Rising rugby, league stars have magical feet and raw creativity.
League's Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and rugby's Nehe Milner-Skudder. Now there are footy players to drool over.
Let's start with Tuivasa-Sheck. The Warriors' defeat to the Roosters was one of the most depressing performances from that club, which is saying something. A hugely important home win against a very good but depleted side was there for the taking. They blew it. Lion-hearted captain Simon Mannering gave his team a right talking to on fulltime. Moving on ...
The good news is Roosters and Kiwi fullback Tuivasa-Sheck will be playing for the Auckland club next year. Think Tuivasa-Sheck think Peter Sullivan, the Aussie league super scout who lured Tuivasa-Sheck away from the Warriors and Blues.
Sullivan did the Warriors and Kiwis an enormous favour. He took Tuivasa-Sheck away from rugby - his main sport as a schoolboy - adding to the rule that the Blues never get their man (or else they get the wrong man, like Sir John Kirwan). Sullivan's sharp eye and persuasive nature meant Tuivasa-Sheck ended up schooled by one of Sydney's finest league clubs. Tuivasa-Sheck, as everybody quickly found out, has exceptional feet. He is brave and constantly alert.
Maybe the most surprising thing is his work rate, which is nothing short of stunning. NRL fullbacks are exceptionally fit anyway but Tuivasa-Sheck has a staggering amount of petrol in the tank and gets his hands on the ball more than any No1 I can recall seeing.
On to rugby. Most of the Super Rugby season is a snore compared to what it could be, and used to be. It is a shonky competition spread too far and wide. The points table is a confusing shambles of bonus points and conferences. I have no interest in what the South African teams are doing over there, and would rather observe a nail go rusty on the back lawn than watch the Force play the Rebels. All Blacks are rested and some don't seem particularly interested when they play.
But the competition gets interesting in the final few weeks, and the Hurricanes have been an attacking revelation throughout the season. Milner-Skudder is a star of this show - he has magical feet and hands, and raw creativity. The heart races every time he gets near the ball. I love watching football on the chance of seeing a player such as Milner-Skudder.
Nehe Milner-Skudder. Photo / Getty Images
Hopefully, Milner-Skudder does not have a serious injury. The Hurricanes need him, and so do the finals. He's a breath of fresh air in a game dominated by incomprehensible rules and statistics.
The mission now is to work out a way of fitting him into the All Black squad. He is the new Cory Jane, who is looking old. Jane left the field with another injury during the win over the Chiefs in New Plymouth. He has been a wonderful part of New Zealand rugby, a clever playmaker on the wing, but looks past it.
Pundits keep picking Jane in their World Cup squad and it's hard to work out why. Or is this All Black team preserved in stone? Jane must look at Milner-Skudder and wish he still had that energy.
Highlander Waisake Naholo is said to be in the All Blacks' sights. He's a flyer, but Milner-Skudder is better to watch, and might even be the man to watch for the World Cup.
Lapses lead to losses
Pathetic. Warriors back Jonathan Wright's spilling of a failed Roosters' field goal attempt was inexplicable. His half-hearted effort handed the ball and the game to the Roosters. It was a moment to make you angry. Manu Vatuvei set a record during Saturday night's NRL match, of notching 10 tries or more in 10 consecutive seasons. Vatuvei has done so much for the club and league, and is an icon of Auckland sport. He is a great character, has a powerful on-field presence, and repeatedly starts the Warriors sets with enormous charges into the opposition. But his lapses are still frustrating and there were a couple of costly ones in this game - a slow turn and a lost possession.
Remember Anton Oliver? Do the All Blacks have a serious problem on their hands? Dane Coles' lineout throwing for the Hurricanes is a disaster. While we're at it, their scrum wasn't much chop against the Chiefs either. On that note, Ben Tameifuna's departure for Racing Metro - apparently a done deal - is a crying shame. It's hard to work out why the All Blacks aren't more interested in the Chiefs giant. Maybe they are, but lost out. Tameifuna's size and power are major weapons, including in scrums. He loves fighting for ball on the ground, and is no slouch elsewhere around the field. Besides that, Tameifuna has a big persona on the field - rugby needs all the personality it can get. As with his rampaging, try scoring uncle Sona Taumalolo, it would be sad to see Tameifuna go.
JK just has to go
The Blues' capitulation to a well drilled Highlanders' side on Eden Park has to be the final nail in the coaching regime of Sir John Kirwan. Surely the board noticed what good coaching can achieve, even with a moderate lineup. Board members supporting Kirwan need to swallow their pride and sack him. The board will never know what the coaching possibilities are until they get rid of Kirwan because prospects won't want to work with him.
