A turbulent premier first round for Marist has seen head coach Greg Proctor step down this week amid frustrations about not getting the players he needed to cope with decimating injury.
Proctor walked on Sunday after a disheartening 27-5 loss to Marton at Spriggens Park the day before, held during Marist's Old Timers Day function.
Six defeats with a solitary win has left the city club languishing last on the table.
Starting last night, former Heartland coach Jason Hamlin who knows just how tough things are in the hot seat has joined backs coach Martin O'Connell in trying to salvage Marist's campaign.
Proctor said he had no hard feelings towards Marist, but he had always struggled to put together a bare 17 men during the week and for Saturday games.
"They gave me the chance [to leave] and I decided to get out.
"The writing was probably on the wall from game four when we took a dozen guys to Ohakune."
A spare parts team of premier regulars, joined by senior men pulling double duty, were slaughtered 83-7 by Ruapehu on April 27.
Proctor said he did not want comment much because Marist's problems should stay "in-house".
"I just didn't have access to players. They just didn't want to come up [from senior].
"The results ... if you can't get guys to training, that's the way it goes."
Team manager Bob Lochhead deferred comments about Proctor's departure but said an official head coach has yet to be named.
"The committee hasn't got to that stage Jason and Martin will be running the squad in the interim," he said.
"It doesn't make life any easier when we've got these injuries and we have to go to Waverley to play second on the table [Border]."
Marist have been crippled by withdrawals throughout much of 2013 O'Connell estimated the team had nine players out at any one time.
Currently centre Mohi Waihi (cracked bone in hand), first-five Marek Willis (groin strain, four weeks) and winger Scott Dowman (aggravated hip) are gone for Saturday if not longer.
Hamlin joined the premier squad for the first time last night, having been helping the successful Celtic squad in the senior competition.
"Now I'm pretty much doing the same with Marty for the premier team," he said.
"She's all a bit of a rush job and a surprise. Who would be a coach?"
With a tough task against Border now virtually insurmountable given the upheaval, both Hamlin and O'Connell said the emphasis goes onto the second round and Marist "playing for pride".
"I'll speak to the boys, it's always nice to win some games," Hamlin said.
"When I've watched them, they hang in there for halves.
"Not very much is going to change this week. I know they're pretty frustrated."
In the other weekend fixtures, it could be an excellent local country derby when Taihape and Utiku Old Boys clash, while Marton vs Kaierau should be another cracker with both teams in a must-win situation to stay in touch with the top four.
Ruapehu looks set to wrap up the Paul Mitchell Cup against cellar dwellers Ratana, whose coach Wilson Walker has no illusions about tomorrow.
"Ruapehu, I don't think anyone's going to disagree with this one, they're head and shoulders above everybody right now. We're all fighting for second, third and fourth."
In light of Marist's troubles, Walker said he still has at least 22 guys coming to training, but it is one of those years where quality player depth is not quite there.
"Everyone uses this phrase 'rebuilding', that's what we're doing now.
"It's not through lack of trying or lack of fitness," the Ratana coach said.
"I can't criticise, we're just playing with what we've got."