Wynne Gray: Coddling of McAlister stain on NZ rugby

Luke McAlister. Photo / Getty Images

What a shabby chapter Luke McAlister and the New Zealand Union have written into this country's rugby history.

When he returned several years ago as an over-hyped midfield back after a spell with Sale, the NZRU altered their rules to usher McAlister back into the national ranks. It was an unseemly rush and a slight on others who had played all season.

He was picked originally for the NZ Juniors and then promoted to the senior side where he filled in behind Stephen Donald and Ma'a Nonu.

Eight tests later McAlister is off again, granted an early release this time after obviously being unhappy at any prospect of having to play ITM Cup rugby after missing the cut for the All Black squad.

He had an injury but for the most part was disinterested in playing any more rugby here. His mind was on the sacks of euros coming his way for a contract at Toulouse.

McAlister played 30 tests but as a 27-year-old scarcely rose above some modest play for the All Blacks. His work against the Lions in 2005 was strong but the rest fell into the mixed category.

After the 2007 World Cup, he disappeared to the UK, returned two years later and is now off again.

His dossier should be one of those in an expanding NZRU file, the one marked as a warning for officials and administrators at their regular think tanks.

Even now the delight of the All Black coaches in 2009 at getting McAlister back into the fold remains an ugly blot on the memory. They broke the rules to get him back in black and it misfired.

Somehow he played eight more tests, misfired in a couple of Blues campaigns and is shooting through again. He couldn't even do that properly.

Toulouse announced in April that McAlister had signed for them in a three-year deal but McAlister refused to acknowledge that until June. When he missed an All Black callup and then his child was sick he used that as an excuse for missing North Harbour training.

It has gone on from there, really, with all the signs that McAlister was sulking, while Toulouse and the NZRU worked out how best to reach some arrangement about the disenchanted midfield back.