For so long now, Australia has dominated the game of cricket in both Tests and ODIs - and it's no wonder when you look at the caliber of players they've had at their disposal.

But now it seems as though their "era of dominance" is coming to an end, as they look to the future without the likes of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Damien Martin, who have all retired over the past few seasons.

Of course life for the Australian cricket side will be different, and in fact they may not be as 'dominant' as they have been - how could they be, losing those sort of players? But it might be a bit premature to think that they are going to drop down the pecking order.

Anyone who thinks they're about to start losing to all manner of sides must have rocks in their head, because while they are struggling at the moment in India, you can almost guarantee they are not far off playing the sort of 'dominant' cricket we've come to expect from them over the past few years.

Lets put the tour to India into perspective:

1. India is never an easy place to tour.
2. India are a very good team, filled with stars who are capable of beating any team.
3. The Indians always seem to play their best cricket against the Aussies.

Of course this tour was going to be difficult. And, given the rivalry these two teams have had for so long now, it's no wonder the Indian side are fired up and playing outstanding cricket.

The only area where the Aussies may have lost an edge is in the bowling department. Their two best spinners (since Warney) - Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill - both ended their careers soon after Warne did, leaving the Aussies with no quality back up. Cameron White is not a Test match spinner (at least of the quality we've come to expect from Australia), and while Michael Clarke may take a few wickets, he too can be very expensive.

Stuart Clarke is a good bowler, and is believed to be the next McGrath - but he is still a way off becoming a world class bowler of McGrath's stature. Given time, though, he could become one of the best.

Brett Lee may be struggling for form in India, but he is a strike player - and one of the best in the world. Once he finds his rhythm again, he'll go back to taking bags of wickets - you can guarantee that.

It's far too early to say that their dominance over the rest of the cricketing world is over, especially after only one series against a good Indian side.

Wait until after the summer is over before you write them off. A good judge of how well they are playing will come against New Zealand and England, who they should beat comfortably. If they don't - then we can start talking about their 'dominant era' possibly being over.

For now, we'll just wait and see.

If you haven't already heard, Dan Carter will line up against the Wallabies this Saturday in the number 12 jersey - which see's Stephen Donald move into first five for his first start as an All Black.

Carter and Donald combined well together in the last Test against Australia, but that was late in the game when Donald came on as a sub - not from the outset.

This is an interesting move by Graham Henry, who persisted with the dual pivots in last year's World Cup, playing Carter and Luke McAllister together. And, while it wasn't the reason we lost to France, it's clear that the combination of Carter and Ma'a Nonu has been working well - so why change it now?

Carter has played second five before - he actually began his Test career in the 12 jersey - but he is now established as the best first five in the world, and that's where he should be playing every game. Donald is a great player, and won't let the side down by any means, but when you've got the worlds best first five in your team you play him there.

The other strange selection is Greg Somerville, who is on the bench for this weekend's clash (he won't travel with the team to Britain). Somerville announced he was retiring from international rugby after the last Test in Brisbane, but has come to the aid of Henry as John Afoa and Ben Franks are carrying injuries, and are therefore unavailable.

Why isn't Jaime Mackintosh on the bench? He is obviously capable, otherwise they wouldn't have taken him on the tour - so bringing Somerville back for one Test seems like a waste of time, especially as the Test is a dead rubber in terms of the Bledisloe Cup.

It's not like the Aussie front row is anything to fear, either. To be honest, they've struggled to put a strong front row on the field for a few years now, and Mackintosh would have no trouble against them.

Hosea Gear is the only new comer to make his debut this week, and he will pair up with Sivivatu on the wing. Gear has been the best winger in the Air New Zealand Cup, and has deserved to be given his first start for the All Blacks. It's important that he doesn't get over-awed by the occasion, and that he sticks to what he does best - running through the opposition with ease.

Here's the full side:

Tony Woodcock, Andrew Hore, Neemia Tialata, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (c), Rodney So'oialo, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Hosea Gear, Sitivini Sivivatu, Mils Muliaina.

Reserves: Greg Somerville, Kevin Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Ma'a Nonu, Isaia Toeava.

The Kangaroo's sent out a warning to all teams in this year's rugby league World Cup, with a 30-6 win over the Kiwis - who are considered to be the only other team capable of winning. Although that theory may have just gone down the drain...

The Kiwis were in the match for about 50 minutes, and although they were trailing 18-6 they were still within reach of the Aussies. But the Kangaroos showed their class, and ran away with the game to secure their first-up win.

The problem for the Kiwis is that they don't have the forward pack to match the Kangaroos, who just seem to be able to eat up the meters at will - while the Kiwi boys seem to struggle to make good yards.

We're really missing Roy Asotasi in the front row, and a game breaker like Frank Pritchard in the second row. Nathan Cayless is a quality front rower, but he doesn't compare to the impact a guy like Asotasi has. We need guys who are constantly creating gaps for the backs to operate, but it's just not happening on a regular basis.

It's far too early to write them off, and if they can get through to the semi-finals they could bounce back and knock the Kangaroos off their perch. But it will by no means easy...

They need to start playing Issac Luke at hooker, move Nathan Fein into the halves with Benji, and have a guy like David Kidwell on the bench for his experience and passion.

So far the World Cup has been great, with PNG nearly beating England, and Ireland going toe-to-toe with Tonga, only to lose late in the game. It's good to see that the lesser sides are putting up a decent fight.

It shows that there are other countries who are capable of playing more international games in league, and could pave the way for more Tests ,rather than just the three or four we usually get.

The World Cup's off to a good start - bring on the rest, and bring on a Kangaroo vs Kiwi final!

Graham Henry and Co. have named their 35 man squad for the tour to Britain, which includes the Test against Australia in Hong Kong this Saturday.

The squad includes seven new comers, while Jason Eaton, Corey Flynn, Joe Rokocoko and Ross Filipo have all made a return to the All Blacks after absences.

The only concern with the squad is that John Afoa is carrying an injury, and could be in some doubt - which has prompted Greg Sommerville to make himself available if required for the Test against the Wallabies. This would suggest to us that Henry is not prepared to throw Jaime Mackintosh or Ben Franks (the two new props) into the mix first-up, which seems strange seeing as they have been selected. Who knows whats going on in Henry's mind...

The other new comer's include Scott Waldrom (who will most likely act as McCaw's understudy), Liam Meesam, Keiran Read (all loose forwards), while in the backs Hosea Gear and Cory Jane are rewarded for strong Air New Zealand Cup campaigns.

Andy Ellis returns to the squad after missing much of the Tri Nations through injury, but he will have to fight hard to get game time, as both Cowan and Weepu have proven themselves to be the best halfbacks in the country. And, with Brendon Leonard returning next year (depending on form, of course), Ellis may find himself slipping well down the pecking order.

Those unlucky to miss out include Jeremy Thrush, Thomas Waldrom, John Schwalger, Rudi Wulf and Hika Elliot (who will play for the Highlanders next year - a great purchase for them).

Tours to Britain are never easy, especially when you throw in a Test against Australia to begin with, but this is a strong squad capable of producing some good rugby.

It will be interesting to see how much game time the new boys get, but there will be no better time than now to give them some experience.

