HANGARS AND JACKO TEAM UP AGAIN
Liam Napier says it will be very tough for North Harbour, after unluckily being relegated despite five wins, to immediately bounce back to the Premiership.
Daniel Halangahu comes full circle when he takes charge of the north Harbour union that is close to his heart this season. Halangahu, the attack coach under Leon Macdonald at the blues, assumes the reins from Kieran Keane after Harbour was relegated from the Premiership to Championship last year.
Having played two seasons (2014-15) at Harbour before making his transition into coaching with the union, Halangahu feels strongly connected to the north shore region after relocating from sydney, where he played six seasons for the waratahs.
steve Jackson, the former Counties Manukau, blues forwards mentor and north Harbour and samoa head coach, joins Halangahu in Harbour’s revamped coaching staff this season alongside former All blacks prop ben Afeaki.
“Steve Jackson signed me as a player in 2014 in his first year as head coach of Harbour,” Halangahu recalls. “He’s fallen in our lap; he was in Japan and needed to come home with family here on waiheke Island. It’s a back to the future story for us. we’re all getting back together. steve gave me a playing opportunity and my first coaching opportunity. He pretty much retired me as a player and asked me to start coaching. It’s a good mix between us as coaches.
“north Harbour took me in and it’s become my home in new Zealand. we know how important NPC rugby is – it’s something we need to keep investing in.
“It’s been the backbone of new Zealand rugby and a point of difference that we have this national competition that underpins everything. It’s at huge risk at the moment around the model and financially how this can continue, so it’s important we all play our part.
“we all need to do whatever we can to keep the NPC functioning the way it does to produce great super rugby players and All blacks.”
As it seeks to rebound from last year’s disappointing campaign, Harbour has been hit hard by several major defections. James Parsons’ retirement due to concussion strips the team of their senior leader, though he did not play in 2020. Influential lock Gerard Cowley-tuioti, the Blues player of the year in 2021, has departed to Japan to leave an irreplaceable hole.
Halangahu confirmed one-test All Blacks opensider Dillon Hunt, who did not feature for the blues this season after moving home from the Highlanders, won’t play the provincial season either as he continues to battle concussion.
“gerard has been a huge part of this team with James and Dillon, and Matt Duffie has moved on in recent times, so it’s a bit of a changing of the guard with our experienced guys.”
Harbour will rely heavily on its handful of super rugby players that does not compare favourably to the likes of Tasman, Auckland and Canterbury.
“we’re a union that is not as well-resourced as others. A key measure in the NPC is how many super rugby players you have and we’re right down the bottom. we’re fortunate to have a really good club system so we’re building from them, basically, with a sprinkling of some guys coming back, but we’re far from what some of the other teams will have.
“We’re one of the smaller unions in a way trying to fight our way back. we want to be back in the Premiership but we also know we’re up against it.”
Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall and Chiefs first five Bryn Gatland again headline the halves combination that will be required to drive the team around the park, while Chiefs wing/fullback shaun stevenson adds much-needed experience to the back three.
“bryn Hall is one of the stalwarts of our team now. He’s closing in on 100 games for Harbour; he plays for the Crusaders so he knows how to win, how to compete every week.
“bryn and bryn are our leaders in the backs, as well as shaun, and they’ll be critical for us; keeping them healthy will be one of the big things.”
up-front, Harbour has recruited well to bolster the strength of the team.
Former New Zealand Under 20s, Taranaki and Chiefs hooker rhys Marshall is the standout signing as he returns home after playing 81 games for renowned Irish province Munster. At 28 years old, Marshall could prove invaluable, particularly given Parsons’ retirement.
Jackson has used his connections to lure lock Senio Toleafoa, who played three games for the waratahs in 2017 and was named in the samoan 2019 rugby world Cup squad, and Western Force midfielder Henry Taefu.
Marshall and Toleafoa join a pack already featuring powerful
Blues turned Chiefs prop Sione Mafileo, Nic Mayhew, Blues lock Jacob Pierce and 23-year-old hooker Luteru Tolai.
“sione has been the dominant scrummager in NPC rugby for years now. Harbour has won a lot of games on the back of his scrummaging. It’s no secret we see our strength and depth is up-front.”
As with all teams when it comes to the coveted Log o’ wood, Harbour hopes to contest a potential ranfurly shield challenge should Hawke’s Bay survive its first two defences against Otago and waikato.
“If you’re a betting man and you back them we would meet them for their third challenge. everyone keeps one eye on the shield. It’s been a few years, but steve Jackson had success winning it with his time with Counties so he can share his experience. Sometimes you see teams take their eye off the rest of the competition because that’s how special it is.”
while welcoming the challenge attached to chasing promotion and rebuilding, Halangahu paints a stark reality of attempting to keep a squad together amid the constant player drain.
Typically, after time and effort is put into upskilling club players to compete against super rugby opponents, foreign clubs swoop with offers of fulltime rugby careers that are too good to turn down for the humble tradesman.
“If you have success with a club rugby player, they generally pick up something overseas – going to play second division in France or england – so if they don’t crack super rugby you lose them. The drain on players is a real thing. Players are being poached everywhere. we’re losing a lot of that tier of player who are good at NPC but don’t quite make super rugby.
“There’s a big difference between being a builder apprentice and getting to turn up and play the game they love, so when a second division english club comes along and says, ‘Hey, want to play rugby 12 months a year?’ you can fully understand why they go – but it’s a huge challenge with what we’re trying to do here.”
‘As it seeks to rebound from last year’s disappointing campaign, Harbour has been hit hard by several major defections.’