Southland coaches safe, says boss

1.00pm

Rugby Southland boss Roger Clark has thrown his support behind coaches Phil Young and Murray Brown despite a hugely disappointing division one NPC campaign.

The Stags won just one of their nine NPC games to finish ninth and second-last in the competition, with last Saturday's 0-30 thrashing from Wellington completing a frustrating campaign.

Head coach Young is contracted until the end of the 2005 season, while assistant and backs specialist Brown has always been signed on a year-by-year basis because of his demanding work commitments.

Clark virtually rubber-stamped the duo's retention yesterday.

"They're both very good coaches," Clark said.

"We're not pleased with where we finished on the table, and you can't be but I'm pleased with our season when you take into account all the planning that went on and the players we intended to start the season with."

Young has completed his third season in charge and has been working with Brown since midway through the 2002 campaign when Mark Seymour was replaced as backs coach.

Clark indicated retaining Brown was also important.

"We haven't had an official discussion with him but obviously we want to keep him on," Clark said.

"Phil wants him to be involved but it will depend on his (Brown's) family and his work commitments and we'll talk about them later on."

Clark said everyone at Rugby Southland was disappointed with the team's final placing, especially after the highs of 2003 when it finished sixth.

He said the focus now was player retention and recruitment.

"Everyone we have tried to sign so far (from this season's squad) has either given us a verbal okay, or we've already got their signature," Clark said.

"There's a couple waiting for Super 12 selection, like Hale (T-Pole), Ryan Glover and Richard Apanui."

If Glover, Apanui and T-Pole, a Highlanders player this year, fail to gain Super 12 contracts for next year then they may leave Southland and play overseas.

Clark also indicated the Stags were keen to retain French-based Australian import Craig McMullen, who eventually showed his worth at first five-eighth.

Rugby Southland will head to the transfer market, hoping to snare a winger and a fullback.

Clark added that signing quality players was difficult because most unions, especially the Super 12-based teams, had numerous players below their NPC teams already locked away in contracts.

Wellington were even able to field Super 12 players winger Roy Kinikinilau, loose forward Thomas Waldrom and lock Ross Filipo in their B team against the Southland Development team on Saturday.

- NZPA


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