They inject an element of "anything can happen" to years of "up-the-guts" mentality in the competition.
The Highlanders' ability to flick on the switch to attack mode from broken play and from just about anywhere on the field are the magic ingredients.
Sure, the number crunchers will gleefully pull out mind-numbing statistical equations to argue the Hurricanes and Tahs can identify with the Highlanders' mould but I beg to differ.
You see, it's all about the intent of teams when they run on to the field.
When the Highlanders get their mitts on the ball you can almost sense they tend to leave behind the instruction manuals and school text books in the changing-room lockers.
That licence must come from a coaching stable that has built a culture of freedom of expression within reason.
It adheres to a philosophy that embraces a willingness to use the strengths of individuals in a non-claustrophobic structure.
Creativity and flair are allowed to flourish alongside vision and cohesiveness.
When the sixth sense surfaces the think tank doesn't snuff it out as something erratic or rudely pushing the boundaries of the norm but it instead embarks on a journey of due diligence to maximise the potential of something revolutionary.
That is why Ben Smith thrives at fullback, Waisake Naholo and Patrick Osborne have reinstated what wingers are all about and Aaron Smith, who I thought started the season sluggishly, dictates the tempo of play with Lima Sopoanga.
The forwards have the best scrum-win ratio in the competition, never mind Chris Pollock's interpretation of a Chiefs' feed last Saturday when they couldn't rake the ball back and got a re-feed.
(For that matter, how did the officials miss Sam Cane's late charge on Ben Smith and an impending yellow card or the TMO see a foot on the chalk in the disallowed try even with the help of slow-mo technology?)
No doubt, there must have been an inclination from the Highlanders to adapt to a tweaking process when everything hasn't been hunky-dory.
That is the sort of chemistry Sir John Kirwan desperately needed and that is exactly what his successor, Tana Umaga, will bring next year despite his guarded response to a question that his understanding of island culture is an attribute but not necessarily "a given" when dealing with players of any ethnicity.
It is no coincidence that the Blues franchise board unsuccessfully approached Crusaders assistant coach Tabai Matson, a Fijian, to ease into the mantle of Blues head coach in a bid to extricate the so-called x-factor Kirwan couldn't, even though he summoned the courage to fly in rugby league playmaker Benji Marshall but got cold feet.
It also is what Mark Hammett couldn't recognise, let alone act on, when at the helm of the Hurricanes in previous seasons.
Consequently Joseph has a gift with the current crop of Highlanders that should be extolled because there's nothing to suggest anyone else could have brought that out in a team of primarily players not considered first choice in their catchment areas.
"We are not the biggest names and I think everyone has got a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Some boys have come down from different provinces and want to show how good they are," Highlanders flanker Elliot Dixon reportedly said.
Enough said but it is one thing to inherit talent, it's another to mould them into a productive unit.
Naholo, who found cold comfort in the North Island career wise and was resigned to plying his trade for French franchise Clermont when he finished with Taranaki in the ITM Cup season, has found traction in the Deep South and an All Black future with the looming World Cup in England.
The odds on the Highlanders winning the title are slim, let alone beating the Tahs, but fresh champs are overdue.
Many thought the Highlanders couldn't beat the Chiefs - they did three times.
That is why rugby will be the winners with the Highlanders, Super title or not.
