Top players await their Super 14 fate

For the top echelon of New Zealand players, next week will be a time for crossed fingers.

On Thursday, the five coaches and chief executives of New Zealand's Super 14 franchises will meet in Wellington to finalise their squads for the first year of the enlarged Sanzar competition.

Their deliberations and decisions will be made public on Friday but, in reality, much of the spadework will have been done before they ease themselves into their chairs at New Zealand Rugby Union headquarters.

For a start, each of the Highlanders, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Chiefs and Blues can protect up to 24 of their 28-strong squad. That is, it's hands off for the other four franchises.

Having done that, the coaches then work out where their gaps are. But the protocols for squad selection are such that it's designed to be a fair system, not one where a strong-minded, forceful talker could pull a swifty over a less outgoing rival coach.

"We like to think we've neutralised the tactical game-playing that used to happen," said NZRFU deputy chief executive Steve Tew yesterday.

"I experienced this process from the other side of the fence for a while [during his days as Crusaders chief executive] and didn't like the way it used to be done. It was horsetrading, and often the person who did the best lobbying beforehand got the person they wanted.

"What we've got now is a genuine attempt to try and get the best players in New Zealand playing as much footy as they can and get five evenly balanced squads. It's in everyone's best interests if we get five teams who front up and compete."

Tew will form an overseeing selection panel to sort out any issues.

So what happens?

The coaches - in this case Greg Cooper, Robbie Deans, Colin Cooper, Ian Foster and David Nucifora - hand in their protected list which are put up on a screen.

Then, having seen who are off limits, look at the prepared draft list of players who have not made the protected list and assess who's available for the positions in which they are short.

Bear in mind there have already been preliminary discussions around potential gaps, so they will know if any teams might have a surplus of depth in some positions, and they are aware of the All Black selectors' desire to ensure the best players get decent game-time. So the coaches should be well armed for what lies ahead when they walk in the door.

A set of protocols are used to oversee the drafting process.

If a franchise has protected fewer than 24, they get a crack at a player not selected elsewhere. Hypothetically, if two franchises had protected 23 from within their boundaries and the rest 24, those two would get first dibs to find their 24th player.

Once it gets to the final four places, that's where things can get interesting. If two franchises wanted the same player, tiebreakers come into play.

If the player had been at one of those franchises the previous season, that franchise will most likely get first choice.

If the player had not been at either franchise, he would be consulted over his options, players in the draft having been told to spend the day by their telephone.

If a player can't be contacted, the selection panel will discuss the situation with each franchise separately before making a decision where the player would fit best.

There is room for coaches to take a gamble here and there.

"Guys might have a crack at trying to guess what the other coaches are going to do, so they work out where they're going to use their first draft pick," Tew said.

"For example, if someone's desperate for a No 10 and a No 15, they might work out no one else is wanting a 15, so they might pick the No 10 first and take a chance they'll pick up a good No 15 later.

"But it's fair to say not many people leave gaps for tighthead props."

It is a battle to find 10 quality tightheads - two per franchise - and they are a valued commodity, so coaches tend not to cut corners with their scrum cornerstones.

So is there consistency in what all coaches look for?

"Everyone's looking for a go-to man in the lineout; everyone wants a big ball carrying loosie; everyone wants a world class No 7; and everyone wants a very handy goalkicking, tactical first-five and fullback.

"And a couple of speedsters on the wing are pretty handy too."

So that's simple then.

Players 27 and 28 can provide the biggest posers. The choice is often, A: a local player the coach knows is good, not disruptive and won't grizzle over a likely lack of game time; or B, going into the draft to find someone possibly better, but take him out of his home environment and with the likelihood he won't get any more time on the field than the alternative.

After the dust has settled, the selection panel will look at the balance of the squads and make sure no one has slipped under the radar.

The union reviews the process each year and fine tunes as it sees fit. Feedback comes from a variety of sources, including the coaches, who, Tew said, are never less than frank if they believe the system is not working.

"I would like to think all coaches will leave thinking they've had a fair crack at the process," Tew said.

All is revealed the next day.

How it works

* The five franchise coaches and chief executives assemble in Wellington on Thursday.

* They will have worked out their 'protected' list of up to 24 players which cannot be touched by the other franchises.

* The remaining places are decided through a draft system. In the case of one player being the subject of a tug of war between two franchises, protocols are in place to make the decision.

* A New Zealand union selection panel comprising John Graham, Sir Brian Lochore, NZRFU player contracting manager Steve Lancaster and deputy chief executive Steve Tew oversee the process.

* Much of the work is done in advance of Thursday's meeting. The squads are usually finalised in a few hours and will be announced on Friday.