All Blacks: Spotlight on contenders

In all the furore around Luke McAlister, it appears to have been conveniently overlooked that he will be coming home with 12 months of rugby under his belt.

With player welfare so high on the agenda and individual workloads scrutinised, it's a surprise that McAlister will be pushed into action almost as soon as he lands.

Daniel Carter, had it not been for the serious Achilles injury he sustained in January, would have been slowly integrated on his return from Perpignan.

He would not have been used during the June tests and instead would have been granted time to rest and condition before resuming his test career in the Tri Nations.

McAlister will not be granted the same luxury. That's partly because Carter would have seen 18 months of football without a break compared with McAlister's 12. But it's really about need - as in the All Blacks need McAlister. They really need him, so concerns about his workload haven't been raised.

Quite how much they need him became apparent when Graham Henry confirmed that McAlister will be selected at first-five for the Junior All Blacks.

That's an admission that the All Black coach doesn't believe anyone else could back up Stephen Donald.

In an ideal world, McAlister would have come from Sale at the end of the month, had a few weeks off, turned out for Harbour in his preferred second-five berth and then waited for an All Black call-up some time during the Tri Nations.

The problem with that scenario is that if Donald breaks his leg, the All Blacks would be stuffed. Really in big trouble. Stephen Brett for all his promise just can't be trusted to run a test - not yet. Colin Slade has played most of the season on the wing. After those two, there really isn't a serious option.

Henry can't take that risk of being exposed in such a critical position so McAlister has to be in the background, quietly preparing himself for a test recall that will come ahead of the Tri Nations.

"We have talked before about 10 and 12 being the area where we were thin," said Henry during the week. "But with Luke McAlister coming back to back up Steve Donald and Ma'a Nonu, who I think have played particularly well in the Super 14, it is really positive. Ma'a is playing with a lot of class now."

McAlister's immediate All Black future is likely to involve bench duty - covering No 10 and 12. Donald and Nonu will be given their chance to establish a combination which is as much reward for their efforts last season as it is for their form this year.

And that is likely to be the basis for much of the selectorial thinking, at least in the opening matches. Conrad Smith was accurate in every test he played in 2008 and brought the best out of Nonu.

Richard Kahui continues to progress, to mix brains with brawn in an effective package and never give Smith a second's peace. The Chiefs centre will still have to bide his time, though; to be patient and make the most of the limited opportunities that will come his way.

That might also be the fate of Adam Thomson, who will most probably find that despite impressing with his work-rate, pace and effectiveness over the ball, he can't budge Jerome Kaino out of the No 6 jersey.

Brendon Leonard could be another who finds his electric return isn't quite enough to initially take the No 9 jersey from Jimmy Cowan.

There were some courageous performances last year. Men like Cowan, Kaino, Smith and Nonu delivered when they had to. Under pressure, they didn't disappear and Henry and his selectors know that the first squad of this year has to recognise that endeavour.

It's also been an unusual Super 14 so far in that very few non-capped players have sprung forward.

Tom Donnelly has been abrasive and mobile and the injury to Anthony Boric may pave the way for him to step up.

Josh Blackie has done a lot in his brief sightings but will need to do more, as Henry said: "He's had a couple of quality games. Is that enough? I think it's still a bit grey there."

Other than that, there have plenty who have had good campaigns without necessarily exposing themselves as test candidates.

So don't expect 2009 to be a year of surprise. It's not shaping that way, not at first, anyway. The interesting point will come mid-season when the likes of McAlister, Kahui, Thomson and Leonard might have made compelling cases for inclusion in the starting 15.

That's when loyalty will not be the main theme - when the selectors have to make judgement calls each week and continue to turn a blind eye to McAlister's workload.