"I know the gap at first XV level is an issue but, with Auckland, you are comparing yourself to the elite competition of world secondary schools rugby. So many are lured across there from North Harbour by scholarships anyway. If we're doing it so wrong, why is our talent pilfered?
"The problem lies with it not being a competitive environment and Harbour's lack of secondary school boarding houses to accommodate players nationwide. However, we still had eight guys in black jerseys from Harbour this year [across the All Blacks, sevens and under-20s]."
Pierce says individual commitment needs to be addressed on the defaulting issue: "I'm not sure this is a specifically Harbour problem but there's too much me-me-me and not enough we-we-we in age grades. Saying you can't make it to the game has become a trend as an easy out.
"Club games are starting with only 19 kids in the game-day squad. Invariably a lack of fitness takes its toll and when you're not fit, you get injured because you struggle to deal with the physicality. That discourages participation."
There's acknowledgement rugby is part of a competitive entertainment market, particularly when it is not necessarily the 'biggest show in town' in the wider Auckland region as it is in other provinces.
Founding Harbour coach Peter Thorburn believes the answer to boosting the union's on-field performance lies in player development.
"Talent recognition in coaching and playing is paramount at all levels. That's where they're failing. We thrashed this out at a hui a while back with an NZRU facilitator. There were white paper sheets on the floor and the facilitators went back and picked what they wanted out of it.
"The state of disarray is so sad. I'm a life member but can't bring myself to go to the games. I take you back to the Craig Dowd-Jeff Wilson appointments as coach and assistant. The decision was built on the belief good players make good coaches. That's not necessarily right [Dowd and Wilson finished 12th and 11th out of 14 teams in their two years together].
"You've got to do your apprenticeship. There are two types of coach: technical and tactical. Technical coaches are a dime a dozen. They can tell you how to win the ball. The tactical coach knows what to do when you get it. That's much harder.
"[New coach] Steve Jackson might be all right. He played [and worked] for the union and deserves a fair go because he's been exposed to a culture of improvement [as assistant] with Counties Manukau."
A canvassing of views suggests North Harbour has sound investment at community level to foster the game but the public profile of failure comes courtesy of the ITM Cup.
Brett Hollister has been chief executive since 2006, the year the union took the Ranfurly Shield for the first and, so far, only time.
He says the shop window might not be showing positive results but off-field success can't be overlooked.
"We've had a superb year in every way other than the ITM Cup. We had a couple of new All Blacks [Francis Saili and Ben Afeaki], we're on the way to a making a profit, we're securing commercial partners for the future and have purchased a shareholding in the Blues. We're the third largest union for junior players and seventh for senior players.
"The key question is how do we ensure as many kids as possible play rugby through their teenage years? That is where the key drop-off in participation occurs."
Hollister refutes talk of amalgamation on any level, other than possible age grade pre-season tournaments: "Where would we end up if we became part of Auckland again? How exactly would we grow our rugby playing population and identity that way?"
