Napier City Rovers launch their 2023 Central League campaign in Wellington on Saturday – the first of two successive games on the road. Coach Bill Robertson talked to Neil Reid about what lies ahead and a tactic he hopes will end the away-trip blues that hampered them last season.
Napier City Rovers were near-unbeatable on their hallowed home turf of Bluewater Stadium in 2022.
Their strength at home was such that the only club they lost to in Central League, National League and Chatham Cup clashes was Wellington Olympic, eventual Central League champions and beaten National League finalists.
But on the road, their dominance at Bluewater Stadium wasn’t always replicated, with the side dropping points that would have boosted their ultimate fourth-place finish in the Central League and an eighth-place finish in the National League.
Away trips weren’t helped with the need to travel by bus on game day for matches in Wellington; up to six-hour journeys leaving Napier at 7am heading to match venues.
Their form on the road was part of a 2022 season review, with coach Bill Robertson saying travel was one of the “biggest challenges” for the side. And the travel factor will hopefully be reduced this season by adopting a new policy of busing to Wellington on the eve of matches.
That includes Saturday’s season-opener against Stop Out at Hutt Park.
“Throughout the season, every second week we are in Wellington. We have left the clubrooms at 7am for a 2.30pm kick-off; we have travelled five or six hours before a game and it is not easy to do that,” Robertson said.
“We have looked at ways we can address that. We are going to look at trying to go down the day before and stay in accommodation before each game. Hopefully, it gives us better preparation going into games and helps us prepare as any top-level team should prepare for any high-level sport.”
Robertson said the move meant a “big contribution from the club financially” to cover accommodation costs on the eve of matches.
Napier City Rovers have nine away games requiring road trips in this year’s Central League; eight to Wellington and one to Whanganui. That number could rise depending on the Chatham Cup draw and if the club again qualifies for the National League.
“[Travel] has been a barrier for us,” Robertson said.
“It is hard to go to Wellington and perform to your maximum when you are sat on a bus for six hours. Teams who come here [once a season] know how difficult it is, and we have to do it every second week.
“I thought we didn’t perform particularly well away from home [in 2022]. We only lost to one team at Bluewater Stadium, which was Olympic. Other than that, we didn’t lose at all. On the road, we struggled.”
While leaving on the eve of matches would mean players won’t be stuck in a bus seat for hours on the way to games, it would require more sacrifices from squad members who either all hold down fulltime jobs or are studying.
“It is a double-edged sword,” Robertson said.
“It is a better preparation on a match-day, but at the same time lads will probably have to finish work early on a Friday and they will be away from family for another day.
“It is more commitment, more sacrifice that the players will have to make. Whenever anyone plays for Napier City Rovers, I am always in admiration of their commitment levels they need to be able to play for us and perform well given the amount of travel we have to endure through the season.”
The vast majority of Robertson’s squad from last season is back on deck for Napier City Rovers for 2023; a season that will double as the iconic club’s 50th anniversary.
One notable omission is Canadian import Leaford Allen who has since signed a full-time professional contract with Philippines Football League side Cebu FC.
Napier City Rovers’ recruitment for this year includes Englishman Deri Corfe; a former youth player with Manchester City who has spent the past few seasons playing in America and Scotland.
Solomon Islands international Iani Kalu has also signed with the club, but will miss the opening Central League match due to international duty.
Other additions set to make an impact this season include 19-year-old Alex Mort who has joined from North Wellington. Former Napier City Rovers midfielder Kenny Willox also returns to the club.
“Those players that we have added, we are hopeful we have a squad that can have a successful season,” Robertson said.
Four teams from Central League will qualify for this year’s National League.
Wellington Phoenix Reserves have a guaranteed spot; the league’s remaining qualifying places go to the other three highest-finishing clubs.
Last year’s Central League champions Wellington Olympic – who have recruited strongly in the off-season - again look like the team to beat.
Robertson said coaching changes at some clubs – including Miramar Rangers and Waterside Karori – and new additions of Stop Out and Whanganui Athletic meant there were a few “unknowns” in the lead-up to the season.
“But the league is always competitive,” he said. “Last year there were two or three teams in that middle pack fighting for that fourth or third spot.
“We are looking forward to just getting into it now, putting some performances together and getting some results early on.”
The run-in to the league hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Napier City Rovers, through no fault of their own.
Cyclone Gabrielle brought the pre-season to a shuddering halt, including the cancellation of several pre-season games.
But it was an upbeat camp going into Saturday’s opener against Stop Out.
“At the moment given what has happened, given how disruptive the pre-season has been, I think the focus has to be on that first game and making sure we perform well and seeing if we can get three points,” Robertson said.
“Then we can start looking at longer targets throughout the season as it develops.
“Obviously having achieved the National League last year, the first time back for Napier City Rovers [in two decades], the only provincial club in the country to do that, that has to be our goal again.
“I am sure the players are keen to achieve that for this club and for this region. We feel we have got a responsibility to the region, to represent Napier City Rovers but also to represent Hawke’s Bay as a region in National League football . . . as well as potentially [providing] some relief from the stresses and pressures of what has happened in the last month or so.”
The woman was shaken by the incident.