Former All Black fullback Matthew Cooper believes either Israel Dagg or Ben Smith will likely follow Aaron Cruden overseas at the end of the 2017 season.
Cruden on Wednesday announced he'd signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Top 14 outfit Montpellier, with the 28-year-old coming off contract in 2017 along with Dagg and Smith. All three were players All Blacks coach Steve Hansen last year admitted the NZRU would struggle to keep.
But Cooper told Trackside Radio he feared it wasn't the end of the exodus.
"I reckon another will go, I really do," Cooper said.
"I only think they'll keep one, that's a real tough one now."
Cooper said Smith could likely command a bigger contract than Cruden which would have to tempt the All Black fullback.
"If Aaron Cruden's getting NZ$1.2 million a year, what will they be offering Ben Smith at the moment?
"In this world of professional sport, you've go to where your market value is. At the moment Ben Smith's would be pretty high… I think there could be another one going."
Despite New Zealand losing a lot of talented players and being pillaged by overseas teams, Cooper stood behind the NZRU's selection policy.
"If you want to wear that black jersey and the way they keep the players, unlike the South Africans who are all over the place and the Australians who are all over the place, if you want to wear the black jersey, you have to stay here."
Newshub.
