Canterbury coach Joe Maddock ready for new challenge
Mentally refreshed after a wellearned break, Joe Maddock checked into Rugby Park on Monday to kick off his three-year contract as Canterbury’s latest head coach.
Settling into a new office is just the beginning for the former Crusaders and Canterbury wing, who was given the top job in September after Glenn Delaney cut his three-year deal short so he could become the Highlanders’ defence coach.
Maddock, an assistant coach each of the past three title-winning seasons, accepted the job a year after he thought it was too soon to replace now Crusaders coach Scott Robertson.
‘‘When the role was up this time last year and I was asked if I was going to apply, I felt the time wasn’t quite right for me. Now it feels natural, it feels like the next progression and I’m really excited about the challenge ahead,’’ Maddock said.
‘‘I guess it all happened fairly quickly, but I guess that’s just the nature of the game we’re involved in, sometimes decisions have to be made quickly.’’
Unlike this year, when Maddock assisted Robertson with the Crusaders’ defence and helped plan for opposition teams, Maddock will focus solely on Canterbury in his new role.
He didn’t apply for the franchise’s assistant coach job, vacated by Tasman head coach Leon MacDonald, and said juggling both wasn’t an option for him.
‘‘I was involved in both campaigns this year and it was tiring. I’m sure if you asked Leon MacDonald he’d say the same thing.’’
One of Maddock’s first tasks is to finalise his coaching group.
He has no confirmed assistants, although he hopes Nathan Mauger, who just finished his first year as skills coach, will re-sign with the province.
Former Canterbury under-19 coach Mark Brown assisted Delaney with the forwards this year, and Maddock would like to see him put his hand up for the job when Canterbury advertise early next year.
‘‘If he’s the right man he will take over that. If he’s not, then there could be a role for him. But at this stage I couldn’t say yes or no [to him being involved].’’
Maddock ran Canterbury’s backs this year, but just what role he takes on moving forward will depend on the group he puts together.
‘‘The big thing for me is to decide which area I want to take the lead on and then I can divvy out the other areas from there,’’ he said.
While Maddock’s spoken to media since he was confirmed as Delaney’s replacement, he chose not to discuss the future during Canterbury’s run to their ninth title in 10 years.
But, having returned from leave and officially in his new job, Maddock wasn’t shying away from the pressure he faces to continue the Canterbury dynasty.
‘‘When you’ve got a provincial team that’s won nine out of the last 10 years, there’s natural pressure just from that statistic.
‘‘You can’t run from it, you can’t hide from it. That standard is there and my job now is to make sure we’re in a position come the last weekend of October to be adding to that stat.’’