Who takes baton from the midfield maestro?

NO SOFT CENTRE: Conrad Smith has played nearly every game for the best part of three seasons.

SINCE the start of 2012, only two men have pulled on the No13 jersey for the Hurricanes.

Skipper Conrad Smith has been Mr Reliable for the franchise of late, starting in 42 of the past 44 games, although Reynold Lee-Lo did fill in twice when Smith was injured last year.

But a busted thumb will see the All Black midfield master miss the next few weeks and possibly the rest of the campaign, given the Hurricanes have only two must-win contests left in the regular season.

They're in a precarious position, sitting sixth on the ladder, but a bye in the final round won't help their cause. Their final two outings are against the Crusaders in Wellington on Saturday and the Chiefs in Hamilton next week.

Former Crusader Tim Bateman is one of three candidates to step into the centre void, alongside explosive utility Alapati Leiua and the seldom-seen Hadleigh Parkes.

If Bateman was to get the nod, he would have some pace and power outside him with All Blacks wings Julian Savea and Cory Jane likely to play on the flanks for the Hurricanes this weekend.

Savea is in particularly hot form, coming off a hat-trick against England during the All Blacks' 36-13 win in Hamilton on Saturday.

"He's really professional in what he does," Bateman said of Savea. "He nails detail really well and, at the same time, he's just an absolute weapon. He's just destroying guys all the time."

Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett said his international players - bar Smith - had come through the June window unscathed and hooker Dane Coles even reported for a lineout session yesterday.

The others were expected back with the Canes today or tomorrow as they turn their attention to the Crusaders, although Hammett was cagey about naming his replacement captain in Smith's absence: "I just don't want to announce it yet, to be quite honest."

There's all types of congestion on the Super Rugby points table but Hammett remained confident his team had their play-off fate in their own hands.

"If we win the next two, it's pretty likely that we'd go through," he said.

Meanwhile, second-string hooker Motu Matu'u will play on for Wellington in this year's ITM Cup competition after signing a new one-year contract.

With Coles likely to be away with the All Blacks, the competition will provide a good platform for the tough-tackling Matu'u to get on the field regularly.

The 27-year-old said last year's 29-13 loss to Canterbury in the final still stung and he wanted to give coach Chris Boyd the perfect departure before he took the reins at the Canes.

- APNZ