Benji Marshall faces a severe pay cut and starting on the bench, but has indicated he wants to play Super Rugby for the Blues after making a flying visit to Auckland.
Marshall is set to decide within days whether to sign for the Blues and try to become an All Black following fruitful talks with the Auckland-based franchise on Friday.
The Wests Tigers playmaker met with Blues coach Sir John Kirwan, chief executive Andy Dalton and new stakeholder Murray Bolton and later labelled Auckland his preferred home in 2014.
While Marshall flew back to prepare for Sunday's clash with Gold Coast, his manager Martin Tauber remained in New Zealand to meet with potential third-party sponsors.
He will need a host of deals to get anywhere near the $750,000 per season he would give up at the Tigers but the 28-year-old's desire to play for the All Blacks has the Blues front-runners over NSW Waratahs and Japanese clubs.
"Preferably I'd like to come here," he told New Zealand television reporters before flying out of Auckland.
"I've got to take into account all my options but the opportunity to maybe one day play for the All Blacks is a pretty big motivator for me.
"Obviously I'm pretty nervous about that but at the same time excited at the prospect of having the opportunity.
"It's looking promising ... if it all works out according to plan then hopefully I do end up playing here."
But Marshall would face a huge challenge to stake a claim for a starting jersey in the young, exciting Blues backline.
Kirwan has put faith in improving playmakers Chris Noakes and Baden Kerr at No.10 while rising All Blacks star Charles Piutau is a massive roadblock at fullback.
Piutau was the leading ball-runner in Super Rugby this season, making the most clean breaks (24) and beating most defenders (60), and has been elevated to the All Blacks squad.
A former New Zealand Under-15 representative, Marshall has not played the 15-man code since he was 16.
"I think I can play a few positions," he said. "I'd like to be in control so 10, 12 or even 15."
Tauber talked up the chances of Marshall debuting for the Blues in front of 50,000 fans at Eden Park next season.
He said part of Marshall's attraction in the Blues was learning under Kirwan and World Cup-winning mentor Graham Henry.
"He's very determined to make an enormous success out of this," Tauber said. "He's confident.
Tauber denied Marshall was motivated by the sevens game and the possibility of becoming an Olympian in Rio in 2016, and neither wanted to consider overseas options until later in his career.
Kirwan was confident Marshall would quickly adapt to rugby, and also offer something extra off the field.
"This is the Blues, this is Auckland, and we're about a little bit of razzle-dazzle as well," he told Radio New Zealand.
