Mediaboss Marketing

MARC HINTON

OPINION: It's to be hoped that Jerome Kaino departs New Zealand rugby for his two-year deal in Japan with cheers and not jeers ringing in his ears.

If ever a departing rugby star deserved a kind word and fond farewell it's Kaino who's been a fabulous servant for the New Zealand game and deserves his chance to provide a bit of financial security for his family.

No one -- with the possible exception of Richie McCaw -- has put his body on the line for the cause to the extent of this likeable 28-year-old.

He played all but one minute of last year's World Cup, and was the All Blacks' most consistent performer throughout the tournament. For that alone he has earned his pension in Japan where the workload, demands and attrition will be a fraction of what he faces in New Zealand.

This, I'm told, was a deal that Kaino could simply not turn down.

There's talk it could have been around the $2 million mark and it's a sad reality that the cash-strapped NZRU, who have committed so much coin to retaining Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and for the time-being Sonny Bill Williams, have no hope of going close to matching that sort of deal.

In fact there are some whispers around the traps that the new contract offered by the New Zealand Rugby Union was not that flash. One well-placed observer reckoned Kaino may have even been offered less money than he was on previously to stay on.

Whatever, the decision was a no-brainer for Kaino.

For starters yet another major shoulder injury must raise concerns about the loose forward's ability to survive the demands of the modern professional game in New Zealand.

View post:
Kaino deserves nothing but praise for decision