Here's the full squad:

Andrew Hore, Kevin Mealamu, Corey Flynn, John Afoa, Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata, Jaime Mackintosh, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Anthony Boric, Jason Eaton, Ross Filipo, Richie McCaw (c), Rodney So'oialo, Jerome Kaino, Adam Thomson, Scott Waldrom, Keiran Read, Liam Meesam, Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan, Andy Ellis, Dan Carter, Stephen Donald, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Richard Kahui, Isaia Toeava, Hosea Gear, Joe Rokocoko, Sitivini Sivivatu, Anthony Tuitavake, Mils Muliana, Cory Jane.

The [New Zealand] cricket season is upon us, and while the Black Caps may be struggling for form at the moment (the same could be said for the Aussies, too...) there's nothing better than spending your summer watching cricket in the sun.

What else are you going to do during the rugby off-season?

So, we thought we'd turn this week's Top 5 into a Top 10, and count down the greatest Test batsmen off all time. We tried limiting it to only five, but when you see our list, you'll know why we couldn't leave anyone off it...


10. Michael Hussey (Australia): 26 Tests, 2502 runs, 69.50 average, 9 100s/9 50s (and counting...)

This may be a surprise pick for some people, but Hussey is a batting master. He became the fastest player to reach 1000 Test runs (166 days), and he sits in second place behind Sir Don Bradman with the second highest Test average - 69.50. He may have started his international career late, but he's certainly making up for lost time.


9. Ricky Ponting (Australia): 120 Tests, 10239 runs, 58.50 average, 36 100s/40 50s (and counting...)

Like Hussey, Ponting is one of the best batsmen of the modern game, and could quite easily go on to score the most Tests runs of all time (if Sachin Tendulkar's impending retirement is to be believed...). Ponting makes batting look easy, and does it with the added pressure of captaining the side as well - which not all batsmen can cope with.


8. Sunil Gavaskar (India): 125 Tests, 10122 runs, 51.12 average, 34 100s/45 50s

While not exactly known for his batting flair, Gavaskar is considered one of the greatest opening batsmen in Test history. Gavaskar had the ability to keep the score ticking along beautifully, and would go on to hold the record for the most centuries in Tests for 20 years, with 34 centuries. His ability against pace attacks is believed to be amongst the best of all time.


7. Sir Viv Richards (West Indies): 121 Tests, 8540 runs, 50.23 average, 24 100s/45 50s

Richards is widely regarded as one of the greatest attacking batsmen ever, and he did it all without wearing a helmet - scary, when you consider who he was facing (Lillee and Thomson, to name a couple...). He has the record for the fastest ever century in Tests, coming of just 56 balls. Basically - he set the standard for all big-hitting players today.


6. Steve Waugh (Australia): 169 Tests, 10927 runs, 51.06 average, 32 100s/50 50s

Another of Australia's legendary batsmen. Waugh had a fantastic ability to stay calm when things weren't going so well, and this helped him go on to score 32 centuries throughout his career. Like Ponting, he also bore the responsibility of captaincy for much of his career - something he excelled at. He was the cornerstone of the Australian team throughout his time in charge.


5. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies): 93 Tests, 8032 runs, 57.78 average, 26 100s/30 50s

At the young age of 22, Sobers scored a then world record 365 runs in a Test against Pakistan - a record that would last for 36 years until Lara surpassed it. Sobers is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in cricket history - he was very handy with the ball in hand, bowling either left-hand spin or fast-medium. There's not to many players around today that can say they can do that...


4. Allan Border (Australia): 156 Tests, 11174 runs, 50.56 average, 34 100s/63 50s

Border is considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, and for good reason. Border's total of 11,174 Test runs stood as a record for 11 years, until Lara surpassed him in 2005. Border also holds the record for the most Tests in a row, with 153. He is widely regarded as Australia's greatest captain.


3. Brian Lara (West Indies): 131 Tests, 11953 runs, 52.88 average, 34 100s/48 50s

Lara has twice held the world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket. First with 375, and then again with 400 after Matthew Hayden briefly took over with 380. Scoring the highest score isn't an easy task, but to do it twice means you've got to be a class above everyone else - and Lara was just that. He held the record for the most Test runs until just recently, when Tendulkar took over. Full of West Indian flair, Lara truly is something special.


2. Sir Don Bradman (Australia): 52 Tests, 6996 runs, 99.94 average, 29 100s/13 50s

We already know most people won't agree with this, because he is widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time - but we think that award has to go to Tendulkar. Bradman's record speaks for itself, but we think Tendulkar has achieved more, and, more importantly, against much tougher opposition. Plus, the Don choked - he only had to score four runs to bring his average to 100, and he got nothing. You can say he would have got more had he played longer, but the fact is he didn't - and you can't take 'could'ves' into account.

We're just saying.....

1. Sachin Tendulkar (India): 152 Tests, 12037 runs, 54.22 average, 39 100s/50 50s (and counting...)

He is the best in the business, and his record shows it. He is now the highest run scorer of all time, has the most centuries in Test cricket, and has set the standard for every person who ever picks up a cricket bat. We know Bradman's record is phenomenal, but we think the fact that Tendulkar has gone on to score over 12,000 Test runs cements his place as the greatest of all time.

We fully expect people to disagree with our Top 10, but we're more than happy to hear your thoughts on our list - let us know what you think in our forum.

Photo credit (Flickr) - vighi

The All Blacks training squad (minus Wellington and Canterbury players) had their last chance yesterday to impress the selectors before the actual squad is announced on Sunday.

They played a warm up match against a New Zealand Barbarian team, which was basically a Blues trial team - and for a lot of the guys in the squad this was their first bit of rugby action in six weeks.

While the scoreline for the match isn't important (56-10, for anyone interested) what is important is that we can get a fair idea of what the selectors are looking for when they finally name the squad in a few days.

Of most importance is the need to find a capable backup for Richie McCaw, and at this stage it's a two-horse race between Tanerau Latimer and Scott Waldrom. The other day, we said it would be unlikely that either would make the final cut - but we're prepared to say we got that one wrong, as it seems almost certain that one of the two will get their first chance to put on the All Black jersey at some stage soon.

We think of the two guys Scott Waldrom would be the better pick, as he is probably the closest thing we have to another McCaw. He is excellent around the breakdown, which is what the selectors will be looking for.

This may mean his brother Thomas (who we think should be given a place in the squad as well) may miss out, as Liam Meesam and Sione Luaki (why, oh why??) will probably have the edge at No8.

Keiran Reid is another player who seems destined to get a spot - at least if you listen to rugby journalists around the country. Personally we don't think he stands out as much as Meesam or T. Waldrom, and would prefer to see them get the nod.

The other concern that has emerged is the injury to John Afoa, who tweaked his knee in the warm up match. It's uncertain how bad the injury is at this stage, but with Neemia Tialata also under an injury cloud the All Blacks may have to rely on a few new comers in the propping department.

Jaime Mackintosh seems destined to get one of those spots, while Ben Franks is also in the mix, although he was the only player not to get a run in yesterday's game - if you can read anything into that..?

What is now becoming clear is that New Zealand does not have a player depth problem, as many people thought we did. The amount of players who are knocking on the door of selection is healthy, and things are looking very good for the years ahead.

The only thing lacking is a bit of experience for some of these guys, but what better place to get some experience than on a tour to Britain?

