Graham Henry says the All Blacks coaches have all but picked their 35-strong squad for next month's test against Australia and the tour to Europe.

"We are just confirming our feelings really, " Henry said ahead of this weekend's last round of the Air New Zealand Cup.

Henry has said in the past that players moved in and out of the All Blacks during the playoffs - which kick off next week - but said yesterday that the three selectors were "pretty settled in our minds".

The squad will include 20 forwards and 15 backs with five props, three hookers, five locks and seven loose forwards, along with three halfbacks and two each in the other backline positions.

That means four wings, which could be good news for Wellington's Hosea Gear, while Lions fullback Cory Jane should replace Leon MacDonald, who still has concussion issues, at fullback

Five props and five locks is not surprising as the tour will be used to rebuild some of the depth that was severely undermined by the exodus of players after last year's World Cup.

"There are now more guys playing professional overseas who are New Zealanders than there are professional rugby players in New Zealand," Henry said.

The former Blues coach spent three days in Wellington this week working with the Super 14 coaches on their squads for next year and was shocked at how depleted the stocks are.

"Although you can get a side together it is not the same quality of player who will miss out who was missing out in the past.

"The production line is doing a superb job - you saw that with the under-20 side that won their World Cup, and a lot of them will be knocking on the door in a year or two."

The problem was the loss of experienced players - and often those who weren't All Blacks - and the knowledge they were then not able to pass on to the younger players coming up.

"That's a big concern. At the moment, we are holding our head above water, but with so many players leaving you have to wonder how we will be in a couple of years."

Henry was in Hamilton on Thursday night to watch Waikato play Taranaki and will be in Napier, Pukekohe and at Auckland's Eden Park during the weekend.

Assistant coaches Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen are watching Wellington play Otago in Dunedin tomorrow and Southland against Canterbury in Invercargill on Friday night.

Two of the 34 All Blacks used this year have already been scratched from the tour with prop Greg Somerville heading to England and MacDonald not expected to be considered.

Henry delivered his trademark "it's possible" line when asked if some of this year's All Blacks would get the dreaded phone call telling them they won't be making the tour.

He won't say who will get the happier phone call, but likes what he has seen in some of the older faces in the Air NZ Cup and has been impressed by some of the younger players. But he is worried about the loose forwards mix.

"For the first time we are starting to feel the pinch in the loose forwards, which is unusual in New Zealand, and with the depth at 10 and the inside backs. There are some areas where there is not the depth there used to be, which is understandable given the number of players who have gone overseas."

The squad is named on October 26.