And how funny I should say that.

For this week, the headlines have been dominated by a slew of one-time Kangaroo or Kiwi internationals, of Tongan heritage - led by Andrew Fifita and Jason Taumalolo - suddenly announcing that they will play for Tonga in the World Cup, and not Australia or New Zealand.

Stop press! HEADLINES! Bulletins.

Understandably, there is a lot of angst at the absurdly late nature of the defections. If you are going to do that good luck to you, but why do it when you are just about to get on the team bus? I have no idea. It is just the leaguie way.

But, against that, might I say the obvious? Most of the World Cup is a farce, putting a bunch of pretend national teams on the field, filled with players that have tenuous links, at best, with the countries they are representing, which in turn don't have actual league competitions within their borders! The fact that these blokes are going to play for Tonga, actually suddenly gives Tonga a real team that could give the cup a shake, not a pretend team, and that can be no bad thing.

What has always sullied "international" rugby league, is that the game extends not much further than New Zealand, PNG, the east coast of Australia, and northern England. Anything that makes other teams turning up at the World Cup genuinely competitive, has to be good for the "World Cup"!

Raise your cup to Nancy

Older readers may well recall how when the Wallabies won the World Rugby Cup in 1991, they affectionately referred to the William Webb Ellis Cup, thereafter, as "Bill". Well, taking a leaf out of their book the recently victorious winners of the Women's World Cup, New Zealand's Black Ferns, were welcomed back to New Zealand with a reception this week in South Auckland, and they had with their World Cup trophy, which they refer to as "Nancy".

It is after Nancy Wake, the most decorated heroine of World War II, who was born in New Zealand, before moving to Australia, running away from home and by a circuitous route, joining the French Resistance, where she proved to the scourge of the Nazis, and something of a modern day Joan of Arc, leading 7000 partisans in the forests of l'Auvergne.

Cup runeth over: The Black Ferns hold 'Nancy', a relative of the men's World Cup trophy, 'Bill'. Photo: Maarten Holl

As one of Nancy's two biographers - I started writing my bio of her when she was 90 years old, and we had quite a few blues early on, until we jointly came to the conclusion she was 10 times the man I'd ever be - allow me to say how thrilled she would be with the honour bestowed her. And, if still alive, she'd fill that cup with beer, or more likely gin and, I kid you not, drink the lot of you under the table. Not that you should emulate that. While a force of nature in war-time, in her latter years, on the grog - which was mostly - she was terrifying!

Making good Sense

Listen, if you live up Orange way, and have got rugby in your blood, you might be interest to head on out to Endeavour Oval, from the late morning. Sense Rugby, a program run in partnership with SEED Paediatric Services, is a combination of paediatric occupational therapy and rugby union to help children who live with challenges. Started by Australian Sevens player Jesse Parahi and his wife, paediatric occupational therapist Carlien Parahi, and they're doing great work!

'We get nowhere divided'

Yes, I am in the business of gathering great quotes from the sports world, and mostly I am able to break them down, pick the eyes out of them and capture the essence of the quote in just a couple of sentences. Other times, however, the eloquence is too strong and you have to run the quote in full. So it is, this week, with Cam Newton, the black quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, who - though he stood for the national anthem before the game - did a black power salute in the end-zone after scoring a touchdown. Take it away, Mr Newton.

Voice for unity: Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton Photo: AP

"We cannot forget the fact that sports as a whole brings people together. For the two hours, three hours, whenever a time that a sporting event is on or your team is playing, we know that a lot of people from different shapes, colours, creeds, ethnicities and cultures come together. At that moment, they're rooting for the same thing ... a lot of situations that are going on right now in our country are trying to cause division. We get nowhere divided. I stand for the national anthem and I don't look down upon a person who doesn't feel that they want to. You have to respect another man's judgment for why they're protesting ... I just hope and I pray to God that this country finds the energy and the heart to come together as a whole."

A league of his own

We all know the stereotype of the monosyllabic rugby league player - "yeah, mate, no mate, yeah mate, yeaaaaaah" - and it is for good reason. But, if you have a moment, watch Cooper Cronk's farewell speech at Melbourne Storm's award night. Without a note, he spoke, by turns, passionately, movingly, eloquently, amusingly and insightfully for eight minutes. I am not sure if he will, or won't play on next year, but whatever he decides to do when his league career is over, I predict he will go far.

Time to represent

So who is going to be the new CEO of Australian Rugby, when Bill Pulver departs. Two names I keep hearing as possibilities, are one-time Wallaby teammates, Phil Kearns and Brett Robinson - though the latter is reluctant to leave his Brisbane base. Both would be excellent, as they would start with enormous respect within the rugby community, and both have experience of the game at international and grassroots level, while also having experience in the business world.