While this season has been about moving on from last year's World Cup loss, and replacing the players who have since left, we think we will now start to see the players emerge who will go through to the 2011 World Cup. It may be a long way away, but with so much pressure put on the All Blacks to win the World Cup (especially as it's in New Zealand), Graham Henry and co need to start building a squad that will go through to 2011, and beyond.

There certainly wouldn't be an issue with experience by then...

The Black Caps have somehow managed to save themselves from [complete] humiliation in the first Test against Bangladesh, with a three wicket win over the home side.

This was a Test the Black Caps should have won easily, but they struggled against the spin attack of the Bangladesh bowlers, and even struggled to dismiss the tail end of the Bangladesh batting lineup.

Going into the last innings the Black Caps needed 317 runs to win, and it was going to take one hell of an effort for them to chase down the total. It was always going to be possible, but several of the Black Cap batsmen would need to do their job [for once].

Aaron Redmond, Jaime How and Jesse Ryder all chimed in to get the innings off to a good start, with Redmond going on to make 79 in what was a good platform for the middle order.

Vettori came in as night watchman when Ryder got run out at the end of day four, which turned out to be the best decision the Black Caps made the whole Test. Vettori and Redmond continued to push towards the 317 run target at the beginning of day five, and everything was going well until Redmond got himself caught only 21 runs away from his first century.

Then, the wheels began to fall off.

(What? Off the Black Caps? Noooooo.)

Taylor went cheaply, before McCullum was given out lbw in what could easily be the worst decision of the century. The ball pitched way outside leg, and it wouldn't have even come close to hitting the stumps. Not that that's relevant when the ball pitches outside leg, but it just made the decision that much worse. It's yet another case for the need to have video umpires step in when poor decisions are made.

The Black Caps looked to be falling into old traps, and with only Vettori, Oram and Flynn left (of the notable batsmen...) the game was hanging in the balance.

Fortunately for the Black Caps, Daniel Flynn came out and played the best innings of his short career, as he and Vettori got the Black Caps back on track and heading towards the winners circle.

Both batsmen were eventually dismissed (Vettori 76, Flynn 49), but they had already done enough to secure the win.

Flynn showed a lot of patience as he helped tick the score over just enough to keep the Black Caps on target. It was by no means the most exciting cricket to watch, but in the scheme of things it was what was needed at the time.

Vettori was without a doubt New Zealand's best player, as he chalked up his second half century of the match, and took nine wickets - becoming only the second captain in history to score a fifty in each innings and take four wickets per innings. That's impressive.

The only problem is that he usually bats at 8 or 9, and he's easily our best batsman at the moment. Says a bit about the guys above him, really...

Bangladesh will rue their chance to beat an established Test playing nation, but they did not play as well on the final day as they had throughout the previous four days. Their field placements were somewhat unusual for a team that needed to take eight wickets in the final day. They have a lot to do to keep improving, but improve they will.

With one more Test to go, it's hard to see the Black Caps performing so poorly again - specially as Bangladesh will be hurting from the loss, and are a team that thrives on confidence, which will be at a low now.

One thing's for sure - if the Black Caps don't improve significantly (SIGNIFICANTLY, LADS) then some changes may well be around the corner. It's time to start impressing the new coach - whoever that may be.

Photo from Flickr - HNM_1977

This weekend sees the Rugby League World Cup kick off, with England taking on PNG in Townsville on Saturday. The Kangaroos then take on the Kiwis, in what could easily be an early look at the final - these are the two sides considered favourites to win, although England might have something to say about that.

This will be the first World Cup in eight years, which just goes to show how insignificant international rugby league is at the moment. Really, only Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain offer any real competition at the highest level.

When you consider the amount of talented Pacific Island boys who play in the NRL and Super League, it's a shame that Samoa and Tonga don't play more regular Test matches. It's going to be interesting to see how they go in the World Cup - we've already seen Tonga play the Kiwis, and it wasn't the best performance we've seen.

Still - the fact that they get to represent their country on the grand stage is important for the growth of the game in the Pacific Islands, and if they can get a few more games under their belt they can definitely start improving. It's important that they can hold onto their star players like Feleti Mateo, rather than having them play in the World Cup and then go off to play for Australia or New Zealand.

We don't have a problem with them playing for Australia or New Zealand if that's who they want to play for, but they can't choose to play for one team and then another - it's just not healthy for the growth of international rugby league.

The rules need to be made clear - you make your choice who you want to play for, and that's final.

The World Cup should be very exciting, and it gives us a great opportunity to see some other countries that we don't get to watch - for the simple fact that they don't play enough league at this level.

Make the most of it, league fans, because rugby league World Cups don't come around very often. Besides, this is the last lot of rugby league action for the year, so absorb as much of it as you can!

We're sure you wont be disappointed.

Wellington and Canterbury will square off this Saturday for the final of the 2008 Air New Zealand Cup, with both sides heading into the final with only one loss each this year.

Wellington had to fight hard against Southland on Friday night, and it came down to the final ten minutes before they managed to score two trys to take the lead - which sealed Southland's fate for 2008.

Chris - "I have to admit (as a Wellington supporter) that when the score was 14-11 to Southland with around 12 minutes to play, I was quite nervous. Wellington have had trouble in the past when it comes to pressure situations."

Canterbury, too, had to fight hard against Hawkes Bay, who showed a marked improvement from their efforts against Canterbury a few weeks earlier. Canterbury managed to pull away in the second half, though, taking out the match 31-21 and securing their place in the final.

Between Wellington and Canterbury, you'd have to go with Canterbury as the favourites, despite Wellingtons dominance all year. Like Chris said, Wellington often struggle when it comes to finals, while Canterbury are the masters of high pressure rugby.

Since their Round 1 loss to Manawatu, Canterbury have been unbeaten, and head into the final with momentum. Wellington, on the other hand, started with a hiss and a roar, but have struggled since winning the Ranfurly Shield when they beat Auckland.

They are certainly capable of beating Canterbury, but they can't afford to let the Canterbury boys play a tight physical game. If they do, Canterbury will grind out the win.

Wellington have to throw everything at the Canterbury defence, and with the likes of Hosea Gear and Ma'a Nonu in the backline, they should be able to find a few holes in the line. Although it won't be easy...

It's great that the two best sides all year have made the final, and it's fitting that it's Wellington and Canterbury, who have had some truly fantastic clashes in recent years.

This one, we hope, will be no different.

Photo from Flickr - anderchris

The All Black selectors have named a 25 man training squad, which will take on the New Zealand Barbarians on Wednesday.

This isn't the full squad that will tour the Northern hemisphere in a few weeks, as none of the Wellington or Canterbury players have been selected due to their upcoming Air New Zealand Cup final this weekend.

There have been a few new names added to the All Blacks squad from earlier in the year, including Jamie Mackintosh, Liam Meesam, Tanerau Latimer, Scott Waldrom and Ben Franks (Franks trained with the team earlier in the year when Afoa was injured, but did not play). Jason Eaton and Joe Rokocoko have both been added to the squad, which gives them a great opportunity to regain their place in the final squad.

The selection of Scott Waldrom is probably the biggest shot out of the blue, but since his return from a career-threatening injury he has been in great form - for both the Hurricanes and Taranaki. We expect that his brother Thomas will also make the squad, after he's finished with Wellington's season.

