Wynne Gray: Blulanders settling in after hopping sides

Northland's Dan Pryor was part of the Blues wider training squad in 2012 but is now with the Highlanders. Photo / John Stone

Who got the better player deal, the Blues or Highlanders?

We're talking about the investment and harvest they have got from the same players which highlight rugby's selection and coaching vagaries.

Those comparisons have come into greater focus as the Highlanders prepare to host the Blues on Saturday, with the tournament ramping up for the second half of the series.

The Blues roster has Jimmy Cowan, Josh Bekhuis and Tony Woodcock who have also played for the Highlanders, while the southerners have Waisake Naholo, Malakai Fekitoa, Aaron Smith, Ash Dixon and Dan Pryor who were involved with the Blues.

On the evidence of results, the Highlanders hit the jackpot. They are in fifth place in the slog towards the playoffs and third in the New Zealand section with five wins and two defeats. The Blues have won one of eight matches and are chasing everyone except the Force and Reds.

Each of the Blulanders has been a solid contributor to their sides this season, which suggests they have used their greater experience to blend into the patterns of their alternate team.

Smith was part of the Blues' wider training group in 2010 but leapt at a fulltime gig with the Highlanders, Pryor was called in to help in 2012 and Dixon had a moderate 2011 season before being picked up by the Hurricanes for two seasons and then jettisoned.

Naholo played twice for the Blues in 2013 and then went into the wilderness before being picked up this year, while Fekitoa did not play a match in 2013 and by his own admission brooded through the year. He was squeezed out for the next campaign and headed south with a new attitude and All Black skills-in-waiting. Tony Woodcock went the same way - south, that is - of his own volition for the 2013 season but then returned to his more familiar farm and Blues rugby surroundings.

Bekhuis and Cowan came north this season - the lock getting a not wanted note after 82 games for the Highlanders and the halfback returning to New Zealand after playing overseas for the past three seasons.

This campaign, all eight franchise hoppers have made an impact for their teams with Naholo's speed and skill on the wing adding some breadth to the Highlanders' patterns.

Smith and Fekitoa have carried their class while Dixon and Pryor have added another valuable layer of reliability which has been so invaluable to coach Jamie Joseph and the Highlanders in sustaining their run.

In a Blues side straining to find some rhythm, Woodcock has been steady and Bekhuis has brought set-piece consistency in a reliable pack, while Cowan has offered halfback knowledge and a big heart to mentor his deputies. Overall the player swaps have been a win-win for the Blues and Highlanders with that target now on every player's back on Saturday night.