Dirtiest player
De Wet Barry 14 per cent
Bakkies Botha 12.5 per cent
Troy Flavell 11 per cent
While the Kiwis scooped the pool on respect, the South Africans dominated the ugly on-field behaviour category.

Springboks centre De Wet Barry, captain of the Stormers this season, topped the poll ahead of Test second rower Bakkies Botha.

Barry has been constantly under the spotlight for high shots in midfield, while Botha was at the centre of biting and gouging allegations in a Brisbane Test against the Wallabies three seasons back.

Another player with a chequered past, former All Blacks forward Troy Flavell, returns to Super 14 this season after a stint in Japan. He finished third in the ballot, just ahead of Springboks veteran A.J. Venter.

Most competitive teammate
Ben White (ACT) 9 per cent
Richard Brown (WA) 8 per cent
Phil Waugh (NSW) 8 per cent
No surprise in Queensland, where the Reds went for fullback Chris Latham, the heart and soul of their recent campaigns, ahead of new outside centre Julian Huxley.

NSW players opted for flanker Phil Waugh, and Western Force put flanker Richard Brown at the top of their list.

But the shock came out of the Brumbies camp, where rookie flanker Ben White won the gong.

Most parochial crowd
Bulls 25 per cent
Brumbies 10
Cats 9 per cent
The Bulls’ Loftus Versfeld stadium, in the heart of Pretoria on the high veldt, has a bullring feel, and the horned hats of their face-painted fans add to the intimidation.

Brumbies players voted their own crowd the most parochial, while only one of 23 NSW players felt the Aussie Stadium faithful deserved the honour.

The “least liked ground” also went to Loftus Versfeld.

Most boring city
Pretoria 21 per cent
Canberra 14 per cent
Johannesburg 13 per cent
The Waratahs and Force can expect no support in their next away assignment against the Brumbies, as those two franchises placed Canberra at the top of the dreary city list.

Overall, Pretoria finished No.1, ahead of Canberra, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein.

Worst referee
George Ayoub 21 per cent
Tapa Henning 8 per cent
Brett Bowden 5 per cent
Whistleblower George Ayoub has failed to impress Australian Super 14 players, taking out this unwanted prize ahead of South African Tappe Henning.

But, perhaps more disturbingly for tournament organisers, the “best referee” category was won by a phantom.

Thirty per cent of ACT Brumbies players answered “no refs” to the question of who was the leading match official in the series.

Best Australian player
Chris Latham 11 per cent
George Smith 11 per cent
Steve Larkham 9 per cent
This category was dominated by state bias: Queenslanders tipped Chris Latham, NSW players favoured Phil Waugh, the Brumbies expected Stephen Larkham to carry off the award, and Force suggested Scott Fava.

Leading tryscorer prediction
Rico Gear 15 per cent
Bryan Habana 12 per cent
Lote Tuqiri 11 per cent
Another overall vote for the Kiwis, with Crusaders flyer Rico Gear expected to take out the award ahead of Springboks star Bryan Habana and Lote Tuqiri.

On a state-by-state basis, Queensland players went for wing Drew Mitchell, the Brumbies went for wing Clyde Rathbone, NSW went for Tuqiri and Force for Gear.

Australian rookie of the year
Tatafu Polota-Nau 31 per cent
Digby Ioane 11 per cent
Berrick Barnes 7.5 per cent
Tatafu Polota-Nau has already played for the Wallabies, been crowned the world’s best under-21 player, and tipped by former Test stars to be a standout at the next Rugby World Cup.

Australian players in Super 14 are equally convinced about the talent he packs into a frame disturbingly similar to that of former heavyweight boxing monster Mike Tyson.

The former Granville South High School student, who spent his first full season at hooker last year, was fast-tracked last November by former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.

Western Force winger Digby Ioane, the first Samoan selected for the Wallabies when he was the bolter on last year’s European tour, is also held in high regard.

Queenslanders tip their new recruit from rugby league, Berrick Barnes, 19, to walk away with the gong.

Wooden spoon
Central Cheetahs 26 per cent
Queensland 22 per cent
Cats 15 per cent
The Brumbies have taunted their fiercest Australian rivals by predicting Queensland or NSW will finish with this year’s wooden spoon.

Twenty-six Brumbies replied to a question asking which side would finish last in the series. Eight voted for the Reds and another seven went for the Waratahs. The Cheetahs were next in line with five.

Queenslanders also played the interstate rivalry card. While eight of 20 respondents from the Reds camp tipped the Cheetahs to finish at the foot of the ladder, five tipped NSW to fall all the way from finalists to 14th.

Western Force, with most of their prized recruits plucked from Queensland, clearly feel the Reds will struggle after losing key players. Force players had the Reds at the top of their wooden spoon tipping chart, just ahead of the Cheetahs.

The Daily Telegraph

1996: Sydney Football Stadium, Christian Cullen solo 100 metre try against the waratahs, that was the making of his international rugby career, and what a career.

Good luck to ALL the Saffa teams for the S14, lets kick some but boys!

1. James Small bursting through the much hyped Reds defense in 96, chipping ahead for Kabous to dot down in the corner. Andre Jouberts try that same game comes close too.

2. Ollie Le Roux slotting a conversion from the touchline against te Hurricanes (98 I think).

3. Rapeni Thou Thou (spelling??) in 2003,pick a try,any try.

4. The Cats ******* up the Waratahs 53-3 in 2001 to make the semi’s (or was that 2000?).

5. Gavin Lawlass’s 50 points against the Highlanders.

Man I could go on forever….**** I’m glad rugby season is back!!!

You should have done this a few weeks / days ago to increase the interest.

All time favourite moment in the S10/12!

For me, 1998, Sharks vs huricanes 1998. Wikus Van Heerden pulls off an absolute monster tackle (legal) on Christian Cullen. He gets, wobbles a bit & goes off at the next whistle!

Awesome, these are the reasons I watch this game!