Latimer is also a surprising selection - for us, anyway - but like Scott, he's a solid player that seems to fly under the radar. Whether or not these two make the final squad (it would seem highly unlikely considering McCaw, So'oialo and probably Thomas Waldrom will make the loose forwards), it's a good sign that our depth in the loose forward position is extremely deep right now.

Our thoughts - the loose forwards will be McCaw, So'oialo, Kaino, Thomson, Meesam and T. Waldrom - but we wouldn't be surprised if Keiran Reid also gets the nod. The only worrying selection is that they've also picked Sione Luaki in the training squad, and we don't feel he's good enough at Test level.

It's great to finally see Mackintosh get selected. He's been in great form for Southland this year, and continues to mature into another of New Zealand's fine prop forwards. If it came down to either him or Franks getting the nod, we'd certainly go with the Southlander.

Eaton must be counting his blessings at his reselection. His form in the Air New Zealand Cup has not been his best, and with the likes of Jeremy Thrush and Tom Donnelly continuing to grow in the locking position, he must be considering himself quite lucky. He does, however, have the talent to play for the All Blacks. We've seen it over the past few years, and he'll just have to put the last few months behind him and take this opportunity with both hands.

The omission of Hika Elliot suggests to us that Graham Henry and Co have Corey Flynn in mind as the third hooker, or possibly (although highly unlikely), young Dane Coles, who has been impressing a few people for Wellington this year.

We definitely think there'll be a few more newcomers once the Wellington and Canterbury players are added on Sunday morning, so the players in the training squad had better train hard if they want to make the final selection.

They've been given the opportunity - the rest is in their hands.

The Black Cap's poor series in Bangladesh is a worrying sign, especially when you consider the Summer ahead.

And the fact that they're staring down the barrel of a Test loss.

And the fact there's still a Test to go.

Hmmmm.

The Black Caps will face Australia in two Tests and five ODIs (all in Australia), two Tests and five ODIs at home against the West Indies, and the same again against India - not to mention several Twenty20 matches in between.

This is by no means an easy Summer's schedule - in fact, it will be one of the toughest in recent years.

If the ODI series (and quite possibly the first Test match, the way it's going) against Bangladesh is anything to go by, then get ready for a long Summer - because if we play like this against Australia, West Indies or India then we're going to suffer some pretty heavy defeats.

One of the major problems for the Black Caps is that we have a coach, John Bracewell, who has already announced he will be retiring at the end of the Summer, rather than just stepping down now. We feel Bracewell should have been shown the exit at the end of the World Cup, but instead he was retained, and things have continued to go down hill.

New Zealand Cricket should have stepped in when the worrying signs began. We've lost some of our best players during Bracewell's time in charge - Nathan Astle, Craig MacMillan, Shane Bond, Lou Vincent, not to mention Stephen Fleming - all of whom are clearly not done playing cricket, as they all continue to play in the Twenty20 leagues in India.

Obviously there is something that the public are not being told, because we don't buy for one second that these guys left because they were finished with International cricket. Sure, they may have been getting towards the end of their playing days - but they could easily have played on for another few seasons.

I can't wait to read Craig MacMillan's book - we'll finally be able to hear about how the players really got on with Bracewell. From what we've heard, he rips into Bracewell's coaching style...

If only the players actually spoke about these matters at the time, rather than waiting a year or two.

The other problem for the Black Caps is that we've got really talented batters batting out of position. Former Black Cap Simon Doull made a comment about how Brendon McCullum should not be opening the batting - especially with Jesse Ryder at the other end. We, for two, agree - McCullum is far more useful batting at six or seven, where he will be more likely to win us games.

The only times he's won us games opening the batting has been when we've had to chase miserly totals of around 120, where he could go out and swing the bat at everything without any real pressure on him. He's certainly not at his best when he's left to set a total - although for that matter, none of the Black Caps are. McCullum should be batting down the order, where he can close an innings - similar to the way Chris Harris used to. He's capable of scoring quickly, and would be far more effective at the other end of the innings.

The other batting change that needs to be made is Jacob Oram - we feel he needs to come up the order to at least five. Oram is the kind of batsman who needs to get his eye in, and becomes far more useful when he is given the chance to do so. We saw it against Bangladesh where he came in when the pressure was on, and he had to consolidate the innings. Once he had, he unleashed - and the runs piled up. In the third ODI, he came in and needed to start scoring right away - and he got himself out quite quickly.

These are not difficult things to fix, but would be very effective moves to make. But, most importantly (yes, we'll say it again) - they need to get rid of Bracewell as soon as possible, so that the team can start rebuilding under the guidance of a new coach.

Most sports have at least some element of risk involved for the participants. Others border on the edge of insanity.

This week's Top 5 is all about those sports which cause the most injuries - and the ones that can be the most lethal when things go wrong.

Here we go. And, by the way - don't try these at home...

5. Cheerleading

We know what you're thinking, but cheerleading is one of the front runners in terms of serious injuries. With around 20,000 reported injuries in the United States alone, this sport is not for the faint hearted. When you consider some of the ridiculous positions these girls (and the 'odd' guy) put themselves in, it's no wonder there are some extremely serious injuries. Anytime you flip someone high into the air, you've got to expect that at some point they're going to land flat on their face. Or worse...

You might think cheerleading is for dainty little girls, but no - you've gotta be tough (and a little crazy...) to partake in THIS brutal sport.

4. Cave Diving
There are a million things that can potentially go wrong when you decide to go cave diving, which (for those who don't know what that is) basically means swimming in underwater caves. As far as we're concerned, anyone who swims in caves filled with water has serious issues.

Firstly, there's the problem of faulty equipment, which can prove to be lethal if your air supply runs out and you're 100m below the surface. Secondly, and probably the most dangerous part, is that you're in the sea - which means SHARKS. And any sport that involves sharks has to be considered dangerous (and just plain stupid) in our opinion...

3. Golf
Another sport that people innocently think nothing can go wrong with. Don't be fooled by the tartan pants and funny little hats, though - this sport can be lethal.

Apparently around 4000 people die each year while out enjoying a round of golf, not to mention that 5% of all lightning fatality's occur on the fairway. When you're out on the course, it's not bad enough you've got to watch out for other people's balls, but you've also got to watch out for lightning - making this enjoyable pastime a lethal sport.

2. Mixed Martial Arts
A sport that involves another man trying to knock you out? Yep, we think it's dangerous, too.

While MMA might be considered brutal, there are actually a lot of rules to help keep the fighters safe from serious injuries. But that doesn't mean injuries don't occur - far from it, in fact. When you've got another guy whose objective is to either knock you out, or submit you via some maneuver designed to break your arm, serious injuries are going to be a fact of life.

Still - we think we'd take our chances with some fighter than we would a shark or a bolt of lightning...us aside, though, we think MMA has to come in at #2.

1. Base Jumping
Before we start - if you do this, you're nuts.

Base jumping has to have the most amount of risk involved in any sport. If you're falling towards the earth at a million miles an hour, and your chute doesn't open, there's nothing you can do except watch your life flash before your eyes. Although to be fair you'd probably be too busy screaming and filling your pants to notice some precious memories from your childhood...

If everything DOES go right, it's probably one of the greatest thrills you could experience - but that doesn't change the fact that when things DO go wrong, they go wrong in a spectacularly bad way.

Call us chicken, but we'd prefer our feet planted safely on the ground.


Head to the forum, and give us your thoughts!

