June 15, 2022

Briefly

  • The Herald says House prices: ‘Another bloodbath’ as prices slump again in May for sixth straight month – REINZ figures. Estimates in the story range from 10-15% drop by the end of the year, and maybe 18% peak to trough.  In January, the Herald reported that prices had risen 30% in 2021, so even an 18% drop would leave prices about 10% higher than they were at the start of 2021.  So even the most optimistic forecast has housing prices pretty much keeping up with inflation over 2021-22.
  • Emma Vitz updated her housing price maps for the Spinoff, which you probably saw this time last year
  • Len Cook, former Government Statistician of New Zealand and former Chief Statistician of the UK, is Not Happy with the proposed  Data and Statistics Bill,  replacing the old Statistics Act.  As I said on Twitter, you don’t necessarily have to agree with Len, but you do need to pay attention to what he thinks.
  • Covid has now killed more White people in the US than Hispanic or Black or Asian, according to a New York Times story.  As this Twitter thread points out, that’s because of age differences in the populations of different ethnicities.  Mortality rates are lower for White people <45 than Black or Hispanic. The same is true for White people 45-64. And 65-74, and over 75. Because the White population averages older, the total numbers of deaths are higher — but that’s like the way deaths are higher in Australia than New Zealand because the population is larger.  Age standardisation is really important if you want to think about reasons for differences between groups
June 14, 2022

NRL Predictions for Round 15

Team Ratings for Round 15

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Panthers 16.46 14.26 2.20
Storm 16.24 19.20 -3.00
Rabbitohs 7.68 15.81 -8.10
Sea Eagles 5.42 10.99 -5.60
Roosters 2.88 2.23 0.60
Cowboys 1.88 -12.27 14.10
Eels 1.66 2.54 -0.90
Sharks 0.51 -1.10 1.60
Broncos -0.46 -8.90 8.40
Raiders -1.14 -1.10 -0.00
Titans -6.20 1.05 -7.20
Dragons -7.47 -7.99 0.50
Bulldogs -8.47 -10.25 1.80
Warriors -9.92 -8.99 -0.90
Knights -10.51 -6.54 -4.00
Wests Tigers -10.57 -10.94 0.40

 

Performance So Far

So far there have been 108 matches played, 76 of which were correctly predicted, a success rate of 70.4%.
Here are the predictions for last week’s games.

Game Date Score Prediction Correct
1 Cowboys vs. Dragons Jun 10 31 – 12 11.10 TRUE
2 Titans vs. Rabbitohs Jun 11 16 – 30 -10.30 TRUE
3 Roosters vs. Storm Jun 11 18 – 26 -10.80 TRUE
4 Broncos vs. Raiders Jun 11 24 – 18 3.20 TRUE
5 Wests Tigers vs. Sea Eagles Jun 12 4 – 30 -11.20 TRUE
6 Knights vs. Panthers Jun 12 6 – 42 -22.30 TRUE
7 Warriors vs. Sharks Jun 12 16 – 38 -8.80 TRUE
8 Bulldogs vs. Eels Jun 13 34 – 4 -11.70 FALSE

 

Predictions for Round 15

Here are the predictions for Round 15. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Dragons vs. Rabbitohs Jun 16 Rabbitohs -12.10
2 Sea Eagles vs. Cowboys Jun 17 Sea Eagles 6.50
3 Storm vs. Broncos Jun 17 Storm 19.70
4 Sharks vs. Titans Jun 18 Sharks 9.70
5 Warriors vs. Panthers Jun 18 Panthers -20.90
6 Eels vs. Roosters Jun 18 Eels 1.80
7 Raiders vs. Knights Jun 19 Raiders 12.40
8 Bulldogs vs. Wests Tigers Jun 19 Bulldogs 5.10

 

United Rugby Championship Predictions for the Final

Team Ratings for the Final

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Leinster 16.79 14.79 2.00
Munster 9.78 10.69 -0.90
Ulster 9.27 7.41 1.90
Bulls 7.91 3.65 4.30
Stormers 7.06 0.00 7.10
Sharks 6.95 -0.07 7.00
Edinburgh 3.58 2.90 0.70
Glasgow -0.00 3.69 -3.70
Ospreys -0.83 0.94 -1.80
Scarlets -1.23 -0.77 -0.50
Connacht -1.60 1.72 -3.30
Lions -1.74 -3.91 2.20
Benetton -3.68 -4.50 0.80
Cardiff Rugby -7.42 -0.11 -7.30
Dragons -11.81 -6.92 -4.90
Zebre -16.99 -13.47 -3.50

 

Performance So Far

So far there have been 150 matches played, 109 of which were correctly predicted, a success rate of 72.7%.
Here are the predictions for last week’s games.

