It was "choppy water" compared with the dissolution of the Central Vikings when the experimental merger of the Manawatu and Hawke's Bay teams brought the union to its knees eight years ago.

"It will blow over and it will be positive rather than negative," he said.

"Really it's not as big a crisis as it appears. Good systems are in place and the public can be assured things will move in the right direction."

Hurricanes chief executive Malcolm Holmes said it had "gladly and willingly" agreed to help when asked by Manawatu.

He said Manawatu was important to the Hurricanes' region. "We have a vested interest in making sure they are successful."

The Hurricanes want four strong division one provinces and acknowledged Manawatu as a past producer of young talent. Holmes wants players from Manawatu, Wellington, Taranaki and Hawke's Bay all pushing for Super 14 places.

Hurricanes operations manager Tony Bedford and player development manager Alex McKenzie have been working with Manawatu this week. A coach's name being bandied about is that of former Wellington NPC coach, Dave Rennie.

Holmes also doubles as the Wellington Rugby Union chief executive and his union as well as Auckland and Canterbury are the three at the mercy of the $2 million NPC salary cap.

But don't hold your breath waiting for surplus Wellington All Blacks to be palmed off to unions as Canterbury has done with Chris Jack to Tasman. Not this year at least, Holmes said.

"There is a lot of player movement in our region and it's a matter of being innovative, working out a way for Wellington win the Air New Zealand Cup and the Hurricanes to win the Super 14."

Wellington academy players have dispersed to Hawke's Bay and Manawatu. Those in Manawatu are second five-eighth Tama Makamaka (Oroua) and wing Siaosi Anamani (Kia Toa).

Wellington has loaned New Zealand Colts first-five Miah Nikora to Taranaki. When it was pointed out Manawatu was gravely short of depth in that position, Holmes said the arrangement had been made in March.

"For NPC coaches, they don't know how it will look until all of their players return from national duty."

* Since Manawatu announced it was running about $600,000 short of its sponsorship target in mid-May, the deficit has been halved in the month since.

* Manawatu's squad for the NPC premier division was to be named next week but after the events of last week, all names are going back in the bag.

Teams are required by the New Zealand Rugby Union to name their squads 10 days before the competition starts. The squad won't be named until a new head coach is recruited.

By RICHARD BOSSELMAN