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Former All Black flank Josh Kronfeld believes that Richie McCaw is by far the best loose forward in New Zealand, despite being impressed with a number of players in this year's Super 14.

Kronfeld was speaking to the Dominion Post about his thoughts on who the loose trio should be for the All Blacks.

"Well, you can't really go past Richie [McCaw]," he said the when asked to given his views on the contenders to be among the All Blacks loose forwards.

Kronfeld, who played 54 tests for New Zealand and works as a physiotherapist in Dunedin, likes the look of most of the loose forwards in the Super 14.

Hurricanes flank Scott Waldrom's combative approach has impressed Kronfeld, as has Blues hard man Daniel Braid.

"Everyone's offering something. Daniel Braid is going reasonably well for the Blues and I loved watching Waldrom last week. He really got amongst it," Kronfeld said.

"And [Tanerau] Latimer reminded Richie [McCaw] you need to be pushing all the time when you are playing in the big games.

"It's great when you see these other faces starting to shine, but they are not in Richie's class. He's still the best," added the All Black legend.

Kronfeld is just as convinced that Chris Masoe should not be McCaw's understudy, though he concedes the Hurricanes loose forward's ability to play all three positions helps.

"Masoe's not the answer if Richie's not there," he stated.

He is not a No.7, but with him covering all three positions he does allow the coaches to have more cover elsewhere," he added.

Kronfeld is adamant that players should earn test jerseys and that caps shouldn't be handed out without a player fully deserving it.

He agrees with former All Blacks skipper Todd Blackadder that Crusaders flank Kieran Read has been playing well, but disagrees that he should be picked ahead of Jerry Collins.

"I've liked what [Kieran] Read has been doing but maybe he needs to wait till he's really playing better than Jerry [Collins], or Jerry is injured.

"We don't need to be picking players just so we can try them out," added Kronfeld.

Like most people, Kronfeld was impressed with Sione Lauaki's performance against the Crusaders, which mirrored his tremendous game for the Chiefs against them last year.

But he also wonders why the No.8 can't reproduce that sort of form every week.

"If you could get him to play as he does against the Crusaders every week, he would be the All Blacks No.8, but Rodney [So'oialo] is just so consistent," said the former flank.

"You're better having a guy like him [So'oialo] , who plays well every week and does something really special sometimes, than a guy like Lauaki."

The same, he says, applies to the Crusaders' Mose Tuiali'i.

"He's a bit bulkier and playing a more physical game than he has before, a bit like Rodney [So'oialo]," he concluded.

But Kronfeld is not convinced that the status quo for the No.6, seven and eight All Black jerseys needs to change.