Dylan Cleaver: Great about Carter - shame about the others

Dan Carter has announced he has signed with the NZRFU for another four years. Photo / Simon Baker

It's a question of timing, and it didn't work out so well for Neemia Tialata.

At 11.59pm on Tuesday, the Hurricanes released a tribute to the Bayonne-bound prop. A few short hours later that was ever-so-slightly superseded by the news that Daniel Carter was about to commit to the All Blacks for another four years.

Tialata has been a willing servant for the Hurricanes and, as strange as it sounds, has played 43 times for the All Blacks. Carter is a global superstar.

It may just be, however, that the Tialata story, and others like his, prove to be as far-reaching as the Carter one.

The Hurricanes now face 2012 without a starting front row. Tialata is off, John Schwalger is headed to Agen, Andrew Hore has indicated his Central Otago farm needs to be paid off somehow (or should that be somewhere?).

So in 2012 some kids are going to be pitched into dark and sweaty places where they have no right to be.

Already the depth of New Zealand rugby is being tested like never before.

Look at the Crusaders. In recent weeks Carter, Israel Dagg, Andy Ellis, Kahn Fotuali'i, Ben Franks, Sean Maitland, Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn, Adam and Sam Whitelock and Sonny Bill Williams have been unavailable.

All due respect to the 32-year-old Brent Ward, but this is last man standing stuff.

A model franchise, even the Crusaders have found there is no bottomless well of Super 15-ready talent here.

We have been told by the New Zealand Rugby Union medical director that this year's injury list is nothing out of the ordinary. Take that at face value and throw in the exodus of players at the end of the year and you have the potential for the 2012 Super 15 to be a talent identification programme, rather than, as advertised, the strongest competition outside test rugby in the world.

Where are we going to get all the players from?

This is Sanzar's greatest problem.

Already in Australia we've seen what happens when you dilute the talent pool. The Rebels have not only added one weak team to Super 15, but they've also gone a long way to turning the Brumbies into a poor side and have stymied the Force's chances of becoming more competitive.

About this time next year, we will know whether the twin threats of exodus and injury are alarmist. You have to hope so because the alternative is bleak.

Rugby fans here are not mugs. They know when they're being sold a pup.

If the quality of Super 15 drops, so will the crowds, so will the television audience. Not that it will worry Carter unduly, or Tialata, for that matter.