Wood rises to new heights among stars

Chris Wood celebrates after scoring last season. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Is it that time of year again? It is indeed. Hayden Meikle presents the annual Otago Daily Times sport power rankings.

You should all know the drill by now. This is a snapshot of New Zealand sport and where the stars — individual athletes only, no teams or coaches or administrators — rank in terms of status, achievement, dominance, marketability and that special something.

No scientific formula, and no real justification for my rankings other than "because I said so".

The figures in parentheses represent where the athletes appeared in last year’s power rankings.

The top 10

1. Chris Wood (6)

Arise, Sir Christopher

A new king of the power rankings. And you have to agree his time has come. All Wood is doing is starting regularly — and banging in the goals — in the No 1 sports league in the world. Not too shabby at all. We dare to dream he and a relatively golden generation of New Zealand footballers can do something special at the World Cup next year.

Ardie Savea. PHOTO: ODT FILES

2. Ardie Savea (5)

Simply peerless

Perhaps the only All Black right now who is an automatic selection in a World XV. Shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Should be the captain. Transformed Moana Pasifika, too.

Liam Lawson. PHOTO: ODT FILES

3. Liam Lawson (14)

Revving up

Never, ever take it for granted that we have a New Zealand driver with a fulltime ride in Formula 1. That will never not be a big deal. Lawson has had a rollercoaster year but seems to have found a happy home with Racing Bulls.

4. Ryan Fox (8)

Clubbing it

Up to 39th in the world golf rankings after winning twice on the PGA Tour in the space of a month. Yet to have a top-10 finish in a major but you know he is good enough. Seems like such a stand-up bloke, too.

Lydia Ko. PHOTO: ODT FILES

5. Lydia Ko (1)

Hall of Famer

It was always going to be a challenge for Ko to perform on the scale of 2024, when she grabbed top spot in our rankings after winning Olympic gold and a major. While she has not had the best year, she won a big tournament in February and has over a million bucks in prize money.

Hamish Kerr. PHOTO: REUTERS

6. Hamish Kerr (4)

High performer

The Paris Olympics made him a star, and Kerr is still going strong. Pretty cool to think a New Zealander is ranked No 1 in the world in any track or field event. That is a big deal.

Grace Nweke. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

7. Grace Nweke (9)

Netball pioneer

Amazing Grace — so amazing, she has utterly transformed the New Zealand netball landscape. The Silver Ferns are lost without her, so the national body tweaked the rules to allow top players to go to the Australian league. Cue a flood of other players following her.

8. Steven Adams (11)

Still no Tall Blacks?

There are plenty of good New Zealand basketballers around but only one has spent a decade in the NBA and just signed a $60 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets. Would be handy in the national team, eh.

9. Kane Williamson (7)

The master

Cricket is weird. Williamson was playing in some utterly pointless English festival tournament when he should have been thrashing a couple of test tons against Zimbabwe. The great Kane is in the twilight of his international career, and it may be a while before we see his like again.

10. Will Jordan (new)

Pure class

This is not, as the evidence clearly shows, a great All Blacks team. At least, in Jordan, they have a great fullback.

The rest

11. Lisa Carrington (2)

The GOAT is only just back in the boat.

12. Matt Henry (new)

First name picked in the Black Caps now.

13. Ellesse Andrews (3)

The Wanaka-raised double Olympic champion will be back in the spotlight

at the world championships.

14. Jorja Miller (new)