KEY POINTS:
The NZRL are considering inviting the winner of this year's Dally M medal for the game's outstanding player to assume the role of Dally Messenger for October's All Golds match.
The role had initially been accepted by Andrew Johns and then Darren Lockyer before both were beset by serious injury. Johns was forced to retire after a neck injury, while Lockyer sustained a season-ending knee injury a fortnight ago.
The search is now on for a third guest player and NZRL convenor of selectors Howie Tamati proposed the idea that the winner of this year's Dally M be invited.
"It's quite relevant that the player who wins the Dally M Award be invited to play the role of Dally Messenger because it's an award for the best player in the NRL for that year," Tamati said. "They would be credited with having the abilities of Dally M and would bring a lot of credibility to the game."
When voting for the Dally M Award went behind closed doors after round 16, Wests Tigers hooker/halfback Robbie Farah was leading the race with 28 points.
He was five ahead of Melbourne hooker Cameron Smith, who was a further point ahead of Cowboys halfback Johnathan Thurston but this might have closed up with the Tigers having lost two of their past three matches.
The Warriors' Steve Price and Wade McKinnon were in the top 10 and both are likely to have made progress up the ladder after strong performances of late.
Voting is done by a host of former rugby league greats like Laurie Daley, Matthew Johns, Warren Ryan, Bob Fulton and Wayne Pearce, as well as a collection of Daily Telegraph journalists. Smith won last year's Dally M medal ahead of Nathan Hindmarsh and Ben Kennedy.
Yesterday, Price accepted an invitation to play in the game against the Northern Union in Warrington on October 21.
"It's mind-blowing to be invited and to have a chance to be involved in something unique like this," he said. "I've been able to live and play in New Zealand for three years and now I'll have a chance to play with New Zealand players in a New Zealand team. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Price was excited about playing again under Wayne Bennett, who will coach the All Golds, and he also thought it would be a valuable experience for others in the side.
"I have the highest regard for him and it's probably going to be the only time most of the New Zealand players will experience his coaching. In just a week they'll learn a lot from him."
Price is an outside chance of assuming the prestigious Dally M role for the centenary match, although it's expected another Australian will be invited to do this.
A great deal of names have been linked with the match, including discarded All Blacks Piri Weepu and Ma'a Nonu, as well as Jonah Lomu and Carlos Spencer. Tana Umaga had also been sounded out before that.
While there is a chance one of these players could be involved, Tamati was mindful that the game needed to retain its credibility and significance.
"From a commercial point of view [having those players involved] would be pretty good and they could be approached," he said. "But my worry is that it's getting out of hand and that a game that's supposed to mark 100 years of rugby league in New Zealand is losing its significance.
"It's getting lost in the names that are being bandied about.
"If every man and his dog is getting invited to play, with all due respect to the players being linked, it can look like it's not an important game, it's a festival game. I think it's significant and recognition for the guys who went away in 1907 and brought the game of rugby league to New Zealand. We need to get control over that."
Former Kiwis Ruben Wiki, Nigel Vagana and Stacey Jones have all been invited and have indicated they are interested in playing. There remains some hope Jones will play for the Kiwis instead but that might rest on the persuasive powers of the next New Zealand coach.
The rest of the All Golds side is likely to comprise Kiwis not involved in the test against Australia on October 14 and UK-based New Zealanders.
The first players selected for the Kiwis squad are likely to be named as their NRL teams drop out of contention from the start of September.
