Paul Grant has been one of Otago's best players this year. But his chances of getting a Super 15 contract look slim. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at the No 8 and how, sometimes, selection can often come down to perception, rather than reality.
Grant, who will turn 26 later this month, has been in good form. That has led to the obvious question of whether the No 8 is in the reckoning to take the next step up to Super 15.
But that appears to be a bridge too far.
Grant has been knocking on that door for a few years but it has never opened for him, and it appears unlikely to next season.
He may have to look elsewhere if he wants to progress his career. The Highlanders already have seven loose forwards locked in for next year, and also five locks. That leaves Grant on the outside, looking in.
He was in the wider Highlanders squad for a couple of weeks at the start of this year but was not invited back later on, when injuries started hitting the squad.
Though he was never told what he did wrong in those couple of weeks, it simply came down to coaches preferring other options.
Over the years, Grant has been perceived as not being abrasive enough, too hot and cold, prone to errors and not stepping up when needed.
Fairly or unfairly, that is what many in the top positions see in his game.
New Zealand rugby has a network and like any network, talk travels fast. Players get labelled with a particular fault and they never get rid of it.
Former Otago winger Karne Hesketh was black-marked for his defence and he never got near a Super 14 side.
Never mind that he could bust tackles at will and score tries few other players could. And how many wingers in New Zealand are good defenders?Someone like Mathew Berquist can have a long career because of a so-called trusty boot and experience. Never mind his glacial pace and poor defence.
Grant has been landed with labels when he was young and has spent the past couple of years trying to get rid of them.
At 26, he is finally maturing as a player, but unfortunately he may be too old.
In New Zealand rugby, if you have not cracked it by the mid 20s, your chance is almost gone, particularly in the loose forwards, where the depth is massive. Top loosies are like buses: there is always another one coming along.
In a pre-season Highlanders game in Oamaru this year, Grant came on for the final quarter.
Jason Emery made a break and it looked a certain try with Grant up in support. But somehow they botched it.
And maybe that sums up Grant. There or thereabouts, but just does not quite convince. For those that matter, anyway.
Adam Thomson was in the same category for a couple of years. And we all know how good he became.
His break-out year was 2008 when he starred for the Highlanders and became an All Black.
How old was he then? Just like Grant, 26.
