Amidst all the uncertainty surrounding Australian rugby, at least one factor cannot be disputed. In the 22-year-history of the Super Rugby competition, the 2017 Brumbies are without doubt the most underwhelming Australian team to make the finals.
Their advancement to the quarterfinals stage provides concrete proof that the current Super Rugby format, revolving around a lopsided conference system, must rank among the most farcical in international sport. How can a team justify making the finals when they go into the playoffs boasting more losses than wins for the season? An average Brumbies outfit are only there because the other four Australian teams are considerably worse and the victims of inept play, hazy game plans, substandard coaching, poor preparation plus a lack of spirit.
For the Brumbies, it is a case of being the best of a very, very ordinary lot. Achievement is not being rewarded.
The current illogical Super Rugby conference system is a sham, and thankfully administrators have come to their senses, realising that teams need to be culled and sanity returned to the competition structure. It is ridiculous that a team which wins at most seven of their 15 games is given a leg-up through hosting a home quarter-final at Canberra Stadium on July 21. Anyone who says a team currently running ninth on the competition points tally deserves a home final are either having themselves on, or spent far too much time in the nation's capital.
The Brumbies of today are a mere shadow of the spectacular lineups that transformed Australian Rugby a decade or so ago, winning Super Rugby titles in 2001 and 2004. During that period, they played memorable ensemble football, were prepared to attack from any region of the field, outstanding from broken play, and boasted marvellous finishers such as Joe Roff and Stephen Larkham, who controlled the midfield with panache. They were compelling viewing. They were innovators.
They are certainly not that now. They are instead stodgy, predictable and reactive. They are admittedly enthusiastic, have been able to survive despite David Pocock and Matt Toomua not being around this season, and boast a reasonable pack, but they lack game changing players.
Their inadequacies -- which this season has seen them suffer four losses in a row -- were again on show in the dense fog at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night. If the Brumbies were to make a statement just before finals time it was against the disorganised Queensland Reds.
Instead they were swamped, wasting a 15-6 lead, and saw the Reds run over them in the final minutes. Not exactly a psychological boost. Even worse was their injury toll, with four players -- winger Aidan Toua (ankle), flanker Chris Alcock (gashed thigh), lock Rory Arnold (shoulder) and centre Kyle Godwin (knee).
Their back-up is hardly startling either, making their trip to New Zealand next weekend to confront the Chiefs in the last round a hideous chore.
So the Brumbies will have to rely on a Steven Bradbury moment to go any further than the quarter-finals.
There may be one positive though. As Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has been questioning the level of physical conditioning at provincial level, at least he may have more time to get them fit.
National coaches like having teams in the Super Rugby finals, as it ensures some of their key performers are match hardened by the time the Rugby Championships come around in August.
As Australia's Super Rugby finals participation is expected to be very brief, Cheika can at least bring all the players into camp earlier, spend more time in working on improving their fitness, and ensure they are no longer 'off the pace' -- a damning statement he made following their Test loss to Scotland last month.
As far as Australian rugby is concerned, the Super Rugby season cannot end quick enough.