Photo Credits (Flickr) - terren in Virginia (cheerleaders), Rescue Dog (base jumper).

The Black Caps have wrapped up the One Day series against Bangladesh, and this time they've produced something a little more pleasing for New Zealand cricket fans.

It was by no means their best performance of recent years, but it's a marked improvement on their past two efforts against Bangladesh.

Things looked like they were going to get worse pretty quickly when Bangladesh had the Black Caps in trouble at 13/2, although Brendon McCullum's dismissal was a bit dubious - how anyone could be given out LBW that far down the pitch we'll never know.

The one saving grace for the Black Caps is that this time Jaime How and Ross Taylor, both of whom failed to show their true potential in the first two ODI's, put on a solid 125 run partnership to set up the Black Caps total of 249 - although considering they chose to bat first the total should really have been closer to 300.

Taylor went on to make 103, while How was dismissed for 73. Scott Styris and Daniel Flynn both failed to make an impact for the third straight game, which must be of some concern to the team - especially Styris, who hasn't really contributed anything with the bat for some time now.

Bangladesh were always going to struggle to chase down the total, and as time went on the run rate got bigger and bigger, which effectively took them out of the contest. They finished with 170/8 off the fifty overs, which on a batters pitch is a poor effort. We know they've had to readjust their side after losing a whole heap of players to the rebel league, but they've been playing long enough now to start producing more than just one-off wins. When you consider how much cricket they actually have been playing, they aren't getting a whole lot better.

It's always hard to read anything out of a tour like this one, but what we can take away from it is that the Black Caps still have a lot to do to become more consistent. Too often it's left to one or two batsmen to save the innings, rather than all the batsmen doing their job and scoring runs.

Our bowling lineup is coming on nicely, though, with Mills stepping into the role left by Shane Bond's departure from the Black Caps. Southee and Oram are backing up Mills at the other end (and, more importantly, picking up wickets along the way), while our spinners are doing a fantastic job - especially Jeetan Patel, who probably doesn't get as much game time as he should. Although with Vettori in the lineup we can understand why...

We'll take the 2-1 series win, but overall the level of cricket has been below average (with the exception of a few individuals). The final ODI was a chance for the Black Caps to build up some momentum for the Test series - put 300 on the board, bowl the Tigers out for 150, and head into the Tests at full steam. But the momentum really isn't there, despite the win. It's a concern that, other than two batsmen in the 3rd ODI and Oram in the first two, the lineup hasn't scored any significant runs. Heading into a Test series...well, they're all about runs. And batting time, too - which we also don't seem capable of at the moment.

(What's that, Daniel Flynn? You're on 3, you're struggling for runs, and you reverse-sweep? Righto.)

The Black Caps should deal to Bangladesh in the Test series, but we're not sure they will. They'll win - there's no doubt we can sustain good cricket longer than Bangladesh can - but we can't help feeling it will be less convincing than it perhaps should be.

So, only one thing left to do, lads - prove us wrong.

There are worrying times ahead for the NZRU, as the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has relaxed it's policies relating to foreign players playing for their Super 14 franchises.

This has meant some of our players are now being targeted by Australian teams to go over there and play for their sides. It's bad enough we have to contend with European and Japanese clubs poaching our players - now, we have to keep an eye on our next door neighbours.

Recently Auckland Blues flanker, Daniel Braid, signed to play with the Queensland Reds for the 2009 season - which will effectively make him unavailable for the All Blacks. Although his playing days in the black jersey are probably over...

The Reds are also believed to be chasing the signature of young Blues center Benson Stanley, who has been earmarked as a possible All Black in the future. This would be a big loss - not only for the Blues, but New Zealand rugby, as Stanley has a big future ahead of him.

Stanley was actually born in New South Wales, and would be eligible to play for the Wallabies if he decided to play in Australia. Because of this, we think it would be a good idea for Graham Henry to select him for the upcoming tour to the Northern hemisphere, and in doing so secure his future here in New Zealand.

It would be a real tragedy if the Super 14 started allowing players to play for any of the 14 teams - no matter what country they are from. If we had Australian or South African players playing for our five franchises, it would severely deplete our player depth. We'd see a lot of our young players heading overseas, and with the current NZRU ruling they wouldn't be eligible to play for the All Blacks.

The NZRU would therefore have to change it's rule on the matter, but that would only heighten the problem - we'd then see even more players go chasing the big money in Europe or Japan, especially if they knew they could still represent the All Blacks.

The beauty of the current system is that anyone one who has aspirations of playing for the All Blacks has to stay in New Zealand, which means that our competitions stay strong. The fact that the ARU are trying to poach our players suggests that they are struggling to keep up their player numbers - which has really always been an issue for the ARU, when you consider that they are competing with league and Aussie rules.

Lets just hope that the Super 14 doesn't end up like the European competitions, where players from any country can play for any team.

It would be a terrible thing if the Super 14 goes down that path...

The equation was simple - beat Bangladesh in all three one dayers, and move to number two in the One Day rankings.

It should have been an easy task - Bangladesh had just lost a bunch of players to the Rebel League, and were left with only a handful of experienced players.

The Black Caps, on the other hand, were heading into the series with a full strength side (anyone who says we were not at full strength without Chris Martin in the team is having a laugh...seriously), and deserved to be going into the one dayers as heavy favourites.

By the end of the first one dayer, though, all of that was blown out of the water. We were left wondering - firstly, how we could only manage 201 against an average (at best) bowling lineup, and secondly how on earth Bangladesh could chase the miserly total down with seven wickets in hand. It was disgraceful (to put it nicely - that's not what we said at the time, though), and just like the All Blacks at World Cup time, the only word that can be used is 'chokers'.

The Black Caps had a great opportunity to move up the rankings, and they choked.

Let's put it in perspective. The Black Caps are a very good one day side, and have been sitting in the top three or four one day sides for a long time now. Bangladesh, on the other hand, are not very good - and are the bottom-dwellers of the one day rankings.

They have caused some pretty major upsets against the likes of India, Pakistan and even Australia, but the one thing the Black Caps have always been able to say is - "At least we haven't lost to Bangladesh". Well, that's gone down the drain, hasn't it?

The second one dayer wasn't looking that flash, either. The Black Caps struggled on their way to 212/9, and that was only thanks to a brilliant 75* by Jacob Oram. Once again, the top order left the middle to lower order batsmen to clean up their mess - the same old story, really.

It's just unfortunate that Chris Martin wasn't there. Had he been, we might well have scored in excess of 300.

Thankfully, this time the New Zealand bowlers got it spot on - and they dismissed Bangladesh for 137.

(Why didn't we do that first time round, lads?)

Kyle Mills was outstanding, with figures of 3 for 13 off only 6.4 overs, while Oram (who was rightly named man of the match), Southee and Vettori also chipped in with wickets.

The final one dayer is on Tuesday, and the Black Caps need to win. If they don't, they'll become the first side to lose a series to Bangladesh.

Please don't bring THAT record home for the trophy cabinet, boys.

The Air New Zealand Cup moves into the semi finals this weekend, with Wellington, Canterbury, Hawkes Bay and Southland vying for a spot in the Final.

Wellington will face off against Southland, after they beat Taranaki on Saturday. It was by no means an easy victory (despite the final score blowing out to 50-30), as the boys from the Naki pushed hard for three quarters of the game - only to have the Lions run away in the end.

