OPINION: It's almost as if the Crusaders and Blues are playing in different competitions.
On one hand you have the eight-time Super Rugby champion Crusaders. In 2018 their squad will boast 15 All Blacks - and one former All Black - with 10 to choose from in the forward pack alone. In the 22 years of this tournament, the Crusaders have missed the knockout stage just four times.
The Blues, meanwhile, have only enjoyed two playoff seasons since winning the last of three titles in 2003. Next year their 38-man squad will boast six current All Blacks next season and three former ones.
If you didn't know both teams were working to the same $4.65 million salary cap, you'd think there was something unfair about the whole thing.
New Zealand's five Super Rugby franchises are allowed to contract 32 players each year. The maximum retainer is $195,000 and minimum $75,000.
Beyond that are what used to be known as wider contract players. Now called Draft New Zealand Contract Players, teams are permitted to sign six on retainers of $50,000.
What can't be measured in monetary terms are things such as relationships, culture, talent identification, coaching, identity and legacy. Some franchises are vastly better at that than others and that's where the playing field becomes uneven.
Within the Highlanders and Crusaders regions, where there simply aren't the same player numbers, those intangibles have to be the selling point.
Once the unveiling of New Zealand's Super squads had an element of intrigue or surprise. Now the majority of players have been aligned to a franchise since they were schoolboys - or straight out of school - and the bulk of deals announced well in advance of deadline day.
"We were 85 per cent nailed off pretty early," Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd said after announcing their 2018 squad on Wednesday.
"You always have to leave some spots open for bolters in Mitre 10 Cup but if you look at the transition of the way the contracting has been done, there's a lot more contracting being done before the Mitre 10 Cup. So the opportunity for guys to put their hand up is definitely becoming slightly less, but our last two decisions were made two days ago and we still had some genuine contenders for those positions."
The last discussion between teams, over potential draft players, was conducted on Tuesday.
"It was well over within 10 minutes. There was no conflict [and] there wasn't any situation where there was two teams vying for the same person," said Boyd.
In the wake of the announcements, two first five-eighths have prompted a bit of talk.
Former All Black Mike Delany led Bay of Plenty to the provincial championship final and has now joined the Crusaders where, given Richie Mo'unga and Mitchell Hunt are already on the books, the need is hardly acute.
At the Blues, for instance, Delany might've started every game next year. Instead Wellington's Dan Kirkpatrick has been drafted in to join the talented, but unproven, pair of Stephen Perofeta and Bryn Gatland.
The Blues have their issues, but Kirkpatrick won't be one of them. At 28, he might not be the best or most successful first-five of all time. He is a model professional, however, with vast experience here and in France whom Gatland and Perofeta could gain a lot from working with.
- Stuff