Game Date Score Prediction Correct
1 Leinster vs. Bulls Jun 11 26 – 27 17.20 FALSE
2 Stormers vs. Ulster Jun 12 17 – 15 4.80 TRUE

 

Predictions for the Final

Here are the predictions for the Final. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Stormers vs. Bulls Jun 19 Stormers 4.20

 

Top 14 Predictions for the Semi-finals

Team Ratings for the Semi-finals

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Stade Toulousain 7.81 6.83 1.00
La Rochelle 7.78 6.78 1.00
Bordeaux-Begles 6.47 5.42 1.10
Racing-Metro 92 5.75 6.13 -0.40
Clermont Auvergne 4.78 5.09 -0.30
RC Toulonnais 4.50 1.82 2.70
Lyon Rugby 3.61 4.15 -0.50
Montpellier 3.52 -0.01 3.50
Castres Olympique 3.23 0.94 2.30
Stade Francais Paris -0.71 1.20 -1.90
Section Paloise -1.81 -2.25 0.40
USA Perpignan -3.05 -2.78 -0.30
Brive -4.06 -3.19 -0.90
Biarritz -10.48 -2.78 -7.70

 

Performance So Far

So far there have been 183 matches played, 133 of which were correctly predicted, a success rate of 72.7%.
Here are the predictions for last week’s games.

Game Date Score Prediction Correct
1 Stade Toulousain vs. La Rochelle Jun 12 33 – 28 6.70 TRUE
2 Bordeaux-Begles vs. Racing-Metro 92 Jun 13 36 – 16 6.30 TRUE

 

Predictions for the Semi-finals

Here are the predictions for the Semi-finals. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Castres Olympique vs. Stade Toulousain Jun 18 Stade Toulousain -5.90
2 Montpellier vs. Bordeaux-Begles Jun 19 Bordeaux-Begles -3.00

 

Super Rugby Predictions for the Super Rugby Final

 

Team Ratings for the Super Rugby Final

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Crusaders 15.47 13.43 2.00
Blues 12.01 9.26 2.70
Hurricanes 7.70 8.28 -0.60
Chiefs 7.61 5.56 2.00
Brumbies 5.52 3.61 1.90
Highlanders 3.31 6.54 -3.20
Reds 0.26 1.37 -1.10
Waratahs -2.59 -9.00 6.40
Western Force -6.94 -4.96 -2.00
Rebels -8.27 -5.79 -2.50
Moana Pasifika -11.64 -10.00 -1.60
Fijian Drua -14.14 -10.00 -4.10

 

Performance So Far

So far there have been 90 matches played, 67 of which were correctly predicted, a success rate of 74.4%.
Here are the predictions for last week’s games.

Game Date Score Prediction Correct
1 Crusaders vs. Chiefs Jun 10 20 – 7 13.40 TRUE
2 Blues vs. Brumbies Jun 11 20 – 19 13.90 TRUE

 

Predictions for the Super Rugby Final

Here are the predictions for the Super Rugby Final. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Blues vs. Crusaders Jun 18 Blues 2.00

 

Rugby Premiership Predictions for the Final

Team Ratings for the Final

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Leicester Tigers 5.91 -6.14 12.00
Gloucester 5.08 -1.02 6.10
Saracens 4.24 -5.00 9.20
Sale Sharks 2.83 4.96 -2.10
Northampton Saints 2.68 -2.48 5.20
Exeter Chiefs 2.40 7.35 -4.90
Harlequins 1.89 -1.08 3.00
Wasps 1.12 5.66 -4.50
London Irish -2.88 -8.05 5.20
Bristol -4.25 1.28 -5.50
Bath -9.04 2.14 -11.20
Newcastle Falcons -9.08 -3.52 -5.60
Worcester Warriors -12.51 -5.71 -6.80

 

Performance So Far

So far there have been 155 matches played, 90 of which were correctly predicted, a success rate of 58.1%.
Here are the predictions for last week’s games.

Game Date Score Prediction Correct
1 Saracens vs. Harlequins Jun 12 34 – 17 5.60 TRUE
2 Leicester Tigers vs. Northampton Saints Jun 12 27 – 14 7.00 TRUE

 

Predictions for the Final

Here are the predictions for the Final. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Leicester Tigers vs. Saracens Jun 19 Leicester Tigers 1.70

 

Currie Cup Predictions for the Semi Finals

Team Ratings for the Semi Finals

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Cheetahs 5.69 -2.70 8.40
Bulls 4.93 7.25 -2.30
Griquas 0.89 -4.92 5.80
Pumas 0.83 -3.31 4.10
Sharks -1.30 4.13 -5.40
Western Province -3.24 1.42 -4.70
Lions -7.79 -1.88 -5.90

 

Performance So Far

So far there have been 41 matches played, 28 of which were correctly predicted, a success rate of 68.3%.
Here are the predictions for last week’s games.

