League: National competition kicks off with new seven zone format

Ken McIntosh, coach of the Auckland team. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Here we go again. The latest incarnation of a national league competition kicks off this weekend.

The Albert Baskerville Trophy will be contested by teams from the seven zones established after a Sparc-ordered review of league.

The Northern Swords (Northland), Auckland, Counties-Manukau, Waicoa Bay Stallions (Upper Central North Island), Heartland (Mid-Central), Wellington Orcas and South Island are the combatants. In tomorrow's opening games, the South Island play Heartland in Christchurch, and Wellington are at home to Waicoa Bay. The Auckland-Counties Manukau clash is postponed because of club finals day.

Auckland coach Ken McIntosh, from the champion Northcote Tigers and North Harbour sides of the early 1990s, sizes up the new competition.

McIntosh, 40, who lives in Glenfield and owns a concreting business, also peeps back at his playing career, which included a spell with Penrith.

What can we expect from this competition?
The Lion Red and Bartercard Cups have come and gone and this one will have to feel its way. It's great to have representative football back to give the players something to aspire to. We've had good crowds at Northcote so I'm hopeful this will get a bit of a following.

An Auckland team without Otahuhu? The city has been split by the zonal system - what do you think of that?
I won't comment on that one.

How hard was it to put your Auckland squad together?
Tough. I looked through all three divisions ... luckily a lot of DVDs were around. We haven't had a full training yet because of club commitments.

Stacey Jones, Awen Guttenbeil, Monty Betham and Wairangi Koopu play for Pt Chevalier ... were you tempted to call on them?
I did ring Stacey to see if he would play for Tigers, but he said 'no'.

From your experience as the Northcote coach, how would you rate the relationship between the domestic game and the Warriors?
They've got their scouts out there - I see a couple around Northcote. The other NRL teams have got scouts here as well and we lose a lot of players overseas, which is disappointing sometimes. But the Warriors are only one club and they can't take everybody. We've now got the Vulcans (Warriors reserves) which is another good link.

Your coaching education included a Prime Minister's scholarship to the Brisbane Broncos. How was that?
I spent three days there in 2006, which was very interesting, although Wayne Bennett was very busy at the time. I remember standing outside his office and he was on the phone, talking money. I though "oh oh, it's salary cap time ..."

You had a couple of first-grade games for Penrith including via the interchange against the Warriors at Mt Smart in 1995 ... any particular memories?
The Warriors had big Hitro Okesene playing for them.

Sounds as if you ran into him ...
He ran into me.

Do you regret your Penrith career not being more substantial?
I was young and I could have made more of the opportunity but it was a wonderful experience. I went to Wentworthville in the Sydney Metropolitan Cup and we won two titles, which was great.

Your favourite league memory?
Winning the Auckland Fox Memorial.

Who was the finest player you played with or against?
I played alongside Gary Freeman at Penrith and he would be right up there - Gary had an aura. Stu Galbraith at Northcote ...

Who were your heroes?
Peter Sterling and Wally Lewis.