McKay playing for future
Josh McKay finished Super Rugby Aotearoa with a bang, but a contract extension hasn’t been forthcoming from the Highlanders.
As it stands, his three-years with the Dunedin-based franchise are over, and he’s unsure what lies ahead after the Mitre 10 Cup campaign with Canterbury.
To think the 22-year-old appeared to finally have found his feet at Super Rugby level, flashing down the stretch after barely getting a look-in early doors.
Hunting down Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall and hacking the ball from his grasp with the try-line begging in Christchurch last month was just one example of McKay impressing. But, while the Highlanders have been busy nabbing fringe Crusaders such as Billy Harmon and Fetuli Paea, McKay is on the outer.
‘‘I’m not with the Highlanders next year, I’ve not got any Super. At the moment, I’m just focussing on Canterbury and if something pops up through playing well then something pops up.
‘‘I’m keeping fairly level-headed at the moment,’’ McKay said.
He struggled to crack the Highlanders 23 for much of the year, as the southerners tried the likes of Sam Gilbert, Tima Fainga’anuku, Kirisi Kuridrani, Ngane Punivai and Sio Tomkinson on the wing.
‘‘It was more just around getting my physicality right. Once I got that right, I was able to get given a few opportunities,’’ McKay said when asked why he wasn’t utilised for most of the season. ‘‘Obviously, it was awesome to finally get on the field. it was pretty tough watching those first few games there.
‘‘It came at a good time, the tail end of Super, build a bit of confidence coming into Mitre 10.’’
McKay, the reigning Canterbury player of the year, will start at fullback in the red-andblacks’ season opener against North Harbour tonight, forming a back-three with Crusaders George Bridge and Manasa Mataele.
A year after scoring 11 tries, the former Christchurch Boys’ first five-eighth is essentially playing for his next gig.
McKay declined to comment when asked if he was surprised by the Highlanders moving on from Aaron Mauger after three years as head coach, outside of saying he had a good relationship with his fellow Cantabrian during his time in Dunedin.
So, a big provincial campaign beckons for McKay, who debuted for the red and blacks in 2017 and is one of the fastest players in the country.
He’ll get another shot at Hall tonight, too, when the halfback lines up for North Harbour. The pair spent an eternity re-living McKay’s tackle after the Crusaders clinched Super Rugby Aotearoa with a 32-22 win in Christchurch.
The Crusaders trailed at the time, and Hall later said he felt like ‘‘the most hated person in Christchurch’’ after spilling the ball.
‘‘Afternoon game, he’s probably not going to be able to slide over the line.’’