Storm in the Harbour

Having called for Allan Pollock to be axed in September, a dissident core of North Harbour players may have pushed for regime change by filing damning appraisals of the head coach.

Harbour's board have invited warts-and-all testimony as part of an in-depth review to determine why player discord reached disturbing levels mid-season.

Pollock, who wants his soon-to-expire-contract renewed, will have to convince the board that player discontent was neither rife nor justified and that his relationship with assistant coach Mark Anscombe has not broken down irretrievably.

He will also have to satisfy executives he didn't overstep the mark when he dressed down the team after players broke a curfew following the loss to Otago on September 9.

Unravelling the complex threads of Harbour's off-field politics looms as a Herculean challenge for the board, with disparate views on Pollock and Anscombe held among players and support staff.

Concern about Pollock's methods peaked when players were left dismayed after Pollock launched a tirade in Dunedin on the Saturday after the Otago match. There was anger in the team that certain individuals were singled out and subjected to extreme criticism.

When the team returned from the South Island, Joe Ward, Marty Veale, Greg Rawlinson and Tony Coughlan approached Harbour board member and former All Black doctor John Mayhew and asked for Pollock to be kicked out immediately or, failing that, a stringent review process.

But Pollock refutes the claim he specifically or unfairly targeted individuals. He can also point to the support he has received from captain Rua Tipoki and other players, and argue he had legitimate grounds to be upset in Dunedin as some players had broken a team curfew.

Harbour were disappointing and, with only two victories and one draw after five games, Pollock felt it would be inappropriate to sanction a big night out.

He is happy to defend his actions by saying: "The curfew was made for the best of reasons. The mistake about the curfew was that it was an arbitrary decision. I made it without consultation and I apologised to everyone about that the next day.

"I don't know anyone who likes being dressed down. I didn't single anyone out. If some players took it personally, maybe they had a bit more to think about than others."

There was already tension in the camp prior to the Otago game, with some of the players, particularly in the forwards, believing that Pollock had become too dominant.

It is understood that forwards coach Mark Anscombe was often unaware of the game plan and therefore unsure what drills to employ at training.

That was a situation many of the forwards found unacceptable and wanted addressed. It was suggested to those players who approached Mayhew to hold a meeting with Pollock and the rest of the team and management staff.

That meeting took place the following week but the players felt they weren't given an opportunity to air all their concerns and came away unconvinced they had pressed home the need for change.

Again, though, Pollock is confident that his relationship with Anscombe remains healthy and that the reason not much was said at the meeting was because there wasn't much to say.

"I don't think there are any strained relationships in the side. I'd be surprised if there was widespread discontent. I would make allowances for the guys who are on the outer of selection. If anything I would say we are too friendly.

"Cowboy [Anscombe] was my choice as assistant. I chose him deliberately because I knew he was an individual who would stand up to me and challenge me. He was not someone who would roll over. Does that mean we have healthy debate about all sorts of things? Absolutely.

"I can't speak for other people and say where they see themselves. The management will change slightly with John Mayhew moving to the Warriors and Joe Ward and Tom Harding going overseas. But I would like to think the rest of us can take this organisation forward in 2006."

After the team meeting failed to progress the way the players wanted, they decided the best course of action was to re-focus on the NPC and use the end-of-season review as an opportunity to vent their spleen.

A detailed questionnaire was drawn up containing pointed questions relating to the issues that surfaced during the campaign.

The document was presented to the players last Tuesday and they fill in the reviews anonymously.

The players' documents will be assessed by a specialist review panel who will also conduct interviews with the two coaches and support staff.

The panel will recommend to the board what it sees as the best course of action.

It is not known if Anscombe would be prepared to continue working with Pollock.

It's possible the board will be advised to renew Pollock and Anscombe's contracts for one year, with checks and measures in place to prevent the same problems next season. An announcement is expected shortly.


- HERALD ON SUNDAY