West's omission when Super Rugby squads were announced late last year had raised a few eyebrows after the youngster had put on a sterling performance for the Craig Philpott and Danny Lee-coached Magpies in the ITM Cup last winter.
The Magpies lost in the lower-tier Championship final to the Tasman Makos to be denied promotion to the Premiership competition next winter but they had capped off their season a few rounds earlier by etching their name on the Ranfurly Shield after a 44-year drought before gut-wrenchingly losing it at McLean Park, Napier, to Counties-Manukau six days later.
"There's no 10s so I've been running as 10 with Hosso [Andrew Horrell]," West said of his fellow Magpie backline who plays for Taradale Rugby Club.
West said the situation in the Chiefs squad became further complicated because All Black first five-eighth Aaron Cruden, from the Manawatu Turbos, was on his honeymoon after marrying longtime girlfriend Grace King, who he met at 18.
West was relishing his time with the Chiefs and thriving in the culture under Rennie and former Magpies co-coach Coventry.
"It's pretty good to learn things from them. I'm also training with the boys so it's pretty cool and I'm enjoying it," the Maori All Black said.
The days were long and hard - from 8am to 4.30pm - but equally rewarding.
His parents, Shona and Simon West, are thrilled with his involvement. He has met ex-Magpie Ben Tameifuna and "other familiar faces" but the prop hadn't talked him into entering a Fight for Life boxing ring just yet.
West said if he hadn't been training he would probably have been curling up on a sofa at their Bay home.
