Richard Loe: Desire is needed, not money

While we are still digesting the news of the $8 million handout from the New Zealand Rugby Union building up to next year's revised NPC, I have a couple of questions.

One is why unions like Auckland (who got nearly half a million bucks) and even Canterbury (almost $300,000) are beneficiaries of this handout?

Surely it's better that we give the bulk of the money to the unions who need financial and other help to provide a credible challenge in seasons to come.

The other question is: what happens next? I'm afraid I do not think money is the total answer. You can't just chuck money at the NPC. There's no doubt it needs help but the thing it must have is the provincial, parochial desire of players.

Look, a lot of people ask me what Canterbury's secret is. They hold on to the Shield even against a Waikato side much stronger on paper and even though Canterbury have a lot of All Blacks out.

They did the same thing against a strong challenge from Wellington on Friday night.

The Canterbury team are the team that they are because of that parochial pride. They do have imports, of course, but the basis of that side - the culture, if you like - is all about the jersey, the province, the tradition and the 'ticker' that is demonstrated by the likes of Todd Blackadder and Reuben Thorne.

The imports get brought under that umbrella too.

You can't buy that. You won't find it in a shop or on Trade Me.

We now see very few examples where players go right through their career playing for one provincial side and displaying the pride from that.

OK, those days might have gone but we have to find a way to get the provincial pride and the parochial desire back into our NPC if we are going to have a provincial competition.

And I don't know that money is the only way to do that. I think it might take a few more subtle measures - like encouraging All Blacks to come back earlier than they have. I have always been a staunch believer in the All Blacks playing in the NPC - it needs them and they need it to build that provincial pride. Some of the All Blacks are back but many aren't and we have heard players like Richie McCaw saying he is all right after a couple of weeks and is now itching to get back. Let's let him.

Some will have injuries, fair enough, but others should be busting to get out on the field. Like Rico Gear. He should be playing for Nelson Bays - he should be on fire to play for them. By not playing, it makes it look like he's only interested in his All Black and Super 12 career.

Meanwhile, I'd say the standard of this year's NPC has not really been consistent. It looks to me like the players are struggling to execute what their coaches want. Take Waikato, for example. Warren Gatland is a proven international coach and you can see the players trying hard but some are new and they might not yet have the ability. Waikato aren't the only ones and I think the standard so far this year has been affected by simply too many mistakes caused by players not quite up to speed yet and not matching effort with execution.