The key task, for my money, for whoever gets it, will be to knock down the barriers between the professional and the grassroots game. The former is dying, the latter is starting to flourish. We need to have the professional players having a sense that they are not merely on Planet Pro, but rather proudly representing their clubs and communities. With that, there is some chance those communities might actually start to care again, to identify with their state and national teams and make the turnstiles click once more.

Getting some wins up at Super Rugby level against New Zealand teams would help restore some interest.

What they said

Lois Knight, grandmother of Dustin Martin: "I said if Richmond ever win a premiership I'd get a tatt so that'll be my first one at 70." Mrs Knight? I think Dustin has already got enough for the whole family, and even on average your mob is well ahead of the curve!

The great Cooper Cronk clearly got to be great, by doing tackling drills while the other kids wasted their times in maths classes: "I remember 2007 being here the first time, I was 22, now I'm 34 with a few grey hairs."

Cowboys' captain Gavin Cooper when asked if his runners-up speech was prepared: "I didn't write a speech to lose the game."

US rapper Macklemore: "Performing Same Love at the #NRLGF was one of the greatest honors of my career. Thank you @NRL for the opportunity & supporting equality". His performance was a triumph.

Nathan Walker on the dawn of being the first Aussie in the NHL: "Yeah it's pretty big, but at the end of the day I've got to grind it out and try to push for that spot." Josh Caddy on Richmond winning the flag: "How it happens is pretty irrelevant. At the end of the day we've won a flag and that's all that matters. I was thinking to myself a few times, 'Am I really in a grand final?' . . . We've done that so well. The critics said all year, 'too small, no depth', but at the end of the day - 'too good'."

Tim Cahill on the importance of World Cup Qualification: "This is what we live for."

Richmond player Nathan Broad at the grand final parade: "This beats plumbing, that's for sure. It's a crazy lifestyle and obviously this week is just unbelievable. I'm just soaking it up. It beats being on the tools."Adelaide Crow Tom Lynch after the grand final loss: "[It's] just disappointment, it's a terrible feeling, credit has got to go to Richmond, they were great today, but we picked a bad day to have a bad one."Serena Williams on calling her daughter Alexis Olympia: "Fun fact: My daughter's initials are AO as in the Aussie Open she won with me."

Kurtley Beale on the draw against South Africa: "It's just a dull feeling, isn't it. There's no proper result, I feel like it's just a bit of a dead rubber. It's a lot of mixed emotions. Both teams thought they should have won and for the fans, really, it probably would be better for them to get a certain result." Suheil al-Ghazzi, a former fan from Damascus who now lives in Istanbul, on the Syrian soccer side: "Syria's football team could have been a tool for reconciliation like Iraq [in the 2007 Asian Cup] and the South Africa rugby team in 1995, but they chose only the mass murderer's side. I would never support them."

Sam Thaiday, on his exclusion from the Kangaroo side: "Aussie Aussie Aussie ... No, No, No. So it's official - the end of my 2017 rugby league year. Who would've thought this year would be the last time I played for both Queensland and Australia. A bit of respect would've been nice ... to at least receive a phone call ..."

Sally Pearson on coaching herself: "At the end of the day, I've done everything you can possibly do in the sport. What other person would know better than I would? It's a matter of programming yourself."

Brazilian Prosecutor Fabiana Schneider, on allegations that Rio, despite being "the worst candidate", got the 2016 Olympic Games on bribes: "The Olympics were used as an enormous trampoline for corruption."

Beck Butler, Adelaide lawyer and super marathon runner about to take part in the 205-mile Tahoe Endurance run: "You go to that start line and you know when you cross that finish line you're going to be a different person that comes out at the end and that's phenomenal. I would tell people to do these things just for that benefit." She's a champion!

Team of the week

Socceroos. A 1-1 draw with Syria in the first leg, continues their knife-edge quest to qualify for the World Cup, by the hairs of their chinny-chin-chin. If they manage a 0-0 draw in the return bout in Sydney, they stay alive. A 1-1 draw is extra time, while with any other type of draw or loss, our blokes are done.

Middle Rock Magpies. Motley crew of young and old won the Hastings Baseball B Grade competition. Defeated the Spartans in the grand final 12-11. RAH!

Daniel Ricciardo. When he has finished a Formula One race this year, has never finished worse than fifth. The problem is finishing.

Jessica Fox. K1 world champion. Again.

Dean Pay. New bulldogs coach.

Dustin Martin. Has established himself in the stratosphere of stars with him being the only person to win a premiership, Brownlow Medal and Norm Smith Medal in the same season.

Claire Polosak. Will umpire tomorrow's NSW vs Cricket Australia XI match.Nathan Walker. Told yers. The 23-year-old Sydney-sider has just become the the first Australian to make the cut for an National Hockey League ice hockey side, turning out with the Washington Capitals.