The past 12 months won't rate as one of the best we've experienced but it certainly wasn't the worst. Obviously we won't get all our wishes next year, but if we can get a couple, we'll be happy enough.

So in 2014 we'd like:

o Another Roosters premiership: Okay, we're being greedy here, but so what. Greed is good. Grand final day 2013 was truly a magical day, as was the week that followed, or at least what we can remember of it. So we trust the Roosters will be able to deliver another title next year and it'll be even better if they smash South Sydney in the grand final and in doing so destroy the dreams of their supporters. We'd also like to see a NSW victory in the State of Origin series but perhaps that's expecting a miracle.

o Ashes success for Australia: If the Roosters winning the comp was the highlight of 2013 then Australia's fumbling bid for Ashes glory in England was clearly the lowlight, apart from the election result. So we trust the planets will realign and the Ashes head back to where they really belong by the end of the current five test series.

o Miranda Kerr: What does James Packer have that this this writer doesn't, apart from a billion dollars, super yachts, casinos, mansions all over the world etc etc. We couldn't believe it when we read in the Women's Week...er, heard that James Packer and Miranda Kerr were, or at least are in the process of being, an item. So we'd like to see Miranda shuffling over to Struggle Street post haste. She's bound to be impressed.

o No more office conversations about The Notebook. In the days of yore this newsroom was once renowned as the Mecca for cerebral conversions. All the important topics, footy, cricket, beer prices, the stuff that matters, were discussed. So we were aghast the other day when there was animated debate about the merits or otherwise of what we understand is a movie titled The Notebook. We were shocked beyond belief when one of the few male staff members still employed here admitted that he cried at the end. Crying? At a movie? We have never seen The Notebook. And we never will. And we never want to hear about it again. (We will not reveal the identity of the male employee. Yes we will, it was the photographer, Scott Calvin. Shame on him).

o The federal government to keep botching things up: This is almost a given. Witnessing the Coalition stumble from one crisis to the next in the past couple of months has been a pure delight as has watching and reading the right wing commentators doing their best to defend them. May it continue into 2014 and beyond, or at least until the next polling day.

o A decent footy ground for Taree: Yeah right, as if that's going to happen.

o The return of the telly series, The Vikings: This correspondent doesn't watch too much TV. However, we happily happened upon The Vikings mid-year when we were channel surfing after being unable to suffer that inane Footy Show any longer. And it's a cracker. The hero's name is Ragnar Lothbrok for heaven's sake, so how could be be anything else? And those Vikings knew how to party, as did the Vikingettes, if such a word exists. So more in 2014 please.

o A win in the all important schooner draw at the Manning: Just once will do, surely that's not asking too much.

So roll on 2014. We'll see how we fare.