Living in Wellington as I do now as a loyal, but admittedly aging, HB lad I simply cannot bring myself to support the Wellington NPC team. Whilst my undying loyalty remains with (and always will) the Bay it is not always possible to make the trek up to Napier for their games. This has led me to do the hitherto unthinkable and take on Wairarapa-Bush as my second team to support in the NPC, it being so much easier to make a 80 minute trip instead of a 3¾ hour one to take in a game. 
It has not always been a smooth ride but things certainly changed the moment Peter Russell and Chris Luman took over. I watched and observed them closely over the four years they had the team and was very impressed the way they took a pretty ordinary side from comparative obscurity into Div 3 Champions in 2005 and Div 2 champions in 2006. All this done without a great deal of outstanding talent and on a very limited budget. These things just do not happen by accident.
Watching the Bay closely last year it became apparent that we were caught out by the big step up from Div 2 but once we got to grips with the pace and skill level required at Div 1 level we were far more competitive without setting the world on fire. Last years final placing defied just how well they had come on during the season.
Over the off season the Bay trainers, led by Grant Dearns, set out to bring the players overall fitness levels up a couple of notches to match those of the full time professional players. A couple of astute off season signings were made (including assistant coach Tom Coventry) and those went almost unnoticed by those outside the Bay strengthened the side. Equally as important is the retention of young talent like Israel Dagg and Zac Guilford (both of whom would probably have ended up in Otago in days gone by).
I am a little removed nowadays from the HB secondary school scene but there is sure to be plenty of talent there hiding away in the traditionally strong HB age group sides ready to make the step up and be unleashed onto the unsuspecting rugby world in a year or two. Stopping that talent drain is a major coup to all those involved.
It is great to see local players electing to stay at home instead of being lured away as they had been in the past. Come to think of it maybe Glen Horton could have done far better for himself had he stayed here? The situation has almost gone a full 360 degrees with local boys coming home, much to the detriment of other provinces. What would it take to get Daniel Kirkpatrick and young Mathewson back out of the clutches of Wellington?????? We are also now in the position where other players no longer see the Bay as underachievers and are easier to persuade that there future prospects would be enhanced by coming to the Bay.
Next season things may be even better when hopefully around half a dozen or so players should obtain Super 14 contracts and become full time players. Don't expect too many of them to be selected in the Hurricanes as there appears to be a bias toward Wellington players there.
I still take great pleasure in sticking it up them whenever the Bay creams the Wellington city boys, something that happens more frequently than you would probably realise. Will they ever get over the attitude that every time the Bay beats them that it must have been a fluke and no credit is given to the Bay?
Given their sheer weight of numbers Wellington should be able to cope with a player or two being unavailable far more easily than the Bay. To bad if they can’t and it is not an excuse that should be proffered by them. Look out for the Highlanders and Chiefs to bring in some Magpies to bolster their teams.
The real task facing Hawke's Bay will be to keep it going, or even step it up a notch, next season when the element of surprise will not be so prevalent and the expectations of the fans will be just as demanding, or even raised. Anyway I am thoroughly enjoying the run while it lasts.
Steve Deane – you claim to be a trained journalist. I thought research and analytical skills were required? Perhaps you should look at focussing on another area or journalism that doesn’t require those traits and give rugby a miss in future as you clearly did not employ either of those skills when penning you NPC Season Preview.