Wellington's golden run this year seems to have hit a snag, and since winning the Ranfurly Shield they have looked like a shell of the side they were earlier in the competition. They struggled to beat Tasman a few weeks ago, and last week suffered an embarrassing loss to the woeful Otago side, whose backline was a makeshift lineup of Dunedin club rugby players.

The final score against Taranaki will be of some relief, but they will need to improve to beat Southland, who comfortably destroyed Bay of Plenty's hopes with a 45-11 win. The Stags have been known to be a bogey side to Wellington in previous years, so don't go counting them out just yet. They are capable of competing with the big boys of New Zealand rugby, and an upset here is not completely off the cards.

The other semi final sees Canterbury face Hawkes Bay in a rematch from only two weeks ago. Canterbury comfortably beat the Magpies 31-7 on that day, but the Bay showed in their quarter final against Waikato that they can score trys from all over the field - and if they can get off to a good start, a win is not out of the question.

The only issue for Hawkes Bay is their defence, which lapsed in the second half against Waikato - and they only scrapped through to the semis by three points. They went into half time with a 28-0 advantage, only to let Waikato back into the game with some average defence. They absolutely cannot afford to do that against Canterbury, or they will find themselves on the end of another thrashing.

Canterbury strolled into the semis with a comprehensive 48-10 victory over their neighbours Tasman. If you put aside their first round loss to Manawatu, they've been in great form throughout the rest of the competition - and, alongside Wellington, must be heavy favourites to play in the final.

But rugby can be a funny game...

I mean - who honestly thought Auckland wouldn't have made the quarter finals? If there is an edge, it is that Wellington and Canterbury have experience at this end of the season, while the pressure may be too much for the underdogs.

Honestly? These two games are too close to call for us. And although one of us is a diehard Wellington supporter, and thinks they'll win the whole thing (biased? you bet), at this stage of the Air New Zealand Cup any one of these teams could take out the championship.

Semi final time, sports fans - don't miss 'em.

Whether playing side by side, or in opposition to one another, siblings often create the toughest competition for one another. Or, they team up to become tough competitors.

This week, our Top 5 takes a look at the best siblings in professional sport - whether on the same team, or going head to head in direct competition.

5. Brett and Glenn Stewart (Manly Sea Eagles)
The Stewart brothers have developed into two of the most lethal players with the Manly Sea Eagles over the past few seasons. Brett is one of the best fullbacks in the NRL, and has a flare for scoring trys - including the most in this years NRL competition, with 19. Younger brother Glenn is the workhorse of the two, playing in the forwards, although he's capable of playing in the halves too.

Both have been named in Australia's World Cup squad after an excellent year with the Sea Eagles and, while Glenn is yet to play State of Origin footy, we don't think it will be long before he steps up along side his older brother.

These two brothers are definitely two of the best in the business.


4. Zinzan and Robin Brooke (Auckland, All Blacks)
The Brooke brothers are two of the best players to ever play for the All Blacks, and played 120 Tests between them during the 1990's (Zinzan 58, Robin 62). Not only were they both an important part of the All Blacks during the 1990's, but both played for Auckland during it's dominant reign on New Zealand rugby.

Both Zinzan and Robin were natural leaders, and both were players who lead from the front. Zinzan captained the Blues to the 1996 and 1997 Super 12 titles, while Robin went on to captain them in 2000 and 2001. There have been few brothers in rugby who have dominated the game like the Brooke brothers did.


3. Georgina and Caroline Ever-Swindell (Rowing)
New Zealand's 'Golden Girls' of rowing. They became Olympic champions at Athens winning the double sculls Gold medal, and successfully defended their title at Beijing - winning by literally the smallest of margins to reclaim the Gold.

Their win at Beijing was something truly special, especially considering that their build-up to the games had been somewhat unsuccessful. Heading into the medal race most people had counted them out, and thought it was an achievement that they had made it that far. By the end of the race, though, we doubt there was a New Zealander sitting in their chair - everyone was up, leaping up with excitement. The 'Golden Girls' had done it again.

Georgina and Caroline have since announced their retirement from the sport, choosing to go out on the ultimate high.

2. Venus and Serena Williams (Tennis)
These two are two of the biggest tennis stars of the past decade, and there's not much separating the two. In the eighteen official matches between the two sisters, Serena has the slightest of edges - winning ten of the eighteen over her older sister.

Both have won nine Grand Slams each, while Venus has 37 Career Titles to Serena's 32.

No doubt the girls parents have a tough time picking who they want to win, especially when they meet up against each other...

1. Peyton and Eli Manning (American Football)

In 2006 Peyton Manning helped lead the Indianapolis Colts to Super Bowl XLI, where he became the MVP in the Colts 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears. The very next season his younger brother, Eli, helped lead the New York Giants to the Super Bowl title, where he too won the MVP award.

Both stars have the quarterback position in their blood - their father Archie played for the New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers and the Minnisota Vikings during the 1970s and 80s. It's no wonder they've gone on to become two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today.




You can just imagine how fierce the competition must have been in the backyard of the Manning household...friendly game of footy, anyone?










(Photo's by Bwana and Joseph Hoetzl - Flickr.)

The NRL season may be finished, but we don't have to wait long for our next dose of rugby league action.

The World Cup is only a couple of weeks away, and while the Kangaroos are heavy favourites to win the cup, don't count out the Kiwis and Great Britain just yet - they may have a few tricks up their sleeves.

The Kiwi's and the Kangaroos named their 24 man squads yesterday, and while the Kiwis are pretty much as we expected, Ricky Stuart has named a few bolters in his Kangaroo squad.

Raiders stars Terry Campese and Joel Monaghan have been rewarded for a strong season with Canberra, and while we don't expect them to make the full strength team, they will get some game time in the pool matches. Both are exciting players, and are on the cusp of lengthy representative careers.

There are six Manly Sea Eagles players in the squad, which is a testament to how well they have been playing, while five Storm players also made the squad.

The biggest bolter in the 24 man squad is Manly winger David "Wolfman" Williams, who only made his debut in the NRL this year. His career is going from strength to strength, and a World Cup win would be the perfect end to his stellar season - although as Kiwis we hope his season doesn't end that nicely...

Darren Lockyer will captain the team.

Here's the entire squad:

Terry Campese, Petro Civoniceva, Michael Crocker, Craig Fitzgibbon, Israel Folau, Paul Gallen, Kurt Gidley, Justin Hodges, Greg Inglis, Brent Kite, Anthony Laffranchi, Darren Lockyer, Joel Monaghan, Josh Perry, Steve Price, Scott Prince, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Brett Stewart, Glen Stewart, Brent Tate, Jonathan Thurston, Anthony Watmough, David Williams.

The Kiwis head into the World Cup without the likes of Roy Asotasi and Frank Pritchard, which will test them in the big games, but Steve Kearney has selected a good squad that could potentially upset the Kangaroos - although they'll have to play out of their skins.

The big news is that Benji Marshall is fit and ready to put on the Kiwi jersey. And, while his defence is often lacking, there's no question over his ability to break a game open.

Nathan Fien also returns to the team after the "Granny Gate" incident, and is now a full New Zealand citizen. His form with the Warriors has been great, and he will likely team up with Marshall in the halves.

Only Brent Webb and Thomas Leuluai have been selected from Britain, which really sums up how tough a competition the NRL is. Not that we're saying the Super League is soft, or anything...(ahem).

