Wynne Gray: Nonu ageing free spirit

When Ma'a Nonu was in the right space, his work ethic around squads was gold.

Few have the experience Ma'a Nonu has gathered throughout his global rugby career. For almost half his 36 years, that talent has taken him to the limelight for clubs, provinces and the All Blacks and into similar inspection away from the park.

The teenage tearaway wound his way through many of rugby's pathways until he became an essential piece of the All Blacks machine as he collected 103 caps and two World Cup winners' medals.

Nonu's game broadened as he used his distribution and kicking skills to outflank defenders alongside his ability to get through the line, soak up poor possession, defend strongly and rifle for turnovers.

If Bill Osborne, Warwick Taylor and Walter Little kept lifting the levels at second five-eighths, Nonu gave them another bunt.

Coaches who kept a tight-loose rein on Nonu got the best out of a man who could mix aloof, bolshie and personable in the same few minutes. Guessing which trait would appear was the unknown interest in any conversation with him away from the mundane group chat.

He could play and also play up, and for coaches looking to their senior men to set examples for the younger squad members, Nonu was a work in progress. If he was in the right space, his work ethic around squads was gold but he could also create issues if he was edgy.

Overseas clubs were wowed by his appeal in Japan, then at Toulon for the last three seasons before he cut his shift short. There is mounting conjecture Nonu is in the frame for another Super Rugby deal as coaches look to replace midfield players who are taking up lucrative pre-World Cup deals.

He has strong links with Colin Cooper who brought him into his Hurricanes squad in 2003 alongside Tana Umaga and those men who are now at the helm of the Chiefs and Blues are touted as the most likely to sign Nonu if he wants work.

He has had two stints at the Blues and while the second for John Kirwan was stronger than his season for Pat Lam, neither delivered the benefit the franchise needed. The Blues want to advance with the next generation of talent from the region and signing a skilled but ageing free spirit does not look like the recipe for that progress.

Besides, Sonny Bill Williams is staying and he and Umaga should be working with the upcoming next crew.

The Chiefs have more needs in their midfield, with Charlie Ngatai, Jonny Fa'auli and Tim Nanai-Williams heading offshore, and Cooper has enormous experience on how to coach and handle Nonu and whether he is the right fit for the 2019 scene.

In the years since Nonu left, Super Rugby has become even quicker, with more demands on players' powers to sustain their standards.

Most handle the regular physical burdens but find their mental intensity wavers in a long season, and any side signing Nonu will have to be certain that balance is in their favour.