Rugby: Brett to be drafted into Blues

Stephen Brett. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The No 10-sized hole at the Blues has finally been filled.

Canterbury five-eighths Stephen Brett will enter the draft next week and be picked up by the Auckland franchise.

The 23-year-old has told Crusaders management that he wishes to be included in the draft and they have indicated they will not stand in his way.

Both sides were giving away little yesterday, with Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder saying: "Our policy at the Crusaders is to not comment on the contractual status of players."

Blues chief executive Andy Dalton also refused to be drawn on the specific issue of Brett's impending shift, though he provided details of the mechanics of the draft.

The Blues, along with New Zealand's four other Super rugby franchises, will submit their 24 protected players' list to the New Zealand Rugby Union on Sunday. That 24 will have to contain a genuine starting XV, a seven-man bench and two extras. Teams that cannot effectively fill that list with Super 14-quality players will leave gaps for the positions they are struggling to fill.

In the case of the Blues, that will be at No 10. If, say, the Highlanders do the same they could be chasing the same player. "If there are two franchises with the same gap, they both put in their preference from the draft list," Dalton said. "If it is the same player then the NZRU selection panel, Brian Lochore, John Graham and Neil Sorensen, will ring the player and he gets the choice.

"It doesn't happen very often but the players are all told to keep their phones on."

In the case of Brett, it is a fait accompli that he will end up at the Blues. Coach Pat Lam wants it to happen, the All Black panel wants it to happen and, now, the player himself wants it to happen.

It was widely reported that Brett would be snapped up by Auckland before the transfer deadline last month, but Canterbury held him to his contract that runs through until the end of 2010. That left the draft as his only option to escape the shadow of Dan Carter and get more Super 14 game time in his preferred position of first five-eighths.

The Crusaders could have protected him in their 24, but with Carter and young utility Colin Slade also about to be "protected", it would not have gone down well at the NZRU.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry earlier this year made it clear that if Slade and Brett had genuine international aspirations, one of them would have to move to have any chance of fulfilling them. Slade's utility value is highly valued at the Crusaders so it was left to Brett to decide whether he was willing to uproot himself and leave.

The franchise coaches meet in Auckland on Monday and Tuesday to finalise their 2010 squads, before the announcement is made on Wednesday.