It’s not black and white for Otere
OPINION: The rumour mill continues to churn regarding where Otere Black will play his Super Rugby in 2018.
But the whispers are getting louder that the Blues are the frontrunners.
The Manawatu 21-year-old, who turns 22 tomorrow, has plenty of options of who to play for with the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Blues all believed to be interested in his services.
He has now played 15 games for the Hurricanes in his third season with the franchise.
But with Beauden Barrett forming a significant road-block to regular starting rugby, the pressure to look elsewhere is increasing.
Staying at the Hurricanes would not be the worst option. He gets to work daily with one of the world’s best first five-eighths, is close to home and is part of team with a winning culture.
While it would likely lock in a career of wearing the No 22 jersey, it is not impossible to crack the All Blacks while being a backup - just look at Colin Slade and Tom Taylor at the Crusaders.
But staying with the Hurricanes would require patience and more game time than what he is getting - take away his 80 minutes against the Sunwolves in the Hurricanes’ season-opener and Black is averaging 13 minutes a match this season.
A move to the Chiefs would be a sideways step with Damian Mckenzie likely to get the first crack at the No 10 jersey.
So if he wants a chance for regular starting rugby, the Blues are the only option.
That move would require Black to gamble on himself.
The franchise itself has hardly been a prime example of a place to further your career.
And the side has been even tougher for first five-eighths.
The Blues have rolled 19 players out in the No 10 jersey since Carlos Spencer left in 2005 (Tasesa Lavea, Isa Nacewa, Luke Mcalister, David Holwell, Nick Evans, Isaia Toeava, Jimmy Gopperth, Stephen Brett, Michael Hobbs, Gareth Anscombe, Piri Weepu, Baden Kerr, Chris Noakes, Simon Hickey, Ihaia West, Dan Bowden, Matt Mcghan, Piers Francis and Bryn Gatland).
You can add Dan Kirkpatrick, Orene Ai’i, Marty Mckenzie and Lachie Munro to that list as players who have played for the franchise at first five-eighth off the bench along with regular halfback Billy Guyton, who took over first five duties in the dying minutes of their win over the Brumbies.
There are four All Blacks on that list but only one, Mcalister, who wore the All Blacks’ No 10 jersey while being associated with the franchise - Weepu and Toeava made the All Blacks in other positions, while Evans’ announcement that he was heading to England in 2008 meant he did not play for the All Blacks after moving to the Blues.
Playing No 10 for the Blues has not exactly been a recipe for success, but that does not mean it will always be the case.
To make the move Black will need to be confident in himself.
The Blues’ backline has an intriguing level of talent featuring four All Blacks (Augstine Pulu, Sonny Bill Williams, George Moala and Reiko Ioane) along with the likes of potential All Blacks Matt Duffy and Melani Nanai.
If Black does move to the Blues, the key to his success will be how the coaching staff plan around him. Black’s accurate boot and excellent vision makes him a great conductor of a backline.
It would be a mistake to expect him to play like Spencer.
He is not the Barrett-styled first five-eighth who features on every highlight reel. Instead Black is the man who puts others in the position to make big plays.
Where Black decides to play next will set the tone for the prime of his career.
If he desires game time, expect him to wave farewell to the Hurricanes.