Incredible stamina. No shame. Yellow Fever.
Haven't seen much of Jordan Shaw recently, but I think Michael Mayne is an excellent addition to the Waikato squad. Did captain NZ U20s a few years back, and can play a number of roles. I guess fitness will be an issue coming in at this stage, but he will add steel, and has a fine left peg.
Declan Edge heads south on Sunday to play YoungHeart Manawatu in a classic ASB Premiership bottom-of-the-table contest but if you are looking for doom and gloom in light of his Waikato FC's four-from-four losing start to the season, you are talking to the wrong guy.
Results are perhaps not the furthest thing from Edge's mind, but they are certainly not the driving force.
"Working with these young players is not about the results in the league, it is about getting the best from the group.
"It is a project. Short-term losses for long-term gains is far more important," said Edge. "In total, I have 60 players working with me twice a day six times a week 48 weeks of the year."
While happier to talk about the work he is doing with his home-grown young talent including Jason Hicks, Edge does feel he is on the right track and will eventually be rewarded.
"My fulltime players [in the Waikato FC squad] are in twice a day and doing about 20 hours a week. Last week we beat Hawkes Bay in the White Ribbon Cup with 11 players all born in New Zealand - 10 from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region. Of the team I will take to play YoungHeart Manawatu on Sunday, nine could have played in the Youth League.
"We are trying to prove that New Zealand-born players can make the grade with hard work," said Edge. "We don't talk about winning and losing. Our emphasis is more on performance.
"We don't fault the effort the players are putting in. In the four years I have been associated with these players I haven't seen them play a bad game."
Asked where he might look to strengthen his squad should that need arise, Edge said: "there are only one or two players in the Auckland City or Waitakere squads who would interest me.
"Why do clubs like Team Wellington, Waitakere United, Canterbury United and Hawkes Bay spend the money they do on players when Auckland City are going to win the league this season?
"There is absolutely no way Waitakere or Auckland City will beat us again this season. We will win some games.
"We are training more than the Phoenix. The emphasis is on passing the ball - but never more than 15m," said Edge. "Not one player in New Zealand is technically up to the standard needed to be a really great player.
"Where is the Kiwi talent?"
Edge was quick to heap praise on his Manawatu counterpart Stu Jacobs who moved north after being let go at Team Wellington.
"I wonder how he, as a young coach, is surviving in the New Zealand game the way it is."
Of his preference to promote youth, Edge said simply: "None of the older players is good enough.
"We signed Michael Mayne this week. He wanted to come to us after seeing the way we celebrated scoring the goal against Waitakere. For him that was proof enough we are doing things right and he wanted to be part of it."
Heady stuff perhaps but no-one would dare question Edge's passion for the game. There comes a time though when results do matter and he may well be on course for a first point of the season against a team who also have yet to win.
Hi Napier, I wonder if you could expand further, ie, who were the five players missing?
From what I could make out, all the players HB played at Taupo had also turned out, either starting or off the bench, the previous week.
HB at Taupo: Peta, Neil, Barlow, Roberston, Cowan, Margettes S, Margetts J, Tinnion, Wilson, Bauerfeind, Watson.
HB Youth squad:
2 Tui Kennedy
3 Sam Wake
4 Adam Chandler *
5 Reily O�Meagher *
6 Dan Smith
7 Kieran Higham
8 Luke Chapman *
9 Asa Andersen
10 Tom Biss *
11 (BJ) Bjorn Christensen
12 Harry Morton
13 Corey Adams
14 Joel Willets
15 Matt Ebbett
16 Jacob Weaver
17 Cameron Emerson
18 Tai Barham
19 Lucas De Munk
20 Nathan Dawson
21 Josh Stewart
22 Matt Stone
23 Oli Chapman
24(GK) Sam Chandler
26 Ben Andrews
27 Kris Sweetapple
28 Angus Kilkolly
29 Adam Knockleburgh
30 Jerome Groot?
Grumpy old bastard alert
Founder
Unless somebody can explain that Manawatu had about 5 players out � or maybe Waikato are the only team trying to win this competition.
They did? Oh, sh*t.
Well, something urgently needs to be done now, otherwise us negatives who so desperately want Waikato to fail will end up with egg on our faces.
The last thing we want is to end up admitting there might just be merit in what Edge is trying to do at Waikato in blooding top young teenagers in the national league and imposing a possession style of play.
Firslty, let�s set up a Manawatu hate thread.
Every year we hear a different excuse come out of Manawatu for their poor showing etc. They've had long enough. Waste of time. Another Hawke�s Bay team would result in better players, better support and better standard for the league. The board makes poor decisions, players don�t care too much down there either, no one goes to watch...they can never raise any money. Shambolic franchise.
If any one in the Manawatu region is good enough then they can drive up to HB, similar to what Adam Cowan does. Manawatu have to go. Stu Jacobs is clearly a jerk and off the planet with his ideas.
Secondly, how about a rule change for the league, where all teams have to field at least 3 players over 20 at all times? That would also stick it to Waikato, and make them play a few cloggers and stop them just fielding teams of talented kids.
Or another one� sort of like the 6-tackle rule in rugby league� once you string 30 passes together, you have to hand the ball over to the other team. That would also put Declan in his place with his kids just keeping the ball off teams like Manawatu.
Anyway, looking for your support on this forum. If we don�t undermine Waikato now, after two wins on the trot, things could get totally out of hand and people might start accepting Declan is doing a good job for football. That has to be a concern for everyone here who thinks they know more than he does.
Please help me on this one, Humbug, Ray Mysterio, AITK, intheknow, greyhound etc. I could use support from both of you.Grumpy old bastard alert
Sorry Jeff, you obviously think about things a bit, you're not really the target market.
Grumpy old bastard alert
Incredible stamina. No shame. Yellow Fever.
Incredible stamina. No shame. Yellow Fever.
I agree Smithy. I don't think he cares how many people call him a t**ser, however this is possibly what leads people to take the gloss off of it being about the kids and football and making it about him, because of the way that he is. I don't think there is another coach as 'unique' (for lack of a derogatory word) as him in the league.
Grumpy old bastard alert
Grumpy old bastard alert
Grumpy old bastard alert
Grumpy old bastard alert
