Reds must be ready to seize day
THE cheerleading pom-poms always come out at finals time yet the Reds play-off expedition to Christchurch must be viewed with clinical eyes.
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THE cheerleading pom-poms always come out at finals time yet the Reds play-off expedition to hostile Christchurch must be viewed with clinical eyes.
It may be as much a crystal ball on the future as the ultimate test of 2013's progress.
The big worry going forward is that the team is being subtly denuded of game-breaking strike players.
After last year, it was the exit of bullocking backrower Scott Higginbotham, who this week was named Players' Player of the Year for his first season at the Melbourne Rebels.
Next year, the Reds must fire without regular ground-gainer and tackle-buster Digby Ioane, who is off to France.
Don't expect any big-name signings. The Reds have concentrated on re-signing the young core who have pushed the club into the play-offs for three straight years.
There is no flaw there when you think there is not yet a 25th birthday party between prop James Slipper, lock Rob Simmons, flanker Liam Gill, winger Dom Shipperley, centre Ben Tapuai, hooker James Hanson, flanker Ed Quirk and No.8 Jake Schatz.
Ioane's departure hasn't suddenly freed up a huge warchest to go chasing a big-impact star.
At least five Reds players are on the books this year for less money than they earned last year purely because they had faith in a successful program they wanted to stay a part of.
That is a huge show of regard for what the Reds stand for. It also means that their 2014 contract terms have been beefed up.
Richard Graham, 2014's coach, refuted the argument that the Reds will be down on strikepower next year.
``My primary focus was retaining our young, core group and their experience of 50-games or more in many cases,'' Graham said.
The strikepower surge must come from within.
Saturday in Christchurch is the perfect time for it to make a telling impact.
Quirk decided the first interstate game with a brilliant, swerving, palming run to the tryline. That was February so another thundering run to change a game is due.
Shipperley has stormed over for six tries for his club Brothers recently and needs to smash out a message roaming for work infield off Quade Cooper's passes.
Teenage winger Chris Feauai-Sautia has a definite strike-force future.
Simmons is playing against two All Blacks locks and must assert himself to show he should be in the first Bledisloe Cup Test on August 17.
Prop Slipper has had a superb season.
Seize the day tomorrow ... not next year.