Split loyalties may yet play a part with key All Blacks off-contract beyond 2021
While there are few players in recent years who New Zealand Rugby have lost overseas that they would have dearly loved to have kept in the country, palms will always get a little bit sweaty when key All Blacks enter the final year of their contracts.
While the locking department is incredibly well-stocked with Samuel Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Mitch Dunshea and Quinten Strange all signed until 2023, the same couldn’t be said for the front row, where a number of important cogs in the All Blacks scrum are yet to put pen to paper beyond the current season.
In fact, there are a number of players across every position whose contracts are coming to an end.
The good news is that the bulk of the squad that Ian Foster selected for last year’s international series are locked in until at least the end of 2022.
Some, including senior figures Dane Coles, Aaron Smith, Anton Lienert-Brown and Beauden Barrett are contracted until the 2023 World Cup in France.
There are others, however, who NZR will be conscious could command a mammoth paycheck overseas and are yet to confirm their medium-term future.
Hookers Codie Taylor and Nathan Harris, props Karl Tu’inukuafe, Angus Ta’avao, Atu Moli and Alex Hodgman, loose forwards Sam Cane, Ardie Savea and Akira Ioane, halfbacks TJ Perenara and Brad Weber, midfielder Ngani Laumape and utility back Damian McKenzie are all in the finals year of their contract.
A number of those players are only now entering the peak of their careers and will certainly remain in New Zealand but there are others who may feel their best years are behind them and that the money on offer in Japan or Europe is a safer bet than trying to force their way back into the All Blacks.
Already, Perenara is rumoured to be weighing up a move to rugby league while Ngani Laumape has been linked to French club Stade Francais.
Where things get more interesting is that there’s still much uncertainty about what next year’s rugby calendar will look like. Will New Zealand’s long-serving players want to stick around for another set of back-to-back derby matches?
New Zealand Rugby is on a one-way street with a significant fork in the road. There's a huge amount riding on NZR's upcoming Silver Lake decision, writes Gregor Paul. #AllBlackshttps://t.co/0dcgxLdq9g
— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) April 16, 2021
For some players, deciding whether or not to stay in NZ won’t be the only tough question; where they play their Super Rugby will be just as troubling.
Ardie Savea and Damian McKenzie, in particular, may have split loyalties.
Savea has previously expressed interest in representing Moana Pasifika, who are set to join the competition in 2021. If he’s to stay in New Zealand, potentially playing second-fiddle to Sam Cane in the All Blacks No 7 jersey, will he be content remaining in the capital or will he look to support the further professionalism of Pacific Island rugby by linking up with the new side?
McKenzie’s is a conundrum of a different sort.
The fleet-footed clutch-kicking pocket rocket was born and raised in Southland before relocating to Canterbury for his final years of schooling. He then shifted further north when Waikato and the Chiefs came calling.
Despite now spending over half a decade in Chiefs territory, would McKenzie consider a move back to the South Island?
Last year, ahead of the North v South fixture, McKenzie was somewhat torn over where his allegiance lay.
“Obviously, growing up in Southland, that’s where my roots are – and going to school in Christchurch,” he said.
“It would be nice to be eligible to play for the South Island squad but obviously [my] first provincial game was for Waikato so that’s the rules and the eligibility. If I was to play for either team I’m happy but it looks like my hand will be up for the North Island team.”
At 26 years of age, one last long-term contract could be all that McKenzie has left in him before he decides to make the most of his opportunities and head overseas.
Perhaps he’d be interested in spending a bit more time closer to home – either at the Crusaders or Highlanders.
There’s been no real indication at this stage that McKenzie is looking for a switch, but it will be something he weighs up, even if it’s only for a fleeting moment.
New Zealand Rugby, of course, will just be happy if they can lock him into a new deal to stay in the country.
The same is true for the likes of Codie Taylor and Sam Cane who are in career-best form (Cane until he got injured, of course).
There will be plenty going on at NZR right now, especially with the potential Silver Lake deal on their minds – which could determine whether some players actually stay in the country or leave – and player contracts is just one additional thing to deal with.
Expect plenty of announcements over the coming months.
Final year of All Blacks’ contracts:
2021: Codie Taylor, Nathan Harris, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Angus Ta’avao, Atu Moli, Alex Hodgman, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Vaea Fifita, Gareth Evans, Dillon Hunt, TJ Perenara, Brad Weber, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Bryn Hall, Brett Cameron, Ngani Laumape, Damian McKenzie.
2022: Liam Coltman, Joe Moody, Nepo Laulala, Dalton Papalii, Hoskins Sotutu, Mitchell Drummond, Richie Mo’unga, Rieko Ioane, Peter Umaga-Jensen, Sevu Reece, George Bridge, Jordie Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan.
2023: Dane Coles, Asafo Aumua, Samuel Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Mitch Dunshea, Quinten Strange, Shannon Frizell, Anton Lienert-Brown, Jack Goodhue, David Havili, Braydon Ennor, Beauden Barrett.
2024: Ofa Tuungafasi.
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments