Daryl Gibson wants to extend his contract to bring through the next generation of NSW Waratahs talent
Daryl Gibson wants to extend his tenure as NSW head coach by another year and finish in 2020 to usher in the next generation of Waratahs talent.
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Daryl Gibson wants to extend his tenure as NSW head coach by another year and finish in 2020 to usher in the next generation of Tahs talent.
Having been in danger of getting the sack mid-way through last year, Gibson turned the Tahs around and got them into the Super Rugby semi-finals, earning him a one-year extension in 2019.
Now, the former All Black wants an additional year, which would see him equal Ewen McKenzie’s record as the longest serving head coach in NSW history at five years in charge.
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“I’m really close to staying on here, I’m really enjoying my time,” said Gibson, who took over from Michael Cheika in 2016.
“I want to bring that next generation through and see if post World Cup we can bring that next generation through, I see that as really important for this club.
“I’m in a really good place here with the squad at present, and really conscious of bringing that next generation through and setting that up for someone else.”
With a stack of big-name Tahs off-contract this year and being linked with overseas moves, including Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps and Curtis Rona, Gibson is aware of the likely turnover in personnel.
“I see the financial pressures in the game, for players now the opportunities to go overseas and be rewarded for that are going to be out there for them, and that’s part of what it’s always been in rugby,” he said.
“It tends to be in World Cup years that turnover.
“With the northern hemisphere, the exchange rate, the extra injection of money up there, I’m sure those pressures are going to come up more.”
Gibson’s squad start preparations for the coming season with a trial in Otago on Friday night against the Highlanders.
Most of the Wallabies contingent in the squad are not allowed to play until their first round Super Rugby clash against the Hurricanes on February 16 at Brookvale Oval under a rest policy.
Gibson has picked a host of rookies for this week’s trial, and the team will be captained by flanker Will Miller.
“I want to go over to win, I don’t want to go over to participate,” Miller said.
“But obviously we’ve got to try to work some combinations. Everyone’s going over for a different reason, some people are trying to prove themselves for the first time and other people are trying to show they’ve got more in them than they did last year.”
Waratahs squad to play Highlanders in Otago
15 Alex Newsome, 14 Curtis Rona, 13 Lalakai Foketi, 12 Karmichael Hunt, 11 Cameron Clark, 10 Mack Mason, 9 Mitch Short, 8 Hugh Sinclair, 7 Will Miller (captain), 6 Lachlan Swinton, 19 Ryan McCauley, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Shambeckler Vui, 2 Andrew Tuala, 1 Harry Johnson-Holmes.
Reserves: 16 JP Sauni, 17 Rory O’Connor, 18 Chris Talakai, 5 Le Roux Roets, 20 BJ Edwards, 21 Pat Tafa, 22 Jake Gordon, 23 Ben Donaldson, 24 Will Harrison, 25 Richard Woolf, 26 Will Harris, 27 Cody Walker.
Originally published as Daryl Gibson wants to extend his contract to bring through the next generation of NSW Waratahs talent
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