1. It's interesting that one of the reasons for creating the bloated 14-team national rugby championship was to spread the talent, and bring the mid-range unions up to the top level. And yet the two teams contesting the major final tonight are ... Canterbury and Auckland.
2. The warped format of the ITM Cup is reflected in the fact Southland reached the championship playoffs with just four wins from 10 games. As much as I love the Stags, they should not have been given the opportunity to gain promotion with a record like that.
3. But let's face it: the only important thing about Southland rugby right now is the recovery of Hoani MacDonald. The Last Word and everyone in the ODT sports department wishes the big bloke and his family all the best.
4. We've analysed the status of All Black centurions Richie McCaw (the greatest) and Mils Muliaina (behind Cullen, Nepia and Scott but probably in the top five fullbacks), but there has been less discussion about the status of the newest member of the club, Keven Mealamu.
5. Sean Fitzpatrick the greatest All Black hooker?
6. Then daylight?
7. Then a group containing Mealamu, Andy Dalton, Bruce McLeod, Anton Oliver and Dennis Young? Potentially to be joined by Andrew Hore?
8. The Highlanders backline in 2007 included Toby Morland, Callum Bruce, Jason Kawau, Glen Horton and James Wilson.
9. Not to disrespect those fine gentlemen, but check this potential backline out: Aaron Smith, Colin Slade, Hosea Gear, Ma'a Nonu, Tamati Ellison, Buxton Popoali'i, Ben Smith.
10. Wow.
11. A forward pack containing two-thirds of the All Black front row, Brad Thorn, Jarrad Hoeata, Nasi Manu and (fingers crossed) a healthy John Hardie won't give any ground, either.
12. Stay, Thommo, stay.
13. For all the (justified) excitement over the recruitment of Nonu and company, the most important new Highlander next year could be a baby-faced Kurow kid called Hayden.
14. Five years ago, blinkered northern types were demanding the Highlanders be moved. Now elite players are choosing to come here. Feels good, huh?
15. Almost as good as watching the Blues panic.
... on sport ...
16. It would be foolish to say it's "now or never" for the Highlanders. "Never" is a redundant concept in sport. But I do think there will be massive expectations next year. The Jamie Joseph Project will be in its third year. There is talent and depth. All Blacks in every position. A special home ground.
17. Top four? Possibly. Anything less than top six will be a disappointment.
18. Is it just me, or is All Black coach Steve Hansen becoming almost likeable? He has done a super job in terms of results in his first year as the boss. He's had spectacular success introducing new players. He cracks a joke. And his Aussie-baiting in recent days has been nothing short of inspired.
19. Two-week ban for Scott Higginbotham's thuggish attacks on Richie McCaw? Limp.
20. This was a great tweet from Samoan rebel Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu: "I will be banned for 3 years if I tweet criticism of the IRB. Higginbotham headbutts & knees McCaw in the head and misses 2 games. Hilarious."
21. Fine, it's a second division - and a bastardised one at that. Fine, the standard of the NPC has dropped faster than Felix Baumgartner over the last decade. Fine, it will take more than one good season for the stain of the near-financial collapse to be washed away.
22. But, come on. You haven't enjoyed the Otago rugby team over the last few weeks? Win or lose last night, they've done the jersey proud.
23. Oh, and proved you don't need to import mediocre talent. Put faith in the locals and chuck a couple of good-quality outsiders in the mix. That's how it should be done every year now.
24. Tony Ensor. My player of the season. Needs a good nickname, though. The Flash?
25. I questioned whether Tony Brown had enough experience to be given the top job. Looks like his appointment may have been a stroke of genius. He speaks from the heart about what the Otago jersey means, he has put faith (even if his hand was forced) in locals, and he worked out you don't need to spend too much time on defence. If you score four tries, it doesn't matter if you concede three.
26. Here's a question: what if Lance Armstrong IS actually innocent?
27. No, you're right.
28. Has there been a bigger farce in New Zealand sport this year than the Warriors' coaching saga?
29. Or a more exciting debut than Louis Fenton's first performance for the Phoenix?
30. Hoo-zer-gims, Hyza-gims, Howza-gims - however you pronounce his name, the new man up front for the Phoenix looks very handy.
31. For those of us of a certain age, seeing Alessandro Del Piero playing in the A-League is still utterly surreal.
... since we last talked
32. Did you get the same buzz I did watching the Being: Liverpool series?
33. Hard to believe, after all these years, such little progress has been made made in the area of racism in European football. Uefa needs to front up.
34. Warm congratulations to the Otago netball team on emulating the great - the GREAT - team of 1998. Or, as I will always know it, MY netball team.
35. It seems there is an incredible amount of netball on TV at the moment. Great for the sport.
36. It's really hard to adequately sum up this Silver Ferns team. Rebuilding? In a sort of limbo as the post-van Dyk era gets a little closer? Doing better than expected? Occasionally flaky?
37. Valerie Adams is fantastic but it was disappointing her medal ceremony was dominated by ANZ and a VERY LOUD JOHN HAWKESBY DUSTED OFF ESPECIALLY FOR THE OCCASION.
38. I kept waiting for Valerie to say: "The bag, the bag."39. My sporting highlight of the year? Final day of the Ryder Cup. Yep.
40. Todd Astle. Really?
41. A brilliant summation of cricket's Champions League from genius Guardian writer Barney Ronay: "... a once-decent idea congealing before your eyes into a doomed curiosity, like an abandoned casino town being slowly reclaimed by the desert."42. You might think the most exciting person in world sport is Lionel Messi. You'd be wrong. It's NFL rookie Robert Griffin III, RG3. Look him up.
43. All Black great Jonah Lomu, NBA basketballers Alonzo Mourning and Sean Elliott, Croatian footballer Ivan Klasnic, late cricket broadcasting magnate Kerry Packer ... and now ODT columnist Brent Edwards. All went through kidney transplants.
Congratulations and best wishes, my friend and mentor.
44. If you missed Brent's story, head to our website or find a copy of the October 13 edition of the ODT. It's extraordinary.
The black jersey
All Black memorabilia is as popular as ever.
The Brighton Surf Life Saving Club was stunned recently when it listed an All Black jersey on Trade Me to raise some money.
Former Highlanders prop Carl Hayman donated his playing jersey from his 30th test (All Blacks v Wallabies, August 2006) to help raise funds for a new club rooms and community facility.
The Brighton club set a reserve of $750 but pocketed $4000 as the jersey was sold to a keen fan.
'Rugby News' news
Very sad to hear a New Zealand rugby institution, Rugby News, is leaving its print edition behind as it embraces the digital revolution.
Times are changing - of all people, those of us in the media understand that.
But RN has been an institution, part of the fabric of New Zealand rugby. It's employed plenty of good buggers, including my old mate Dave Campbell, and been an invaluable resource for fans and the media.
Birthday of the week
Mark Taylor is 48 today.
Taylor was one of the great cricket captains - though, as a batsman, you would argue he was merely very good - and was once named Australian of the year.
Now, of course, he is better known as a television commentator. "Tubby" is very much one of the boys.