The most unlucky player to miss out on a Kiwis jersey has to be Luke Covell, who is an outstanding winger and an excellent goal kicker. He too has been in good form all year, and really must be wondering why he isn't there.

Steve Matai has been named in the squad, despite his ongoing shoulder and neck problems.

Here's the full squad:

Adam Blair, Nathan Cayless (c), Greg Eastwood, David Fa'alogo, Nathan Fien, Dene Halatau, Lance Hohia, Krisnan Inu, David Kidwell, Thomas Leuluai, Jeff Lima, Issac Luke, Simon Mannering, Sika Manu, Benji Marshall, Steve Matai, Sam Perrett, Sam Rapira, Jerome Ropati, Setaimata Sa, Jeremy Smith (from the Storm), Iosia Soliola, Manu Vatuvie, Brent Webb.

These two teams will meet first up, which is really going to set the tone for the entire World Cup.

It's going to be a great competition - bring it on.

With the 2008 NRL season done and dusted, there remains only two teams to review - the Manly Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm. We all know which of these two teams had the better season...

Manly Sea Eagles (1st): This season could not have gone any better for Des Hasler's boys. They were determined to erase the memory of 2007, and have done so in spectacular fashion. Going into the final, a lot of people thought that they couldn't beat the Storm - especially away from Brookvale. Well - they proved all their critics wrong, didn't they?

Throughout the whole season, only one player made his debut for the club (David "Wolfman" Williams), and that shows how much depth the club has. They are losing some veterans of the club, though, and next year will certainly be a good test of how well the club has prepared for life without Menzies, Bell, Williamson and Bryant.

For now, though, they can bask in the glory of their 2008 season.

2009 Gains: Chris Bailey (Knights), Tony Williams (Eels), Shane Rodney (Panthers)
2009 Losses: Steve "Beaver" Menzies (Bradford), Steven Bell (Les Catalans), Luke Williamson (London Harlequins), Mark Bryant (Celtic Crusaders).

Melbourne Storm (2nd): When you think about what was expected of the Storm this year, you'd have to say that the season was a failure. They were favourites to win right from the beginning of the year, but by the time the playoffs came around they were starting to look very shaky. They did, however, win the Minor Premiership - and that shows that they are still a classy side. And, although they too are losing some key players for 2009, only a fool would bet against them. They've developed a winning culture, and it shows no sign of ending any time soon.

They'll be able to put this year behind them, and start looking to how they plan on regaining their title next year. They have such a strong team - with the likes of Smith, Slater, Inglis, Hoffman and Cronk, they'll be able to make a strong fight for the Premiership in 2009.

2009 Gains: Ryan Hinchcliff (Raiders), Arana Taumata (Bulldogs), Matt Cross (Titans), William Isa (Panthers)
2009 Losses: Matt Geyer (Retiring), Israel Falou (Broncos), Jeremy Smith (Dragons), Michael Crocker (Hull), Sam Tagataese (Titans), Antonio Kaufusi (Cowboys), Liam Foran (Warriors), Russell Aitken (French Rugby League)

They say you have to lose a Grand Final to win one, and that saying certainly came true last night for the Manly Sea Eagles - who put on an unbelievable display against the Melbourne Storm.

No one in their right mind would have believed the Sea Eagles could have put 40 points on the Storm, let-a-lone keep the Storm scoreless - but the Sea Eagles were unstoppable on their way to their first Grand Final victory since 1996.

The Storm looked shell shocked as the Sea Eagles dominated the game right from the kickoff. And, while it took around 25 minutes for Manly to score their first try, from that moment on they just kept the four pointers coming. Michael Robertson scored three of the eight trys, and set up the Beaver with his 180th try in the NRL - not a bad way to end a sixteen year career with the Sea Eagles.

Brent Kite was outstanding as he made hit-up after hit-up, keeping the Sea Eagles on the front foot and, most importantly, giving the backs great field position from which to attack. Kite was rewarded for his excellent performance with the Clive Churchill Medal, which will help him erase any bad memories of missing out on Origin this year.

The Sea Eagles can now put last years disappointing Grand Final behind them, while the Storm are left to ponder what on earth happened.

For a team that boasts the likes of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Israel Falou and Cooper Cronk, last nights efforts will be one they'll never want to remember. It was one of their worst displays in a long time, and unfortunately for them they saved it for the biggest game of the year.

They've looked tired since their game against the Warriors in Round 11 of the playoffs, while the Sea Eagles looked refreshed and ready to do battle.

While we wouldn't count the Storm out in 2009, it does seem as though their era of dominance may be starting to crack - and they're losing some key players for next year's competition, too.

For the Sea Eagles, last night was all about redemption - and, most importantly, sending the long serving Steve Menzies out on a high. They achieved both, and brilliantly.

Menzies now heads to Bradford to end his illustrious career that spanned sixteen years, 349 NRL games (a record he now shares with Bulldogs great Terry Lamb), fifteen State of Origin campaigns with New South Wales, and twenty Tests for the Kangaroos. He is the epitome of the word 'legend', and it's been an absolute pleasure to have watched him play over the past sixteen years.

We wish him all the best for the rest of his career.

The rugby league world now turns it's attention to the World Cup, which kicks off in a couple of weeks - no doubt there'll be a few Sea Eagles in the Australian squad...

With the All Blacks coaching staff expected to name an expanded All Blacks squad for their upcoming end of year tour, expect to see some new faces.

The All Blacks will play six games on the tour, including the Test in Hong Kong against the Wallabies and a midweek game against Munster, which will be a good opportunity to give some of the new guys a chance to get some All Blacks experience.

The other four games are against Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England.

There are a few guys who have been knocking on the All Black's door for a while now, and this tour would be the ideal time to get them into the squad - and next year, they'll have some level of experience with the pressure that goes with being an All Black.

One player in particular who must be close to making the squad is Corey Jane, who has been in great form for the past couple of seasons. This year he's taken his game up a level, and with Leon MacDonald unlikely to go on tour, Jane would make an excellent backup to Muliaina.

Another possible cover for MacDonald is Paul Williams, who was named in the training squad earlier this year. Like Jane, Williams has been steadily improving since making his return to rugby last year.

Both are excellent attackers capable of breaking the opposition line, and are as equally reliable under the high ball.

Williams may have the edge over Jane, though, as Graham Henry has already shown interest in him by selecting him for the training squad earlier this year - but the way Jane has been playing for Wellington in this year's Air New Zealand Cup, we wouldn't be surprised to see him get the nod.

Another Wellingtonian making his mark is Thomas Waldrom who, like Jane and Williams, has been knocking at the door for the last few years. Waldrom is a lethal player on attack, and has shown that he can make a huge impact on a game coming off the bench.

We certainly think he's a better option than Sione Luaki, who isn't as versatile as Waldrom. Waldrom is a lot more agile, and certainly a lot safer with carrying the ball.

Another loose forward making his mark in the Air New Zealand Cup is Liam Meesam. His recent efforts against Otago were outstanding, and would make an excellent back-up for the All Blacks. We've been saying Meesam should be in the All Blacks for a while now, and the end of year tour is an excellent time to bring him into the squad - especially as we don't think Luaki should be selected.

