An outrageous gamble or an inspired choice? Only time will provide the answer about Newport Gwent Dragons' decision to go for top Australian rugby league coach Chris Anderson as their successor to Mike Ruddock.

Anderson has been over here twice from his native Australia and he is the man the Dragons management want as their next coach. He has agreed and the deal will go through subject to a work permit being granted.

If, as expected, that happens, he will be the fifth coach at Rodney Parade in as many years, following Allan Lewis, Ian McIntosh, Leigh Jones and Ruddock.

All had their strong points -- Lewis could be inspired, McIntosh charismatic, Jones organised and Ruddock thorough.

But Anderson is completely different. There has never been anyone like him either with the Dragons or in Welsh rugby.

What makes him such a one-off is that he has never coached rugby union before! So fans and anyone else might be justified in asking what the Dragons are playing at, and they could well believe that it is at best a big risk and at worst playing with fire.

The Dragons sent shock waves through the game last season when they rose from the ashes of administration to rock their rivals with a third place finish in the Celtic League, even threatening to win the title, and boasted an unbeaten home league record.

They beat former Heineken Cup winners Ulster and runners-up Stade Francais at Rodney Parade and they knitted into a formidable team with an unbreakable spirit.

Since then they have further strengthened their ranks by signing players of the calibre of Gareth Cooper, Ceri Sweeney and Kevin Morgan from the now defunct Celtic Warriors.

It was highly unfortunate that Ruddock was snatched from them very late in the day by the WRU to become Wales coach when Steve Hansen returned to New Zealand.

And it was even tougher when Declan Kidney, the man they appointed to replace Ruddock, decided after just three weeks to take up an offer to remain in Ireland to belatedly become Leinster coach, the Dragons management agreeing to release him.

It left the Dragons in a vacuum with time short, but at the very period when the team had done so well and the squad had been further strengthened they decided to reject Welsh candidates and go right outside the square in favour of someone without any experience in the game.

That is the glass half empty situation, but I prefer to take up the glass half full scenario in the belief that we could be in for yet more exciting times next season, assuming Anderson is able to take up his new role.

For a start, you don't get to be the coach of the Australian rugby league team which wins the World Cup unless you have real ability. And you don't coach teams in Australia and Great Britain (Bradford Bulldogs and Halifax) to national titles unless you have talent.

Furthermore, union and league have become far closer in the professional age, particularly when it comes to back play and defence.

As for tactics in an unfamiliar game, there will be other coaches to call on and current internationals in the team, not to mention a figure like Percy Montgomery, for Anderson to lean on if need be.

The guy is used to coaching at the highest level, so he's comfortable with that. The players will now (assuming the deal goes through) have to get used to a coach who is very strong on fitness and discipline, well organised and a blunt Australian to boot. They could be in for a few surprises.

Last season was a roller-coaster ride which smoothed out wonderfully well in the latter stages. Anderson would bring another kind of perspective to the party. He might even enjoy it!

Talking of enjoyment, how refreshing were those two Wimbledon finals. Tennis has never been my game, but the beguiling Maria Sharapover (and she can play the game) captivated everyone after all the hardships she and her parents had to endure to get her there.

Then Roger Federer and Andy Roddick slugged it out in another compelling battle, Federer almost ethereal with Roddick, charming in defeat, almost running himself into the ground in his efforts to stop the Swiss clock. For once I was sorry an American lost.

Next the Open Championship and more head-to-head duelling with the South Africans taking on the Americans, Retief Goosen and Ernie Els against Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

It's Els for me, with Vijay Singh close and the Brits nowhere.