The Hamster would at this stage like to say a few words on behalf of the departing superstar - Charles Luke McAlister.

While forgiving him the sin of being born in the provincial boundaries of Taranaki, Luke has gone on to become one of Harbour's most talented and respected players in our relative short history. (Well he's a bit better than Warren Burton)

In recent times we have been reasonably critical of his performances on the field and the fanatical control Charles Snr. seems to have over his prodigal and most lucrative child.

Putting the paternal issue to one side, as Luke departs NZ for the World Cup and Sale; I would like to wish him all the best for his future endeavours. I have enjoyed watching him develop into a mature footballing identity and realise most of the promise he showed at WBHS.

At times he appears to be somewhat of a tortured, withdrawn soul but seems to have some idea where he is going and what he wants to achieve. In my opinion he has not exactly fulfilled the true extent of his abilities in NZ and I would expect the Manchester-based outfit to do quite well from their latest acquisition.

I remain concerned about his manager/father but hey it's not really any of my business, it just makes good tabloid copy.

Good luck Lucky Luke, the Hamster will miss you