Leadership grows during lockdown for Stags
Enhanced leadership could be a Covid-19 silver lining for the Southland Stags in 2020.
Head coach Dale MacLeod has been working 20 years to get the chance to guide his own provincial rugby team, but for a while there none of us knew whether competitive or community sport would be a thing this year.
When the nation went into lockdown, the wider squad of players who have ambitions of pulling on a maroon jersey in 2020 were split into virtual mini teams to continue their preparations and maintain motivation until it was time to re-emerge.
Not everyone came out the same. For some it was a less than ideal experience. The novelty factor only lasted so long. Some reflected on how much they wanted to be involved in the game, and found priorities like work or family didn’t leave enough room for the significant commitment and uncertainty that chasing rugby glory requires.
Photo: Southland Stags head coach Dale MacLeod. Pic: Debbie Fahey
But still others developed and grew through the experience, and it’s that growth MacLeod is excited about.
“We learnt a lot about the boys and we saw some great results. It gave us an opportunity to focus on things that you don’t normally get,” he said.
“The two years I’ve been here, the systems and what we are trying to do rugby-wise has been really good, but that’s not what is letting us down. It’s about people stepping up and taking ownership. Something had to change, and that was our mindset and developing the boys to make good decisions. I’ve seen some real growth.”
MacLeod believes leaders can’t just be created, they need opportunities to develop, and that’s what he saw during the pandemic.
He has seen players display a greater willingness to hold themselves and others to account.
You don’t have to be a rabid Stags supporter to know the team has had its challenges in recent years.
Last year’s win over Counties Manukau snapped a 27-game losing streak. Relegated to the championship from the premiership after the first season of the new format in 2011, they haven’t qualified for the championship semifinals since 2014.
But this group of players has targeted the playoffs, with MacLeod setting out clear expectations of what is required in terms of fitness, nutrition, skill development and attitude to get there.
He’s been here before. After developing in the hyper-successful Canterbury rugby system, he was part of the Northland coaching team which oversaw a winless season in 2015.
The next year they ran a number of teams close. The year after that they won five games and made the semifinals.
MacLeod has been buoyed by what he’s seen during the opening rounds of the club season.
That’s good, because instead of selecting a squad towards the back end of the club competition, a truncated season has meant those decisions will need to be made over the next few weeks.
“Have I seen enough on the field, not quite? But I’ve seen work ethic, I’ve seen skill sets under pressure and I’ve seen guys who are motivated to succeed. They are in a pretty good space. We’ve got a good process around the characteristics of the players we want and I’m happy with what I’ve seen so far.”
A number of players - Ethan de Groot, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Logan Crowley, Tony Lamborn, Joe Walsh, Isaac Te Tamaki, Josh Moorby and Charles Alaimalo – have spent at least some time training or playing with Super Rugby franchises.
And the recently released draw has also given the Stags something to smile about.
“To be fair we have been very luck with the draw. We’ve got Tasman, but we haven’t got Canterbury, Auckland or Wellington this year and in the past they have been very tough to play with their Super Rugby players.”
Apart from a few rare and golden seasons, Southland has always had to battle against the odds in New Zealand rugby. Don’t expect that to change, but MacLeod wants to see his team front up to the challenge.
“I want the boys to pull the jersey on with real pride. People...care that we care, and that we’ll leave everything on the field. People know if a team is trying hard. I honestly believe that if we prepare well, go in with the right mindset, we’ve got the ability in this group.”
