Chequebooks bring class to provincial rugby

OPINION: Open the chequebooks and they will come.

While many provincial bosses will tell you it's far more complicated than that, there is no doubt a lot of unions have splashed the cash in order to avoid the bottom seven and a place out of the premier division.

A year ago unions were trying to avoid finishing outside the top 10 after being told four sides were to be cut, only for the New Zealand Rugby Union to renege and return with a top-seven, bottom-seven proposal that has seen the busiest off-season trading in the history of our domestic game.

Taranaki, Bay Of Plenty and Hawke's Bay have all been aggressive in their recruitment, as the reduced salary cap meant many of the country's rugby power bases have been forced to offload players they would usually have kept.

There have been exceptions, of course, most notably Southland where the lure of the Ranfurly Shield and a determination to turn successive semifinal losses into a spot in the final, has seen the Stags keep the vast majority of their players.

Just as some unions have been busy spending, others have struggled, the reality of tough recent seasons catching up with them.

Counties Manukau might have lured former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, at the ripe old age of 37, to Pukekohe, but their fate looks grim, especially after losing Lelia Masaga to Bay Of Plenty, as it does for Manawatu and Northland, while Tasman might also be hanging on by their fingernails after Canterbury's stream of loan players dried up.

Tasman's cause has certainly not been helped by the loss of Kahn Fotuali'i to Hawke's Bay, the Crusaders halfback obviously seeing the writing was on the wall for his old side.

Fotuali'i will join Blues back-up first five-eighth Daniel Kirkpatrick, league convert Luke Rooney and out-of-favour All Black Zac Guildford in a backline with considerable potential.

The other Bay, the one with Plenty, have also lured some quality players back, including midfielder Grant McQuoid, while halfback Taniela Moa is trying to re-start his career by moving south from Auckland.

Veteran lock Luke Andrews might have been a journeyman at Super rugby level, but he is the ideal man to have in the NPC if you want a player to win you ball and provide a pathway for the less experienced players to follow.

Andrews has also come back from playing in Italy in pretty good nick, which will be what Auckland are hoping for from a stack of veterans recalled from around the world to add some much needed experience.

Reds openside flanker Daniel Braid heads the list, while Ben Atiga returns from a break and utility back Brent Ward from Racing Metro in France.

New Zealand's most successful province has also lured first five-eighth Matt Berquist from his Napier home as they try desperately to reverse their fortunes from the last couple of seasons.

Defending champion Canterbury will again be hard to knock over, especially with the arrival of Sonny Bill Williams, who might turn out to be a bigger distraction than grizzly old Rob Penney would want.

While Canterbury have lost a big pool of talent, the new arrivals and those who have already tasted success in this competition will rise somewhere near the top again.

Wellington will again be tasked with providing the stiffest competition for the red and blacks, although it's hard to tell how much of a distraction coach Jamie Joseph's courtship with the Highlanders job will have on the squad.

Otago have sunk to a new low, employing an Australian to teach them how to play the game.

That's probably a bit harsh on Phil Moody, although his squad would hardly fill the Dunedin-ites with confidence.

Taranaki simply have to improve on the last two seasons and have been brave in their recruitment, bringing in quality young players to fill key positions.

Former Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper has added some much needed professional experience, while his side-kick Leo Crowley is fast getting a reputation for not being afraid to think outside the square when it comes to guiding his backline.

Taranaki have also got a great draw, hosting many of the sides it should beat.

While their first priority will be making the top seven, it is not beyond the realms of reality for them to be pushing for a top four spot.

They will need a fair amount of luck, minimal injuries and some quick improvement in some areas, but they should at least be entertaining.

There is a lack of experience in some positions but Taranaki supporters will always applaud those who give it everything and that is possibly what they want to see the most.

- © Fairfax NZ News