RUGBY - Blue-chip Gus one Lam can invest in

Justin Collins brushes the query off with the stock standard "if selected" reply.
But since the 33-year-old Northland rugby captain had, just moments before, acknowledged that he had been on the blower to new Blues Super 14 coach Pat Lam already, you can safely assume the following: Gus Collins is up for another season of Super 14 rugby next year.
Which also all but guarantees this: Lam will be at North Harbour Stadium in Albany on Sunday afternoon with his selection notebook open for suggestions, in particular from a clique of Northland players led by Collins and bullocking back Rene Ranger.
"I'm considering it," Collins said when asked if he was looking to extend his Super 14 career next season.
"I planned on finishing up at the end of this Super 14, and that might happen yet, but I have spoken to Pat (Lam) and while there is nothing really concrete yet, I think I'm available if selected," he said.
Now just two games away from playing his 100th game of Super Rugby, it would be a significant acknowledgement for Collins to get another season with the Blues, especially playing in the combative loose forward position usually handed to young tyros on the up.
But even now, 14 years after he made his debut for Northland, Collins remains one of the leading loose forwards in the domestic game, his statistics underlining his ability as a hard-tackling workhorse.
It won't just be his abilities on the paddock that will help him bubble to the surface for Lam though, as Collins is rated an outstanding leader, a composed figure who could be invaluable in a new-look Blues outfit next year.
Lam is heading into the Super 14 selection window having already lost two loose forward pillars in Nick Williams and skipper Troy Flavell, with no obvious new candidates leaping to the forefront, at least from within the Blues franchise.
That will make Sunday's game an intriguing one for Lam, a game that Collins reckons his Northland troupe can approach with confidence.
"I reckon there's a small handful of (Northland) guys putting their hand up (for the Blues). There might be a few opportunities for guys with Auckland in a rebuilding phase. The Harbour guys have not exactly been putting their hands up, either," Collins said.
"We got some good confidence out of that game last week (against Canterbury). I was happy with the way we defended. We need to defend like that and then obviously having (Rene) Ranger back will give us some more attacking opportunities in the backs," he said.
Northland will also welcome back tighthead prop Bronson Murray on Sunday, his two-match suspension for stomping now served, and will therefore arrive in Albany at full strength for the clash.
North Harbour delayed naming their starting team until later today, but were expected to include returning All Blacks Anthony Boric and Rudy Wulf, with Wulf a likely starter at centre.
Wary of the backlash from North Harbour's 40-point drubbing to Southland last week, Northland were steeling themselves for a tough time. The additional carrot of Blues selection will only add to the occasion.
Northland:
15 Jared Payne
14 Rene Ranger
13 Aden Dewes
12 Derek Carpenter
11 Fetu Vainikolo
10 David Holwell
9 James Rodley
8 John Cocker
7 Joel McKenty
6 Justin Collins
5 Marty Veale
4 Dan Goodwin
3 Bronson Murray
2 Francis Smith
1 Tevita Mailau
RESERVES: Tyler Ashworth, Jason Hammond, Roy Griffin, Blair Urlich, Brenton Helleur, Ash Moeke, Mike Davis.