RUGBY - Dow assesses options after quiet Blues season

Tim Dow might not have found favour with the Blues this season, but the popular hooker is set to become hot property when his Northland contract expires at the end of the provincial season this year.
Dow is set to head back north to play club rugby in Northland before resuming his senior role in the representative side this year.
But an inability to force his way into a more prominent playing role in the Blues this year may hasten his departure to foreign soil next season.
With an Irish passport, Dow will be a hot-ticket item for clubs in Europe as he will be exempt from having to comply with complicated transfer regulations to play there.
"I definitely need to look at what I am doing at the end of the provincial season this year," Dow said.
"I will not be closing the door on anything. I have only signed for one more season with Northland so what happens after that is anybody's guess," he said.
"There are a lot of options I suppose, but I have not been looking, I have just been concentrating of doing my job."
Dow finished the Super 14 season with the Blues with an end-of-season fitness test yesterday and is set to rekindle his links with the Hikurangi club in the Northland-wide club championship next week.
While rated as one of the most diligent trainers in the Blues outfit, even Dow acknowledges he will be behind schedule when it comes to match fitness after banking just 24 minutes of playing time in the entire Super 14 season. He even jokingly suggests he may be forced to prove his mettle playing reserve grade for his club on his return.
"I'll play reserve grade, but only if they play me at first five," he said.
"For sure, the match fitness won't be there so I will hopefully play as much club rugby as I can and will try to thrash myself as much as I can at that level when I get the chance."
"I have been training after game day (with the Blues) and doing the extras with the guys who haven't had a run. I haven't missed one of those trainings this year as it has turned out. But there is no real replacement for playing."
Dow's predicament is not an easy one for new Northland coach Mark Anscombe either.
Anscombe can still see the benefits from Dow's involvement with the Blues, but admits he will be difficult to retain as a player when his Northland contract expires this season.
"I am disappointed as Northland coach that Tim Dow did not get as much game time as I would have liked. But I think he will come back to us - hopefully - really firing. Having spent the last six months or so learning from the likes of Keven Mealamu you cannot say that has not been good for him as a player," Anscombe said.
"But like any player in a professional environment, once they get a sniff they will be thinking the grass might be greener on the other side, and Tim Dow will be no different," he said.
In the meantime, Hikurangi will be awaiting Dow's return with bated breath to help bolster their chances of making the semi finals in this year's club championship.
Tomorrow, Hikurangi host Awanui in one of three vital fixtures to kick off the second round of the competition.
Kamo head south to play Waipu and Mid Northern meet Wellsford at Hukerenui in the other critical contests.
The Western Sharks come to Whangarei to play Marist and Hora Hora travel to play Otamatea in other games.