Discarded All Blacks winger Julian Savea has admitted a potential switch to rugby league has been something he's been thinking about for a long time.
The 27-year-old has played 54 Tests for New Zealand, but has fallen out of favour with the national side, with this year's Breakthrough Rugby Player of the Year, Rieko Ioane, the preferred option on the left.
But the man known simply as "The Bus" found form towards the end of the season, helping his Wellington side gain promotion to the premiership, which saw him included in the famous Barbarians side shortly after.
With a call-up to the All Blacks team out of reach for the time being, Savea conceded the thought of switching codes has never left him.
"It's always been in the back of my mind," Savea told Newshub.
"I haven't had any reason to leave rugby, I'd definitely think about it.
"You can't not think about it and not say no straight away, weigh up the pros and cons and what's best for my family."
Savea hasn't played for the All Blacks since the third Test against the British and Irish Lions, having missed out on selection for the Rugby Championship and the end-of-year-tour matches.
He confessed being dropped proved to be tough to deal with, but isn't something that will get the best of him going forward.
"I guess it can play a lot on your mind," Savea says.
"Especially with the confidence do you start believing you're not good enough or stay stuff it and work harder and work your butt off.
"For me it's just I like the challenges, I've had adversity before, I just can't wait to get the season started."
In what has been an up-and-down year for Savea, the high-point came in the form of his partner Fatima welcoming their first child together earlier this month.
While his playing future remains uncertain, he's more than content with where he is at the moment, with a possible big-money move to Europe even on the cards.
"Definitely, that's for sure, that's the plan, don't know when," Savea told Newshub.
"Nothing can express how happy I am, I'm enjoying life, just trying to focus on the next step.
"The All Blacks is the end goal but not a real focus at the moment."
Newshub.
