Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Editorial: Cosseting doesn't help Guildford

By Mark Story
Hawkes Bay Today·
29 Jun, 2016 03:30 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Zac Guildford.

Zac Guildford.

Zac Guildford sells newspapers.

Whether he likes it or not the boyish looks and vagaries of form and conduct pique readers' interest like little else.

In a TV interview last year he seemed bemused that every time his name was used by media it was prefaced with the word "troubled". Troubled Zac, troubled former All Black, troubled former Magpie.

Sure the word's overused, but he didn't dispute its appropriateness.

As of this week, he's a troubled former NSW Waratah.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The star wing's taken an early cut from the Waratahs for "wellbeing reasons". Credit has to go to the Sydney franchise - and the long list before them - for standing by the man.

Thing is, one wonders whether such cosseting of the nomadic winger has only compounded his personal struggles. Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson intimated as much yesterday when he admitted his camp "probably cared for him on a personal level too much".

As, from where I'm sitting, Guildford continues to fail to see the difference between intent and action; too much of the former, not enough of the latter.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He's a good kid, and a likeable kid. All of us want him to play great rugby again, all of us want to see him sober.

The question therefore is, if footy with the Waratahs has been flagged in favour of "wellbeing", then surely it's time to flag footy. The public theatre of Guildford's livelihood has become a burden that precludes recovery.

Now he's off to play for the Tasman Makos - the land of hops and sauvignon.

Each new contract is a spark to a waiting fuse. Here's hoping the previous unions' mollycoddling stops, as it's time for the so far incorrigible Guildford to right himself, himself.

Discover more

Editorial: One brand for region a winner

25 Jun 02:00 AM

Editorial: Why you should vote - or stand

27 Jun 06:30 AM

Editorial: Role for all in keeping kids safe

28 Jun 05:00 AM

Editorial: Obscurity to world stage a huge buzz

30 Jun 05:30 AM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Take a punt on the line-up: Popular music festival selling early tickets for $60

Hawkes Bay Today

'Economic incentive to burn': Fine for smoky winter burnoff criticised

Hawkes Bay Today

652 people apply to be on NZ city's first citizens' assembly


Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Take a punt on the line-up: Popular music festival selling early tickets for $60
Hawkes Bay Today

Take a punt on the line-up: Popular music festival selling early tickets for $60

Outfield's co-founders don't want financial barriers to get in the way of festival fun.

12 Aug 03:47 AM
'Economic incentive to burn': Fine for smoky winter burnoff criticised
Hawkes Bay Today

'Economic incentive to burn': Fine for smoky winter burnoff criticised

12 Aug 03:00 AM
652 people apply to be on NZ city's first citizens' assembly
Hawkes Bay Today

652 people apply to be on NZ city's first citizens' assembly

12 Aug 12:18 AM


Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet
Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

10 Aug 09:12 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP