Blues don't have the goods for 2016

Melani Nanai was one of the few bright lights for the Blues in their woeful campaign this season. Photo / Getty Images

With the fate of four Kiwi sides decided over the weekend, the Blues were the only team already looking towards next season. And what they see will be a real concern.

The Blues selected a side against the Crusaders that was nowhere near full strength, so the final weeks of the campaign are clearly about assessing their depth. While there were some good signs, it showed they haven't got the pieces in their squad to assemble a competitive team next year.

There's obviously going to be a high turnover after the Rugby World Cup, and the Blues' recruitment needs to have already started. When you think they probably won't be seeing Jimmy Cowan again, that Woodcock and Mealamu might not return and that Charles Piutau looks unlikely to play, the Blues are in a precarious position.

And it looks like they will need to search well outside of their franchise area, which is a real concern for New Zealand rugby - that the population powerhouse of this country can't find resources from within.

Looking at the Blues' finds this season, you'd say Melani Nanai was one. The switch to 12 for George Moala was promising and he showed he could turn into a good centre. Then in the forwards, which is the major concern in my eyes, the only player they really unearthed was Akira Ioane.

With four ITM Cup teams to pick from, what's happening with the development of players within the franchise? How are guys like Malakai Fekitoa, Waisake Naholo and Jordan Taufua slipping through the net?

So with short-term depth not coming from within - unless they are hiding players somewhere - they are going to have to get their chequebook out and look outside of the franchise.

That's going to be difficult because next year is the revamped competition and they'll be competing against new teams also looking around the world for players. And the Blues are already losing time, with no announcement made around the coaching and the infrastructure that's going to lead them into the new Super Rugby format and into the future.

Finally, I would be remiss not to touch on the sad news about my former teammate Jerry Collins. JC was a big part of New Zealand rugby, he was incredibly well-received by his teammates and, when he was in an All Blacks jersey, I knew I could rely on him and I knew he would walk off the field with nothing left.

He was also a different personality than what you saw on the field - constantly joking and smiling - and I remember the first time he made the All Blacks. He was brought in as a late injury replacement to start against Argentina in Christchurch and, during the week, I heard an interview with Jerry on the radio.

He was only 20 or 21 at the time, and the announcer was saying things like, "A lot of people think you're too young, you're not up to it, that it'll be a big test against the Argentina forward pack". And Jerry's response was, "Well, to be honest, I don't really give a f*** what people think". But that's the way he was. It wasn't about what the public or media thought of him - he got his respect from playing with his mates, and their opinions were the ones that really counted for him.