DUNEDIN - Former All Black coach Laurie Mains is one of several Otago rugby identities who will be involved in a review of the Highlanders' season.
Highlanders and Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive John Hornbrook said yesterday that an extensive season's debrief had begun and would continue during the next
week or two.
Hornbrook met head coach Peter Sloane and assistant Kevin Gloag yesterday. Both have completed one year of their two-year contracts with the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.
Mains, the Cats coach, is due back in Dunedin for a break before returning to South Africa to coach the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup competition.
Despite a poor start to the season, he coached the Cats to the Super 12 semifinals but it is uncertain whether he will be at the helm again next year.
Asked whether he would be talking to Mains, Hornbrook said: "I'd like to catch up with Laurie while he's in Dunedin.
"He's been one of our great coaches and I'd be remiss not to seek his thoughts.
" I've been talking with other former Otago greats - Greg Cooper and John Haggart - and I also intend to talk to David Latta."
Hornbrook said it was premature to speculate on whether Mains might be involved with Otago rugby again in the future.
The Highlanders' playing squad for next year is expected to be named in October and Hornbrook said there was a lot of work to be done in the meantime.
"To maintain and hopefully expand our supporter base we have to play a good brand of winning rugby," he said.
"That's one of the issues we're looking at now, both for the NPC and the Super 12."
Asked whether Gloag's NPC position was under threat, Hornbrook said: "Kevin has been announced as the Otago coach and I don't see that changing."
Hornbrook said the financial figures for the Highlanders' season were not available yet but he was reasonably satisfied with crowd support.
"Crowds were down about an average of 3000 on last year, from 19,000 to about 16,000,"he said.
"I'm not too disappointed, particularly considering we had four home games in a row when summer sports were still being played."
-NZPA
