Hello again
Now, where was I?
Observant readers of this column might have noticed it has been a good while since it appeared and wondered whether its owner was (a) absent without leave, (b) lazy or (c) too absorbed in a thrilling Highlanders season to maintain a weekly compilation of pith and vinegar.
The truth is somewhere in the middle.
An extended stretch with skeleton staff, some personal turmoil and general workload combined to push The Last Word into the shadows.
It returns today. For more than a cameo appearance? Let’s see. Help a man out by sending ideas, opinions and tips.
Not-so-super rugby
The optimist in me thinks there is still great value and potential in Super Rugby.
It has the right number of teams. There is no South African time zone to worry about. It almost has the format right — eight teams out of 12 making the playoffs is too many, and it is problematic that the competition is skewed by which teams you have to play twice; I would like a single round, 11 games, straight semifinals. And when two good teams (see: Chiefs v Crusaders) go to war, the rugby is spectacular.
But clearly there are issues.
The big three to address are:
Moana Pasifika — What is the future for this team? What is its purpose? How is it ever going to be really competitive?
Talent equalisation — Every major sports league (Premier League football is a weird outlier) has things like proper salary caps and drafts to ensure competitive parity. It creates massive interest (roster building, players on the move), and it is essential that you start a season not knowing which team will win. We still have a situation where one Super Rugby team can have 18 All Blacks and another three. It’s a nonsense.
General malaise — Hard to describe, so maybe hard to solve. There is a definite sense people just don’t care about the competition that much, and that we are still uncertain exactly what Super Rugby should be. First step absolutely must be the competition getting its own, independent leadership and marketing so it can get some drive and attention 365 days a year. Parity, as mentioned, must be found. More afternoon games. Get the coaches away from the laptops and roaming the sidelines so they become part of the show. Get some narratives going.
Over the Ditch
Meanwhile, the NRL just seems to get bigger and better, and it is no wonder some rugby fans are looking enviously at the world of Australian rugby league.
Crowds are huge, interest never seems to die, there are endless narratives and emerging stars, and proper talent equalisation tools guarantee no team can constantly dominate.
Wah-wah-what?
The Warriors. That was our rugby league team’s name for 27 years.
When did the "Wah-Wahs" become a thing?
The iron man
A belated salute to Crusaders and All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock, who played his 350th first-class game last week.
You might not rate every player at the top level — and you might not be able to fully celebrate a man who runs out for the Evil Empire — but elite rugby is a brutal and unforgiving world, and 350 games is a remarkable achievement.
Whitelock has been an absolute warrior, and surely joins Colin Meads in the second row of the greatest All Blacks XV (rough on Brodie Retallick, maybe).
Whitelock became the sixth New Zealander to reach the milestone, following Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Meads, Liam Messam and our own Aaron Smith.
Not made of steel
Not to brag or anything, but when this former netball writer made his debut in 1998, he got to cover TWENTY-TWO straight victories thanks to those amazing Rebels and Otago teams.
Spare a thought, then, for my colleague, Kayla Hodge, who joined the ODT sports department just a few months ago.
Kayla knows about 6000% more about netball than I did 25 years ago, but she has been lumped with a team that simply does not know how to win.
The Steel has clearly improved in recent weeks, and the early loss of star shooter George Fisher through injury was a devastating blow.
But 11 straight losses in an elite competition? A goal difference of minus-178? Yeesh.
We are at the point when serious questions need to be asked about the players, the coach and the management of a team that is on track for the worst season by a southern franchise in 25 years.
The real King
Yes, yes, it’s a big night for those who love the pomp and ceremony, and for old mate Charles finally.
But you should also check out King James, the remarkable LeBron, who continues to lead the LA Lakers through the NBA playoffs at the age of 38.
We will not see his like again.
