SECRET ROUTINE: Ma'a Nonu says Yoga is an important part of his fitness regime.

In a development not far removed from the Sonny Bill Williams saga, Ma'a Nonu may yet be thrown a Super Rugby lifeline.

The Blues franchise have confirmed they are looking at the unwanted All Black with a view to signing him for the 2014 season.

A spokesman for the Blues said "we are looking at him as an option" but added there was nothing "concrete" to report at this stage.

None of the Blues coaches were available for comment but it's interesting that the Blues have suddenly emerged as a contender to sign the outstanding All Black after it had looked likely he would be forced to play his rugby offshore in 2014.

Nonu has played for three franchises over the past three seasons, each punctuated with controversy. He left the Hurricanes after 2011 when he fell out with coach Mark Hammett, and played a less than spectacular season with the Blues in 2012 before backtracking on a "handshake" agreement with new coach John Kirwan to join the Highlanders for 2013.

Now he appears to have also fallen out with Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph, with no interest from either Nonu or the franchise on a return there for next season.

With neither the Chiefs nor Crusaders expressing a desire to sign Nonu, and both Kirwan and Hammett highly reluctant to have him back, an impasse had been created.

Nonu hasn't spoken to the media throughout another standout Rugby Championship campaign, with management only saying he had "nothing to say".

That led to speculation he would head to France next year, with the possibility of returning after that to continue with the All Blacks.

But that would have required a massive backtrack from the New Zealand Rugby Union on its policy of not picking All Blacks plying their trade offshore.

Nonu has told coach Steve Hansen he wants to play for the All Blacks at the next World Cup.

Yesterday the saga took a twist when it was confirmed Williams would not return to New Zealand rugby in 2014, as had been widely expected. The Chiefs had been strongly tipped to lure Williams back as he looked to re-establish himself in rugby ahead of the 2015 World Cup.

But Williams has decided to stay at least another year in league, which leaves the All Blacks somewhere between a rock and a hard place should they allow Nonu to head offshore. In a flash they could be left with Francis Saili and Ryan Crotty as their No 12 options.

Hansen has made no secret of his disquiet over the situation and yesterday he told LiveSport that Nonu had two options if he could not secure a Super Rugby deal.

"He plays club rugby and we try to pick him from there if he's playing well enough; or he goes offshore where we can't pick him from," said Hansen.

Whether the NZRU has leaned on the Blues, or Kirwan has decided he can use the blockbusting midfielder after all, the interest in Nonu is timely.

Meanwhile, Hansen has confirmed he will bring Cory Jane into his squad for the Bledisloe Cup test in Dunedin next Saturday, with Ben Smith being moved in to fill the void left by Conrad Smith's sabbatical.

Hansen said Aaron Cruden was expected to be available after twisting his knee in the Ellis Park classic last weekend, though it wasn't clear whether Dan Carter would be cleared after his shoulder problems.

Prop Owen Franks is definitely out for the test where the All Blacks will look to complete a three-test sweep of the Wallabies for 2013.

The 36-man squad to tour north will be named next Sunday after availabilities have been assessed following the Dunedin test.