Veteran lock finds home with Chiefs

By LINDSAY KNIGHT

A continuation of veteran Glenn Taylor's topsy-turvy Super 12 career and a late reprieve for powerful Southland No 8 Paul Miller were two of the features of the Chiefs squad named yesterday for next season.

Miller, despite being an All Black last year, appeared to have missed the Super 12 cut altogether after being overlooked for the Highlanders and not wanted by any of the other franchises.

But Deon Muir's decision to go to Japan has given him a lifeline.

And in going to the Chiefs for the third time in his career, lock Taylor, apart from the unfortunate North Harbour halfback Mark Robinson, is probably the best illustration of the anomalies and problems created in Super 12 selections by the excess of talent in the northern region.

Northland stalwart Taylor captained the Blues this year and was with that side in 2001. But in 1996-97 he was with the Chiefs, in 1998 with the Hurricanes, in 1999 with the Blues for the first time before returning to the Chiefs as captain for the 2000 season.

But Taylor was unconcerned with his many movements and ruefully reflected that at least he still had a team to play for, unlike many others, notably Robinson.

"It's just something you have to accept as being part of professionalism," he said.

Although a little sad to leave the Blues after progress had been made, especially in developing the franchise's identity over the whole region, Taylor welcomed the opportunity to play for the Chiefs again.

"I enjoy the environment and the set-up here," he said.

And relocating his family from Whangarei posed no extra problems.

"It is something we're used to doing and if I was with the Blues again we would have to gone to Auckland."

Taylor said that because of the excellent form of Auckland and Waikato in the NPC, unions such as Northland and North Harbour had to accept their respective dominance of the Blues and the Chiefs.

"But I think the good support the Blues got last year in Northland and North Harbour will continue," he said. "We've still got four Northland players in the Blues, and Harbour have also got four."

At 32, Taylor believes he has at least one good season left in him and after the Super 12 next year he hopes to help Northland again in the challenge that union faces in staying in first division.

Taylor and Miller are among five draft players chosen by the Chiefs.

The others are Taranaki wing Shayne Austin, Taranaki lock Reece Robinson and Wellington hooker Shane Carter.

Austin and Robinson join Counties Manukau's Sitivini Sivivatu, the only player in the Super 12 from this year's NPC second division, Bay of Plenty flanker Wayne Ormond and Waikato's Steven Bates, Isaac Boss and Regan King as the Chiefs players new to the Super 12.

Of the 27 players named by the Chiefs so far, 19 come from the Waikato side and coach Kevin Greene said the obvious aim was to build on Waikato's performance against what would be intense Super 12 competition.

Apparently the Chiefs were not pressured late to include Mark Robinson as one of their halfbacks.

But Greene said the selection process had been stressful with the late defections of players such as Muir, Royce Willis and Bruce Reihana.

"But we're pleased with what we've finished with," he said.

"If there is a plus to losing Reihana, Willis and Muir it has been the chance for younger players."

At this stage no captaincy successor for Muir has been appointed. But although he has captained the Chiefs and the Blues, Taylor will not be among the candidates.

Greene said at this stage it was expected Taylor would be used to mentor younger locks such as Reece Robinson, Keith Robinson and Chresten Davis.