The next wave of Pirates players are here, led by second-five Junior Ainea.
Black Bull Liquor Pirates have two very simple goals for the 2017 Tasman Tanning Premier competition - rebuild and reclaim.
The Spriggens Park club was figuratively on their knees at the end of a disjointed 2016, with the two-time defending Premier champions finishing distant sixth on the table, while their Senior squad packed it in several weeks before the end of the competition.
Frustrations boiled over in late June during an ugly incident against McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu where Sa'ena Vili was banned for nearly three years for grabbing an official, while multiple-time MVP Denning Tyrell sat out four weeks for verbal abuse.
Premier coach Phillip Morris was ready to call it a day after he "hit the brick wall", while several of the team's old guard were also looking to step away.
But the Premier side who shocked a well-rounded Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 33-32 last Saturday looked anything but a spent force, with a revitalised Morris confirming the club had been good to their word at the end of last year about heavy spring cleaning.
"We haven't had any preparation. We have had a clean out of the brigade from the last couple of years.
"It was a matter of finding another 15 players.
"There was rumours of us not having a Premier team. Mainly spread by the 'blue coats', which annoyed us.
"You know when we get annoyed, we dig our toes in."
Scouring the Marton area, after the local club was not able to come up to Premier, Pirates have picked up players like former Steelform Wanganui midfield back Soonalote Tauailoto, who now partners with talented goal-kicking second-five Junior Ainea - a former Wanganui junior representative who played for Bulls in the Manawatu competition.
Tyrell and captain Lasa Ulukuta, the heart and soul of Pirates, also convinced Morris to re-enlist with the pledge they would back him more, and thus began yet another recruitment drive in the islands.
Cue the arrival of halfback Fa'alele Iosua, winger Suilagi Iafi and No8 Tafulu Isaako from the Samoan Training Academy.
"They're young boys, they'll stamp their authority on the club competition," said Morris.
"Also, the B's are training the house down, it was really disappointing last year losing them, not having that support in behind.
"We're lucky we've got Jerome Nahona to coach. A couple of our old heads and gone back down to help."
It sets up this weekend's home clash against the new boys on the block who also know what it means to go out and head-hunt talent, as Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri will want to lift a gear after the shock to the system from their 62-29 loss to Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau.
Morris sees no harm, no foul in the employment incentive methods the South Taranaki club has used to come from nothing to undefeated Senior champions and Premier arrivals within three seasons.
"There's a little bit of negativity, which disappoints me, because they're another group of players [at this level].
"They can offer people jobs. Good on them for promoting the game.
"It's going to be a step up in intensity, as they found out last week. In Senior, you can score 60 points then go to sleep for the last 20 minutes.
"There's still a lot of good individuals - you let them run, they'll damage you.
"Island flair, there'll be a lot of points scored if the weather's good."
Also wanting to put their best foot forward are Ruapehu, who after the bye in the opening round will now defend the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield at home against Waverley Harvesting Border, who defeated them in last year's semifinal on the way to the Premier championship.
Back to proper preparations under a non-playing coach in Daisy Alabaster, team manager Mark Green was able to confirm influential former Wanganui loose forward Fraser Hammond has returned to rugby, while another familiar face in outside back Robert Hughes has come back from Australia.
The old gang is propping up the forward pack with an all-Wanganui front row, loose forwards Jamie Hughes and Andrew Evans, while Peter Rowe will at least play club footy as well.
New in the backline is first-five Josh Fifita from the Wellington club scene, working inside a solid midfield combination in goal kicker Craig Clare and Troy Brown.
Green said they have also sprinkled a few youngsters amongst the returning veterans.
"The boys aren't looking too bad.
"We had a good hit out against a Freyberg team last week. The boys got knocked around a bit."
In the other matchups, Marist will look to rebound from last weekend's slip up when they travel to Memorial Park to meet Utiku Old boys, while Harvey Round Motors Ratana host PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape at the Pa.