Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster is hedging his bets on where he will play NZ Kiwis star Joseph Manu, when the pair hook up at Japanese rugby club Toyota Verblitz later this year.
On the same day, two of New Zealand sport's biggest names have announced their intention to join the glamour League One outfit, under the management of another former All Blacks mastermind - Sir Steve Hansen.
For Foster, the coaching appointment is his first since guiding the national side to the Rugby World Cup final and a one-point defeat to South Africa in France last year. Manu has previously signalled his interest in a code switch, when his Sydney Roosters contract ends this NRL season.
Foster has told Sydney's SEN radio that Hansen has been a longtime fan of Manu and did most of the hard work recruiting him over to the 15-man game, but adapting his league skills would take time, and some degree of trial and error.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I've been through this with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck the last few years in the All Blacks.
"You've got a real quality athlete, but... we'll have conversations with him through the pre-season. At this stage, he's really a wing/fullback.
"In rugby, I'd love to see him at centre down the track, with his build, and the way he loves to get his hands on the ball and run at people. Sometimes, with No.15 in rugby, you really have to get involved in a lot more kicking and first-receiver type plays than he's used to.
"We've got to take it a step at a time, but the reality is he's a great athlete and you see what he does for the Roosters. We're looking forward to trying to tap into that and utilise him where he fits, certainly outside backs at this stage."
Tuivasa-Sheck switched from playing fullback in league to a midfield role in rugby, but never quite nailed the transition enough to consolidate a fulltime spot with the All Blacks, before returning to play centre for the NZ Warriors this season.
The other prominent example of a league-rugby switch is Sonny Bill Williams, who played second row in the NRL, but won two Rugby World Cups as a wing/centre.
In the Japan League One, teams can stack their rosters with overseas players, but can only field three at the same time, which will give Manu some leeway to learn the game in the early stages.
Foster explains that Manu cannot expect to walk into the All Blacks programme under current rules, which require players to be contracted to NZ Rugby and play domestically - with a few exceptions.
Veteran stars Sam Cane, Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett are currently on approved sabbaticals in Japan, retaining their selection eligibiltiy for the national team.
New All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is also urging NZ Rugby to modify its rules to allow the selection of offshore players under his tenure - but Manu would still need to show he can make the switch to the required standard.
"[Hansen] has been really impressed with Joey's attitude and how he wants to learn, and particularly his athleticism and his age," said Foster. "He's got plenty of time to go back and learn, but it takes a bit of courage to change, when you're a star in a sport.
"Sometimes the courage to do it speaks volumes for how that player will behave, when he gets his chance. We're banking on the athleticism and the man himself.
"We look at his role at [fullback] in league and we can play around with that pretty easily, we think."
