Faced with a season warming the bench for the Hurricanes, Alby Mathewson moved north, one half of a new Blues combination, writes Michael Brown.
There's a little bit of Tim Shadbolt in Alby Mathewson. He does not have the crooked grin or wispish hair and is presumably a better dancer but he shares some of Shadbolt's philosophy.
The Invercargill and former Waitemata mayor once said, "I don't care where, as long as I'm mayor."
Mathewson needed a Super franchise where he was virtually guaranteed game time, no matter where it was.
He saw plenty of action at the Hurricanes last season but Aaron Cruden's rise to prominence and Piri Weepu's expected move back to halfback from first five-eighths meant Mathewson faced life on the bench.
The only realistic option was the Blues, given the other four franchises are serviced by All Black halfbacks, so Mathewson asked his agent to sound them out.
Mathewson is a one-game All Black, having played against Munster on the 2008 Northern Hemisphere tour and he hopes his move to the Blues will help him get back in black.
"I needed a change because I would have been battling to get in [the Hurricanes starting side] with Piri Weepu being an All Black," the 24-year-old says. "I also wanted more game time because I want to push for the All Blacks. I had a taste of it and I want to be back in there.
"I feel I'm on the fringe of it and Graham Henry has told me to keep playing consistently but I need game time with the World Cup coming up. I'm not getting old but I just want to have a good crack at it this year."
His signing looks good for the Blues, especially on top of their capture of former Canterbury and Crusaders first five-eighths Stephen Brett.
The franchise recently have struggled to find a halves combination to steer the side and get the best out of a talented backline. Hopes are high Mathewson and Brett can solve that problem.
The pair have history, having teamed up for New Zealand at the under-21 World Cup in 2006. They were instrumental in helping the Junior All Blacks win last year's Pacific Nations Cup. Five weeks out from the new Super 14 season, the signs are promising.
"We are quite good mates so it makes it easier to gel but we are still coming to grips with each other," Mathewson admitted of his partnership with Brett, who lives in the same apartment complex.
"I have really enjoyed things since I moved up. I was a bit nervous at first because I had been in Wellington for four or five years but the guys here have made it really easy.
"They also really encourage you to talk a lot ... and in our positions [on the field], you can't be quiet."
Mathewson is something of a throwback to halfbacks of yesteryear. He has arguably the quickest pass off the ground in the country - most others are coached or are prone to taking a step or steps first to clear away from the breakdown and review options - and this could be crucial in giving the Blues backline, and Brett in particular, time and space.
He is also quick on the break, much like Brendon Leonard, but there have been some doubts expressed about his ability going backwards. How much time he spends doing that will depend largely on the forward pack.
Mathewson is still contracted to Wellington - he signed with the Blues under a loan-transfer arrangement - so in theory will return there for the Air New Zealand Cup. But he hopes to stay in Auckland.
Much of that could depend on how well he does in the Super 14.
