• Rejigging the draft . . .
There are various arguments running as to why the Highlanders find life so difficult in the Super 14.
Many simply point to the dismal form of Otago in recent years, pointing out the best Highlanders teams were basically Otago in disguise.
Some are blaming the coach, Glenn Moore, wondering why his three-year plan is not delivering some results, and some wonder whether there aren't enough Southland players in the team, or whether there are too many.
A few go with the "players just aren't good enough" line, others look at financial issues, no doubt somebody will blame night rugby, and a fair few just don't care and wonder how on earth we're going to make the stadium pay.
I'm genuinely surprised the Highlanders haven't been better this year. They've got experience and outstanding players in some positions, and Moore is a man for whom I have always had the deepest respect.
It seems to me the two most obvious issues are. -
1.Otago's slump has hurt the Highlanders badly.
2.The NZRU needs to do even more to help its struggling runt.
Otago's woes have been well documented and there is no need to whip a dead horse. Change has happened at board and coaching level, and it's only fair to see if Wayne Graham, Laurie Mains, Phil Mooney and company can do something to arrest the slide.
But I wonder if the NZRU shouldn't still be under the gun for letting the Highlanders fall away so dramatically.
• ...to help the Highlanders
Granted, the Highlanders need to take responsibility for their own actions, and the NZRU can be an easy target when things go wrong.
But remember the franchises were established and are overseen by the national union, and it is in its own interests to have the five franchises succeeding.
The NZRU took steps last year to help the Highlanders financially and at board level, but I wonder if it has done enough to help the franchise on the field.
Union bigwigs stepped in last year to ensure Israel Dagg, the next All Black star, stayed with the Highlanders, and there is a strong suspicion they also played roles in getting Jamie Mackintosh and Jimmy Cowan to shun moves north.
But why are we still at a point where the Crusaders have three first fives better than anything the Highlanders have got?
And why do the Chiefs have two All Black first fives?
And wouldn't Hurricanes winger David Smith, Chiefs loose forward Colin Bourke and Blues centre Anthony Tuitavake be getting more game time in the Highlanders?
A sort of draft system exists to spread the talent over the five franchises but it has always seemed a bit haphazard to me.
From next year, the franchises will be able to contract players directly. I'd argue those rosters should be limited to 18-19 players, then the rest could get plopped into a pool to be allocated based on genuine need.
If the Highlanders have three genuine holes to fill, they should get first choice in each of those positions.
• Enough of the tomfoolery
I'm hardly a fuddy-duddy but I have to say I am well over the sight of Highlanders players performing silly celebrations after scoring tries.
It is one thing to be miming a butcher or a shoe-shiner or whatever when you are scoring lots of tries and winning lots of games. At the end of a game in which your side has been well beaten, it's just embarrassing.
It was also extremely disappointing to be told by one of my regional colleagues that a Highlander had given her a false name after a photo was taken of a group of players in Queenstown.
It isn't the first time this player has pulled such a juvenile trick, and it doesn't reflect well on the maturity levels in the team.
• Twaddle she do next?
Our North Otago office reports former Oamaru woman Sarah Twaddle has been burning some rubber, er, gravel on the Australian motorsport circuit.
Twaddle (27) navigated the winning car, for driver Jason Pearce, in the Condo 750 cross-country rally in Condobolin, New South Wales, at Easter.
Her interest in motorsport started at a young age when her parents, Lyn and Brent, ran off-road rallies in Omarama and Twizel.
She travelled to Australia to navigate in her first cross-country rally in 2007. She took the navigator's seat in the 2007 and 2008 Condo 750 rallies.
Twaddle was then offered a drive in the Australasian Safari Rally in Western Australia and drove a Mitsubishi Evolution Pajero to 13th overall.
• Outward-looking Katie
Talented Otago swimmer Katie Kenneally has been testing the water in the Marlborough Sounds this week.
Kenneally was selected to take part in an Outward Bound programme aimed at getting more New Zealand swimmers up on the podium at international events.
The inaugural course aims to offer swimmers a different take on issues like goal-setting and culture-building.
• Sad week for Otago
It has been a rough week for Otago sport with the deaths of Warren Shirley and Gayle Hall.
Everyone in the ODT sports department extends their sympathies to the families of Shirley, the great cricket stalwart, and Hall, the supportive mother of Paralympic hero Adam.
