New Zealand’s only provincial-based club to challenge for national football league honours over the past two seasons has returned to the footy pitch for 2024. Neil Reid checks in with Napier City Rovers
Napier City Rovers have returned to the pitch ahead of football’s 2024 Central League.
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The side was third-place finishers in last year’s Central League, in the process again becoming the only provincial-based club to qualify for the National League where they finished ninth in the 10-team competition.
Tuesday marked their return to the training pitch, a session in sweltering heat at Park Island which included seven of Robertson’s 11 recruits for the season.
As well as moulding the new-look squad in, the Central League and Chatham Cup-winning coach said laying the foundations for a winning and healthy culture was also paramount over the next eight weeks.
“The biggest thing taking into the season is a winning mentality,” Robertson said.
“Ultimately, winning is what we’re here to do. We’re in the business of winning games of football.
“And we expect certain things of Napier City Rovers players; high standards and professionalism. We want good people here.
“That’s ultimately what we’ve done in our recruitment as well. We’ve made sure we’ve brought in good people who are also good players.”
The playing roster would have a key part to play in setting out what was expected of Napier City Rovers on and off the field in 2024.
The side launch their Central League campaign with a March 31 clash against deserved National League champions Wellington Olympic at Bluewater Stadium.
“We want the players to probably lead the culture and drive the culture,” Robertson said.
“We’ll do some goal setting during preseason, and again, we want the players to set their own goals and buy into that.”
The majority of the 2023 Central and National League squad is back for Napier City Rovers in 2024.
A handful of players have accepted offers elsewhere; New Zealand Under-20 goalkeeper Oscar Mason has moved to Western Springs, back-to-back MVP Ta Eh Doe has gone to Christchurch United, rookie Harry Huxford to the Wellington Phoenix Reserves, 2023 top-scorer Deri Corfe has signed with Melbourne’s Dandenong Thunder, while Canadian Stefan Karajovanovic has also not returned.
Robertson will also be without the services of outstanding attacking weapon Christian Leopard who suffered a severe knee injury in the National League.
The former New Zealand Under-20 cricket international has undergone a knee reconstruction, with the injury forcing him out of playing for Central Districts in the recent domestic Twenty20 competition, as well as the 2024 football season.
Doe has been headhunted by Christchurch United’s new coach, Ryan Edwards. The club is owned by Russian multi-millionaire Slava Meyn.
Corfe – a former Manchester City academy member – proved to be a goal-scoring sensation and was well-liked by fans last year at Napier City Rovers but has decided to try and progress his career across the Tasman.
The number of new signings will increase the depth Robertson can call upon throughout the season compared to last season.
Depth was sorely tested in the middle to latter stages of Rovers’ 2023 National League campaign.
Numerous unavailabilities - including via injury, suspension and also the impressive Karajovanovic’s forced return to Canada due to study commitments - forced Robertson to try to plug gaps with inexperienced teens at times against top-quality opposition.
“We’re looking forward to all of our new signings arriving, bedding them into the area and getting the football going,” Robertson said.
Those recruits include former Napier City Rover Stephen Hoyle – a two-time Central League winner with the club in 2012 and 2015 – who has returned as both a player and an assistant to Robertson.
The older brother of captain Jim Hoyle, he returns after a lengthy stint at Auckland club Eastern Suburbs.
Robertson and his fellow off-field staff haven’t had much time for a football-free rest since the end of the 2023 season in November.
Discussion about this year, and the potential shape of the squad, had even begun before the end of last year’s National League.
“The planning started while we were still playing National League football last year,” Robertson said.
“We were thinking about how we can be efficient and give ourselves the best head start on the following year.
“The planning has been ongoing throughout [the off-season], I’ve had a little bit of a break but not much of one, and we’re looking forward to getting the season going.
“A few players have moved on. And we’ll see a few new faces come to the club as well.
“It’s been a busy period sorting all that out. I’m ensuring the players that are coming are set up with employment or anything else they need after relocating here.”
We have loved having you wear the blue (green) of NCR. We wish you all the best in your next chapter Oscar, but know you are always part of the rovers family. 🧤 💙 https://t.co/s7PBgG9KT6
— ⚽️ Thirsty Whale 🐳 Napier City Rovers (@NCR_fc) January 9, 2024
The focus is very clear even in the opening week of an eight-week pre-season campaign; secure qualification for the National League for a third successive season.
The past two years have seen eighth and ninth-place finishes in the National League, something the club is keen to build on.
Four Central League teams will qualify for the National League later this year. The Wellington Phoenix Reserves are guaranteed a spot as part of their participation deal; the other places go to the league’s three-highest finishers.
“I’m proud of the players last year, qualifying for National League is not an easy task. We were the only regional club to once again qualify,” Robertson said.
“We face challenges, but we use that as fuel and motivation. We represented the Hawke’s Bay region with National League football again.
“The challenge for us now moving forward is to continue to do that consistently as we’ve done the last two years. We want to see if can once get into the National League, maybe pick up a few more points and, really start to challenge for some major honours.”
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.