By CHRIS RATTUE
It was embarrassingly easy to get a car park space close to Rugby Park in Hamilton during the Super 12 season.
It told the story of a Chiefs franchise still struggling to find its identity, and any sort of consistent form you could hang your hat on.
A ground which clangs to the sound of cowbells and is usually packed with enthusiasm during Waikato's NPC and Ranfurly Shield campaigns turned into a different animal during the Super 12.
The empty spaces were testament to the Chiefs' plight. It hardly helped a side trying to build a central base of support that their victories came at Albany, Rotorua and Durban.
Yes, it was a year of failure which will probably cost coach Ross Cooper his job, has lowered the stocks of a number of All Black prospects, and even led to suggestions that the franchise base might be moved away from Hamilton.
Two players rose above the disappointments. Flanker Koula Tukino has even managed to emerge as a test prospect - his powerful runs cracked increasingly organised defensive systems and he proved a superb back-of-the-lineout jumper.
And with Walter Little joining the Blues, it gave second five-eighths Mark Ranby the chance to emerge as a relentlessly enthusiastic midfield back with an eye for the gap - although the verdict is still out on whether he has the vision to take his abilities higher.
You could throw in some strong games from Isitolo Maka, and consistent work from lock Glenn Taylor as positive features.
But there was very little to cheer about. Others, like the injury-prone Royce Willis, halfback Rhys Duggan, and wings Roger Randle and Bruce Reihana have probably fallen off the All Black pace.
And as a side, the Chiefs never established the sort of patterns to base their campaign around, something that is the hallmark of the best sides such as the Brumbies and Crusaders.
If there was a highlight, then beating the Blues at Albany would have to be it. The low points, and there were many, were the continual close misses which were often the result of taking the wrong options at crucial times.
A pivotal moment may well have come at the end of the opening-round match against the Crusaders when Glen Jackson missed a handy penalty which would have given the Chiefs a draw and bolstered their confidence.
Instead, it seemed to be a moment that suggested they were a near-but-yet-so-far side who could not apply the killer blow.
How they managed to throw away a win against the Waratahs in Hamilton was a mystery of Agatha Christie proportions.
And maybe worse still, there seems little to suggest that there is some ray of light through the gloom. Captain Taylor says he wants to stay but there is the strong possibility that Maka and others may head overseas.
There is still no definitive answer on whether the dilapidated Rugby Park will get a makeover, and the franchise is hardly a money winner.
The best the Chiefs' faithful can do is look at their major unions, Waikato and Counties Manukau, and see two sides who are consistent NPC threats, who play with a lot of heart.
Their sum often adds up to more than the individual parts - the Chiefs, as yet, cannot claim the same.
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