New Crusader McKay tipped to test Jordan’s speed record
The prospect of new Crusader Josh McKay challenging Will Jordan’s franchise speed record is a tasty one for strength and conditioning coach Simon Thomas.
Unwanted Highlander McKay, confirmed as an injury replacement for Braydon Ennor for Super Rugby Aotearoa earlier this week, has turned heads since the team started voluntary training on Monday.
Thomas heaped praise on the 23-year-old after the team’s Yo-Yo fitness test on Thursday, predicting he’ll challenge former Christchurch Boys’ High School teammate Jordan’s speed record of 36.1kmh, set during preseason last year.
‘‘I think he will [threaten it]. Josh is currently top of the list in the jump testing as the most explosive from those we’ve tested,’’ Thomas said.
‘‘He’s pretty special, he’s fast over both [10m and 100m]. He’s managed to put on a little bit of muscle over the offseason and get himself to a good playing weight.’’
McKay, who spent the last three years at the Highlanders and appeared to be finding his groove at Super Rugby level late last season, has put on about 3kgs to weigh 95kg, which Thomas says is his optimal playing weight.
The challenge is to ensure he keeps it on, given McKay failed to do so during pre-season conditioning in recent years, Thomas said.
‘‘Josh has done an awesome job. He’s got an opportunity and really worked hard towards it. With the weight he’s put on, but the speed he’s still running, he’s in a really good space to deliver for us when he gets an opportunity to play.
‘‘Which he needs to, because there’s a fair bit of competition in the outside backs here. He’s made a good start.’’
McKay is the latest addition to an electric group of backs, which includes speedy All Blacks Jordan, Sevu Reece, George Bridge, Richie Mounga and Braydon Ennor.
Bridge, currently sidelined with a chest injury, clocked the fastest inmatch speed of 34.6kmh last season, followed closely by Ennor and Mo’unga, who both notched 34kmh.
Speed is one thing, and something McKay has always flashed, but adding some ‘‘good weight’’ is paramount for his overall game.
‘‘It’s just enough to be really effective once he gets the ball in hand and starts to try and beat some records,’’ Thomas said.
‘‘We’ll be smart with him during the pre-season, around being explosive but not run him so much that he loses weight.’’
Fellow new Crusader Rene Ranger, a former All Black and Blues utility, has also impressed since being brought in as injury cover for Manasa Mataele and Bridge for at least the first four weeks of SRA.
The 34-year-old last played for the Blues in 2017, before playing in France, Japan and the US.
He returned home last year and played for Northland in the Mitre 10 Cup.
‘‘We had some really good reports from the teams he’s been at the last couple of years, so we’ll see how he runs his bronco [fitness test] on Monday,’’ Thomas said.
‘‘He’s an older athlete, so we’ll look after his body. He played the most minutes at the Taniwha...he’s definitely still got it. We’ll get to see what he can do with ball in hand next week, which will be exciting.’’
While other teams this week started formal training, the 11-times champions have mixed it up and won’t do the same until next week.
They held voluntary conditioning sessions on Monday and Tuesday, medical assessments on Wednesday and a Yo-Yo fitness test – typically dominated by halfbacks Bryn Hall and Mitchell Drummond – on Thursday.
The decision to not start formal training until next week came down to the length of 2020, when players trained through lockdown without knowing when the season would start, and the Mitre 10 Cup final, played on November 28, was practically 12 months to the day since pre-season started.
‘‘It was a long year. It was more looking after people to give that extra week with family and friends,’’ Thomas said.
That said, the two voluntary days attracted practically the entire squad, including some All Blacks, who aren’t required back until the second week of February.
‘‘You know they’re ready to come back when you make it optional and 38 players turn up both days. Pretty much the whole squad turned up, they were itching to go.’’