Another position up for grabs is prop, where Greg Somerville's departure (due to retirement from the All Blacks) has opened up a spot in the squad. His place will most likely be taken by John Schwalger - he's played for the All Blacks before, and so is familiar with the pressures of Test rugby.

But if your looking for a prop, you needn't look past Jaime McKintosh, who has continued to prove to us that he's ready for the step up. He is a natural leader, captaining Southland in the Air New Zealand Cup, and it wouldn't hurt to replace Somerville with someone who has natural leadership abilities.

The other interesting position up for grabs is the third hooker spot behind Andrew Hore and Kevin Mealamu. Hika Elliot was brought into the squad earlier in the year when Hore was in doubt with injury, but with Corey Flynn back from injury he may get the recall he's been fighting for over the last few seasons. This tour would be a great time to get him back into the All Black mix.

It looks as though the All Black selectors will be taking a 35 man squad, which means a few extra positions are available for the odd bolter - which we think there will be a few of.

Here's the 35 players we'd be taking (*new players in italics):

Hookers: Andrew Hore, Kevin Mealamu, Corey Flynn
Props: Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata, John Afoa, Jaime McKintosh, John Schwalger

Locks: Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Anthony Boric, Jeremy Thrush
Loose Forwards: Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo, Jerome Kaino, Adam Thomson, Thomas Waldrom, Liam Meesam
Halfbacks: Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan, Andy Ellis, Alby Matthewson

First-Fives: Dan Carter, Stephen Donald
Centers: Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Richard Kahui, Isaia Toeava
Wings: Sitivini Sivivatu, Hosea Gear, Rudi Wulf, Joe Rokocoko (if healthy)
Fullbacks: Mils Muliaina, Corey Jane, Paul Williams

Players missing: Kevin O'Neill (injured), Greg Somerville (retired from AB's), Sione Luaki (form), Brendon Leonard (injured), Anthony Tuitavake (injured, but would select him if he's healthy), Leon MacDonald (injured).

Let us know who you'd like to see go on the end of year tour - head to the forum.

It would only be fitting to look at the Top 5 NRL Grand Finals over the past decade, seeing as today the Sea Eagles and the Storm will do battle for the Premiership.

There have been some truly great clashes over the past ten years - here are our picks:

5. Brisbane Broncos vs Melbourne Storm - 2006
It was the third placed Broncos vs the minor premiers, and everyone was expecting the Storm to take this one out. But the Broncos are the masters of Grand Finals, and this one was especially special - they were saying goodbye to Shane Webke, who was retiring after the Grand Final. And they couldn't have sent him out in better fashion, with a 15-8 victory - making it six wins from six Grand Final appearances for the Broncos (not bad, really...).

The Storm looked like they had scored late in the second half through Matt King, but the video ref called a knock-on - effectively giving the Broncos the title.
The video ref's call created a bit of controversy, but in the end the Broncos were too good for the Storm, who would have to wait another year for a second NRL title.

4. Penrith Panthers vs Sydney Roosters - 2003
The Panthers had a standout year, and topped it off with an impressive 18-6 win over the Roosters, who were trying to go back-to-back after beating the Warriors the year before.

The game will best be remembered for Scott Sattler's amazing tackle on Todd Byrne - a tackle he should never have had the chance to make. The veteran forward chased down the flying Byrne, coming from the other side of the field to catch "Skinny" - it's the kind of moment that can only happen in a Grand Final.

The tackle swung the momentum back towards the Panthers, who never looked back. Luke Priddis was named the Clive Churchill medalist, after scoring one try, setting up another, and making an incredible 47 tackles.

This one was also special for us New Zealanders, because of the strong Kiwi connection with the Panthers. And, of course - any time the Roosters are beaten has got to be good.

3. Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels - 2001
The Eels were odds-on favourites to win the Final after going through the season with only one loss, but at halftime the Knights were up 24-0 and were playing some fantastic footy. The lead shocked everyone - none more so than the Eels, who came out in the second half with a lot of work to do to catch up.

They managed to fight back scoring 24 points, but it was too little too late as the Knights went on to win 30-24, and in doing so claimed their second Premiership since their win in 1997.

2. Melboure Storm vs St George/Illawara Dragons - 1999
The Storm produced one of the best comebacks to win the 1999 Premiership - their first since joining the NRL the previous year.

Down 14-nil at halftime, the Storm fought back to 20-18 in very dramatic circumstances. With only three minutes to go the Storm were trailing 18-14, when Brett Kimmorley put up a bomb for winger Craig Smith. As Smith went to catch the ball, Jaime Ainscough took him out with a head high tackle, forcing Smith to knock the ball on. The video ref was left with the decision of whether or not a penalty try should be awarded, which he gave to the Storm - sealing their first Grand Final win.

The win was Storm prop Glenn Lazarus' fifth Grand Final win, and it coincided with his last game in the NRL.

The game will best be remembered for that infamous moment with only three minutes on the clock. Ainscough wouldn't have been very popular in St George after that night...

1. Wests Tigers vs North Queensland Cowboys - 2005
Both these two teams were making their first appearance at a Grand Final, and with the Tigers winning twelve of their last fourteen games (including two wins over the Cowboys), they were on their way to their first NRL Premiership.

They didn't fail to impress, racking up 30 points to sink the Cowboys hopes.

Benji Marshall set up what is possibly the greatest try in a Grand Final, with a flick-back pass to set up Pat Richards, who ran in for one of the Tiger's five trys.

The Tigers were on fire, while the Cowboys looked to have a case of the Grand Final jitters - and in the end, the Tigers thoroughly deserved their first Premiership (as a combined club - Western Suburbs and Balmain).

If tonight's game is anything like these five, then we're in for something special.

After an incredible sixteen years playing in the NRL, veteran Ruben Wiki is finally hanging up his boots.

(Well, at least in the NRL - it's still unsure whether he'll play in the Super League).

Wiki carved out a long career playing for the Canberra Raiders, where he started out as a young center playing along side the likes of Mal Meninga and Laurie Daley. He was part of the 1994 Premiership-winning Raiders team, and went on to play 225 games for the "Green Machine", scoring 60 trys.

As he got a little older, he moved into the forwards. He played in the front and second rows (predominantly at prop towards the back end of his career), and became one of the fiercest players in the NRL, known for his hard hits and physical presence.

In 2005 Wiki finally became a Warrior after twelve years in Canberra, and over the last four years he has become a home town favourite at Mt. Smart Stadium. Wiki played 87 games for the Warriors, and surpassed the 300 game milestone this year against the Tigers - becoming the first New Zealander to do so.

His career tally - 312 NRL games and 72 trys.

Wiki also holds the record for playing the most Test matches of any player, with a total of 55.

Wiki will be best remembered for his no-nonsense kind of play. He put everything he had into every moment he was on the field, and at the age of 35 (the oldest in the NRL) he was still competing with the younger guys, who looked up to him as a player they could aspire to be like. Fair enough, too - if you're going to style your game on anyone, it might as well be one of the best.

Wiki also credits his lengthy playing days to Kava, which he drinks before every game, and has even introduced it to some of the players at the Warriors club. Hopefully that will give them`career's as long as Wiki's...

Life in the NRL won't be the same without Ruben Wiki - especially at the Warriors, where he's looked up to like the legend that he is.

We wish him all the best for his future, and thank him for the eighteen wonderful years of hard hitting rugby league he's given us.

Ruben - you're an absolute legend.