Harbour sing the Blues at non-selections

By WYNNE GRAY

Four players returning from long-term injury, four newcomers and a swarm of Aucklanders, including halfback Steve Devine, are features of coach Peter Sloane's Blues selection for next year's Super 12.

The 28 players were revealed yesterday at an Auckland Grammar assembly, although transfer-troubled prop Deacon Manu did not appear to collect his Blues jersey.

"We have decided to give him some space, but he will not be named in any other franchise," Sloane confidently predicted.

Auckland's NPC success flowed into the Super 12 selections and they make up the bulk of the squad, with four players each from franchise partners North Harbour and Northland.

While Manu remained in his Waikato lair, Devine revelled in the selection reversal that meant he was a Blue again after some late paperwork from the New Zealand Rugby Union.

His good fortune meant Harbour halfback Mark Robinson was sacrificed.

Four players are yet to make their Super 12 debuts - Daniel Braid, Angus MacDonald, Sam Tuitupou and Joe Rokocoko.

Teenage wing Rokocoko doubles as one of those who was injured and missed the NPC.

A player of huge promise, he broke his left fibula in the middle of the year playing for the NZ Colts at the World Cup.

"I had my first game back on Saturday playing for the local Fiji sevens," he said, "and then Fitzy [manager Sean Fitzpatrick] rang the next day to say I was in.

"I thought I had no show, there were far too many good players."

No 8 Ron Cribb is back after a knee reconstruction in the later stages of this year's Super 12. He may not be ready to resume contact work until February, but the former All Black has been building up his strength and running again.

Centre Rico Gear has been running again for a couple of weeks after breaking his right ankle and having it in a cast for six weeks.

Utility back Orene Ai'i has been recalled after being drafted this season to the Crusaders and then missing the NPC because of a shoulder operation.

Another player with limited NPC experience, flanker Angus MacDonald, has been picked, although he thought one of his mates was playing a prank when Fitzpatrick rang him.

New Zealand-wide choices for the eighth season of Super 12 did not please Harbour, who felt players such as Craig Newby, Blair Urlich, Mark Mayerhofler, Slade McFarland, Matua Parkinson and Robinson did not get a fair deal in the draft.

They wondered whether the best 140 players in the country had been selected throughout the five franchises and thought the Harbour players had not been released early enough into the draft market.

"The reality is that, beyond the very clear upper echelon, place of residence has a great deal to do with selection," a Harbour statement said.

A Blues captain will not be named until after the All Blacks have returned from tour next year.

Sloane confirmed the Herald story last week that revealed Devine had no Blues contract or any other Super 12 deal after all the squads were picked at a meeting with the NZRFU on October 16.

That situation had altered on Sunday night when NZRFU acting chief executive Steve Tew rang to say the original player rankings were unfair.

"They gave us an option to pick to the end of the competition and pick on form, and there was no question Steve Devine had performed outstandingly well," Sloane said.

At the mid-October meeting, the Blues rated David Gibson as their first halfback and Robinson his deputy.

"If you go back to last year I was criticised by the NZRFU for saying I could not see the sense in naming a side three weeks before the end of the competition and at that stage we had Auckland and North Harbour in the semifinals," Sloane said.

"To a certain extent we have seen that with Auckland in the last month."

nte This year's Blues players not required for next season are captain Glenn Taylor, Hayden Taylor, Mark Mayerhofler, James Arlidge, Samiu Vahafolau, Blair Urlich, Matua Parkinson, Mike Storey, Christian Califano and Slade McFarland.