Genuine question - what benefit is there to a young player already in a decent european league to turning out to play for the all whites?
I mean- is it genuinely career enhancing, or potentially limiting to be part of the NZ system, given some of the football played?
Teams are always eager to talk about their internationals - Ipswich love mentioning Monty P on Twitter, Sunderland probably wouldn't have got Sam B on board if he wasn't one. Even if we might scoff at caps being handed out easily, it's an adjective that carries a bit of gravitas.
It's also about honour, and pride, and about doing the hard yards so they can get the rewards of a Confeds Cup or a World Cup. You can't skip the Oceania qualifiers or the East Asian friendlies and then expect to come in for the big gigs.
Even if it's a different style of football or game plan, it's 10 days five times a year, so it's not going to compromise anyone, or limit them. Can it hinder guys when they're trying to break through? Maybe, but people get called up for international duty everywhere, and I'm not keen to let players off the hook due to the shark attitudes of their clubs.
You might also say injury risk is a reason not to and point to Harshae Raniga or Henry Cameron or Liam Graham, but that's just shark luck.