Sky Super Rugby Transtasman: Blues won't be chasing All Black Jordie Barrett to head north
Hurricanes Jordie Barrett and Ardie Savea. Photosport
There will be just one Barrett at the Blues next season.
All Blacks utility back Jordie Barrett's current New Zealand contract allows him to switch Super Rugby franchises from the Hurricanes, for the second year of the deal – the 2022 campaign.
That's led to speculation, and for some Blues fans, hope, that he'd join the side, who big brother Beauden plays for.
Jordie last August committed to the Hurricanes until the end of this season but not before a trip to Auckland, where the Blues hierarchy attempted to woo him for a second time.
On the eve of their first Super Rugby final since 2003, Blues CEO Andrew Hore has dismissed a third attempt to get Jordie.
"We'll leave that one," Hore told the Herald when quizzed if they'll be approaching Barrett.
"We've tried and tested with Jordie before. But Zarn [Sullivan] has come good for us. So it's a matter of next year we've got, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck [Warriors captain who will switch codes next year], Beaudy, and we've got a couple of these older boys standing up around them now, and then we'll go from there.
"We've really got to focus on keeping what we've got and building some real depth. Leon [coach Macdonald] has made a great start to that, encouraging some young boys to join us. Look at guys like young Sam Darry, who unfortunately has a concussion to finish the season, but getting those kids coming through and then working on what comes after that."
Jordie Barrett has spent his entire Super Rugby career with the Hurricanes, amassing more than 50 caps, though the timing of Beauden's return to New Zealand, raised eyebrows about whether he'd head north.
Beauden joined the embattled franchise last year on a four-year contract, which included a one-year sabbatical clause.
He undertook that in 2021 with Japanese Top League side Suntory, where the team reached the final, before losing to the Panasonic Wild Knights.
If Jordie wanted family company though, he wouldn't have to look far. Brother Scott's with the Crusaders, who are coached by the same man who handed the former his NPC debut with Canterbury, Scott Robertson.