Game Date Score Prediction Correct
1 Pumas vs. Griquas Jun 11 44 – 45 5.60 FALSE
2 Cheetahs vs. Bulls Jun 11 35 – 5 1.10 TRUE
3 Western Province vs. Sharks Jun 12 28 – 21 1.50 TRUE

 

Predictions for the Semi Finals

Here are the predictions for the Semi Finals. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Bulls vs. Griquas Jun 19 Bulls 8.50
2 Cheetahs vs. Pumas Jun 19 Cheetahs 9.40

 

June 8, 2022

Briefly

Remember Pheidippides

From the Herald today (from the Daily Telegraph)

The story is somewhat better than the headline — for a start, it mentions in the second sentence that this is unpublished research being presented at a conference, so it’s really just a press release and there won’t be much further information available.  There’s a slightly more detailed story at Yahoo, from the Evening Standard.

You might think from the the headline that the research studied men who ran marathons after the age of 40, and that it came with recommendations not to do this.  Not quite. These were people aged over 40 who had taken part in more than 10 endurance events and had exercised regularly for at least 10 years, but quite a lot of their excessive exercise could have taken place when they were under 40.  More importantly, there wasn’t a “warning”:  the Yahoo piece quotes the researchers as saying

“In non-athletes, aortic stiffening is associated with heart and circulatory diseases.

“How this finding applies to potential risk in athletes is not yet fully understood, so more work will be needed to help identify who could be more at risk.”

As usual, this isn’t the first piece of research on the topic.

Earlier research of endurance athletes over 50, from 2020 (press release, paper) supports the current findings. It did find enlargement of the aorta in male but not female athletes, and like the current research it came with vague concerns rather than dire warnings

The first option is that aortic enlargement among masters athletes is a benign adaptation and another feature of the so-called athlete’s heart, where big is good. “The alternative is that being a lifelong exerciser may cause dilation of the aorta with the sort of attendant risk seen in nonathletes.”

A 2021 paper looked at the ‘aortic age’ in people doing their first marathon, at ages ranging from 21 to 69. It found

… a reduction in “aortic age” by 3.9 years (95% CI: 1.1 to 7.6 years) and 4.0 years (95% CI: 1.7 to 8.0 years) (Ao-P and Ao-D, respectively). Benefit was greater in older, male participants with slower running times (p < 0.05 for all).

That is, if these measurements have the same interpretation in athletes as in normal people, running a single marathon seems to be good for men over 40.

It might turn out that overindulgence in marathon running is bad for your cardiovascular system, but we’re not there yet.  If you’re running for fitness, you might be better off not going the full 42km. But if you enjoy it, go in (hopefully) good health.

June 7, 2022

NRL Predictions for Round 14

Team Ratings for Round 14

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Storm 16.47 19.20 -2.70
Panthers 15.62 14.26 1.40
Rabbitohs 7.38 15.81 -8.40
Sea Eagles 4.51 10.99 -6.50
Eels 3.96 2.54 1.40
Roosters 2.66 2.23 0.40
Cowboys 1.24 -12.27 13.50
Sharks -0.30 -1.10 0.80
Broncos -0.68 -8.90 8.20
Raiders -0.91 -1.10 0.20
Titans -5.90 1.05 -6.90
Dragons -6.83 -7.99 1.20
Warriors -9.11 -8.99 -0.10
Knights -9.67 -6.54 -3.10
Wests Tigers -9.67 -10.94 1.30
Bulldogs -10.77 -10.25 -0.50

 

Performance So Far

So far there have been 100 matches played, 69 of which were correctly predicted, a success rate of 69%.
Here are the predictions for last week’s games.

Game Date Score Prediction Correct
1 Titans vs. Cowboys Jun 02 6 – 32 -1.30 TRUE
2 Panthers vs. Bulldogs Jun 03 30 – 18 31.70 TRUE
3 Sea Eagles vs. Warriors Jun 04 44 – 12 17.30 TRUE
4 Raiders vs. Roosters Jun 05 22 – 16 -1.80 FALSE

 

Predictions for Round 14

Here are the predictions for Round 14. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Cowboys vs. Dragons Jun 10 Cowboys 11.10
2 Titans vs. Rabbitohs Jun 11 Rabbitohs -10.30
3 Roosters vs. Storm Jun 11 Storm -10.80
4 Broncos vs. Raiders Jun 11 Broncos 3.20
5 Wests Tigers vs. Sea Eagles Jun 12 Sea Eagles -11.20
6 Knights vs. Panthers Jun 12 Panthers -22.30
7 Warriors vs. Sharks Jun 12 Sharks -8.80
8 Bulldogs vs. Eels Jun 13 Eels -11.70