"They spoke about developing a competitive attitude. They emphasised the need to know who we are and the need to put the past behind us so we can put energy into the now. They stressed the need to look for opportunities for leverage and opportunities to reach our greater potential," Marsh recalled.
A multiple national-title winning touch coach, Marsh, fits his winter and summer coaching commitments around his fulltime counselling job with Awhina Whanau Services in Hastings.
"I'm lucky Lauren is the well organised one in our household. I'm just like one of the older kids so big ups to her," he said referring to his wife who managed the Outkast Optimise Physio team which won Hawke's Bay's Super 6 Premier Netball League title last year.
Marsh pointed out he almost took his family away from rugby following the career-ending neck injury collected by his brother-in-law and one of Tamatea's favourite sons, Nui Bartlett, in 2006. Had he done that two of his sons, Hawks basketballer Mataeus and fellow midfielder Hunta, would not have gone on to play for the Hastings Boys' High School 1st XV or the Tamatea prems.
Mataeus will be available for the Waipatu Marae-based team when the Hawks season ends in June which will be timely as Hunta starts his navy career in July.
"We lose the big one and get the noisy one or the organiser to use the polite term," Marsh quipped.
His 2017 squad includes at least 10 Hastings Boys' High School products, five from the last three seasons.
"It's good to have kids coming in from that good Hastings Boys 1st XV culture. They know what effort can bring you."
Marsh agreed the transfer of Magpies prop Mason Kean to Tamatea from the MAC club was a huge coup.
"Mason works more than he talks and that's how I remember him from my time with Hastings Boys. I remember as a young man he used to be a grunter more than a talker but now he is willing to share all the knowledge he has picked up. He doesn't walk around like he is a Magpie and that suits us down to a tee."
Marsh pointed out Kean could be joined by Tamatea backs Ash Robinson-Bartlett, Jimi Harris, Jordarn Harmer and Hunta Marsh in Magpies colours in the future.
"We've got a lot of backs who have been kept a secret for a while. Jimi [Harris] has a boot like Donovan Nepia's and this year he is shining because he only has to focus on his job and not try and do the work of two or three players."
Marsh accepted that results wise his troops have exceeded expectations this season.
"Our main focus in this first year was to get our culture right. We want to see our players turning up to games in their No 1s. At the end of the Nash round we'll let the boys set their goals for the Maddison Trophy round. It's important the boys set them and I facilitate ways of helping them achieve those goals. It's important we keep things grounded and we keep our goals realistic."
"If people are to take us seriously we have to take ourselves seriously," Marsh said.
He pointed out Tamatea teams in recent seasons had lost their identity.
"We tried to be like Napier Old Boys Marist or Hastings Rugby and Sports and became a poor Hastings or a poor NOBM."
"Nobody can be as good as who we are wanting to be," Marsh stressed.
He added it was good to be back at their home ground today.
"We've heard Tech have got a hot pack. We've got a hot backline so we will see how it goes."
Expect Tamatea's clash with the Texans to be a thriller. The visitors should travel home with a nine-point victory.
K9 Petfoods Clive will miss the services of workaholic loosie James Tango when they host MAC at Farndon Park but should still win by at least seven. Tango received a six-week suspension for punching during last weekend's loss to Tech.
Carters Frame and Truss Taradale will be without captain and key loosie Andrew Gardner when they take on Ansin & Monteith Hastings Rugby and Sports at Elwood Park. Gardner received a three-week suspension for an illegal tackle in his team's round one victory against Tech and in his absence his team could be on the receiving end of a three-point loss.
Defending champions Napier Old Boys Marist should maintain their unbeaten run with a six-point victory against Progressive Meats Havelock North at Park Island and Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports have the potential to beat Northfuels Central by nine at Tamatea Park.
