There is definitely truth there, I don't disagree with anything you have said, such a culture would be destructive and these are important games. But equally I come back to Nelsen as an example. Nelsen didn't play for NZ much because he didn't want to, it had little to do with Sam A and more, from what I can tell, a general disgruntlement with Ricki following the dumping of Mick Waiit. But it would have been madness to not pick Nelsen when he was willing to play. It's a case of his value to the side being greater than the negative culture that his lack of interest in playing for NZ would bring.
He did have his career to consider and it will be exactly the same for Smith. Shooting off for international friendlies for NZ doesn't help his career regardless of how important they are for the team. Smith isn't currently as important as Nelsen was so if there are other players just as good I would happily have them instead. But he is still a young guy who still seems to be improving, I think he is at a pretty similar level to Nelsen at the same stage of his career.
I don't think that allowing him to skip a year and then play again would make everyone do the same. I would like to think that playing for NZ is important enough to enough of our top players that it wouldn't happen en-mass.
I live in Christchurch, have been aware of Ryan Nelsen as a player since he was a 16 year-old at Christchurch United, have met him and chatted a few times over the years, and know people who know him.
One factor you have to consider with Ryan (and it applies to other players sometimes) is his injury woes.
A thing many don't know about is that he was born with one leg shorter than the other which places stress on various parts of the legs.
Hence he soon broke down early in the 2006-7 season and required very tricky hamstring surgery using a revolutionary technique to save his career. He only played 12 league games for Blackburn that season.
Overall Ryan missed about a third of Blackburn's league games due to injury during his time there.
Discounting his first season at Blackburn (signed in January, halfway through the season), in the six full seasons he was there 2004 - 2011, Ryan played in 156 of Blackburn's 228 league matches.
Ryan still played 49 times for the All Whites which ain't so bad.
By the time he abruptly quit playing for QPR in February 2013 his legs were totally knackered and medical advice played a part in him taking the coaching offer and QPR not objecting to him going. In the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons he had knee injuries every season.
Tommy Smith doesn't have the injury worries Ryan had, that we know of - but there can be such issues sometimes that are not generally known.
