broncos for an immediate release from his contract, which was denied by the NRL club.

The three-time Broncos best-andfairest winner is seeking a contract upgrade while he is also at loggerheads with former manager Chris Orr.

Fittler has always said he doesn’t want any distractions in his Blues camp and urged Haas and Brisbane to sort out their differences.

‘‘I know from Payne’s point of view and Brisbane’s; I’m sure they want to clear this up and get on with it as they’re having a fantastic season and this could hijack it.

‘‘I spoke to Payne before and he said that he’s in a good mindset at the moment,’’ Fittler said.

It’s been a juggling act for rhythmic gymnast Paris Chin, who not only juggles an actual ball, but academics, life, friends and family time all at the same time.

But it has been all worth it for the 17-year-old who is set to be one of the youngest – and the first New-Zealand Chinese rhythmic gymnast – to represent Aotearoa at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

She has been named in the squad of seven and only one of two female gymnasts.

The other is fellow rhythmic gymnast Havana Hopman.

‘‘Being the youngest is very exciting, because everyone else is older, and you get to talk to people who have experience, and you get tips and tricks, from everyone else. They look after you, which is cool.’’

The Christchurch-based athlete trains up to nine hours a day, six days a week, all the while trying to complete her final year at Burnside High School.

It’s ‘‘hard work’’. Sunday is her day off. She usually catches up on school work, then tries to hang with friends. Having time for herself is rare.

Her average school day involves getting up early, and going to school for a few hours – biology and English are her favourite subjects, chemistry not so much – then it’s off to training at 10.30 for a few hours, then back to school and once the academic day is over it’s back to training.

The school has been incredibly supportive of her gymnastics journey, she said, but academics is also important as she hopes to go to university next year.

Her friends were also ‘‘very excited’’ when they found out about her selection and have been incredibly supportive of her chasing her dream.

‘‘Since I’m not at school, they’ll send me work or notes. It’s really helpful and supportive.’’

She used to rely on her parents to get her to and from the Templetonbased gym and school, but thankfully now she has her driving licence, allowing her to have freedom.

‘‘It’s hard sometimes, but you keep working because ultimately there’s a goal.

‘‘The goal is hopefully a medal on the podium. If I do some nice routines, then there’s a good chance of at least top five.’’

Chin’s strongest element is the ball. ‘‘It’s more fun.’’ She throws the

‘‘There are times when you feel like you won’t be able to do it, but there’s people around you that are encouraging, supportive, and you want to make them proud, so you keep going.’’

Paris Chin

ball at least six metres in the air while tumbling underneath. It takes a lot of practice.

The hardest trick is throwing the ball, while doing a walk over and two rotations, finishing by catching the ball behind the back without any hands. Yes, she said, it is possible.

There’s much more to rhythmic gymnastics than just throwing a ball or a ribbon.

It combined technical aspects including rolls, throws and tumbles in a co-ordinated fashion.

‘‘If you start the ball in one hand, you have to roll it across your arms and body, and if you don’t have the right technique the ball will fall off, or you’ll drop it. You get a penalty.’’

In the last two years gymnastics has been in the spotlight as a global movement happened with athletes sharing their stories of abusive practices within the sport. New Zealand was part of that movement, after an ‘‘insidious culture’’ was uncovered. A review was done, and changes are slowly happening. It was a hard time for everyone, Chin said.

‘‘It was emotional. Everything’s way better now,’’ she said. ‘‘Gymnastics NZ has been really supportive, and everything seems to have come together.’’

Rhythmic gymnastics wasn’t her first choice. She first started in artistic gymnastics ‘‘just for fun’’, but at age 7 was asked to try rhythmic. Ten years on, she never thought it would be possible to go to the Commonwealth Games.

Her road to qualifying was a tough one. Covid and then the war in Ukraine stymied parts of her progress.

She spent lockdowns in her family’s living room, working on tricks and skills, while trying ‘‘not to break anything’’. Then, she was due to go to Russia earlier this year to train. But that did not happen after the invasion of Ukraine.

She did manage to make it to Greece, Spain and Bulgaria for international competitions, including two World Cups. Those events helped her qualify for the Games.

She’ll be competing against athletes from around the world. Her eyes will be on athletes from Malaysia and Canada, who she said are very strong. But her biggest competition is herself.

‘‘Competing with myself and trying to push what I can do, and do routines I can be proud of,’’ she said.

Chin will be the second athlete to go to the Games while under the tutelage of coach Elena Mesheryakova. The first was Amelia Coleman who competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Chin has been with her coach for 10 years. ‘‘There are times when you feel like you won’t be able to do it, but there’s people around you that are encouraging, supportive, and you want to make them proud, so you keep going.’’

She can’t wait to step out on the mat in Birmingham. She said that experience will be ‘‘scary’’ but fun.

‘‘If you don’t have fun then why would you go this far? You have to enjoy it to be able to push yourself.’’