Field retires with a few regrets

Press, 10 March 1987, Page 36

Field retires with a few regrets

David Field, a former Kiwi inside back who gave outstanding service to Sydenham, Canterbury and South Island after having begun his premier career with Papanui 12 years ago, will be the most notable absentee in the coming rugby league season.

But Field will not be missing altogether from wintry afternoons at the Show Grounds. He is having his fifth season as Sydenham’s coach, the first in a non-playing capacity. After captaining Canterbury during a period in which it achieved considerable success, assisting South Island to a number of notable victories, and touring Australia and Papua New Guinea with the 1982 New Zealand team, Field stepped down from representative football in 1985. He continued as cap-tain-coach of Sydenham last year, a last-minute try to Marist-Western Suburbs costing Field a Gore Cup victory in his final appearance. In each of his other three terms as coach Sydenham had reached the top four.

Field’s influence was largely responsible for Sydenham participating in the 1978, 1980 and 1983 championship grand finals. Each time, Field and his team-mates had to settle for second placing. But he has a winner’s medal from Papanui’s victory in 1976. The general enjoyment he has derived from the game aside, Field admitted he retires with one particular regret — “that I mucked around when I was younger and did not really get stuck into training until I was about 27."

“I had an attitude problem,” Field said of his decision to give football away in 1977, before the then Sydenham coach, Gary Clarke, persuaded

him to return. “That’s why I get so mad now with young guys who do not realise what they could achieve if they tried harder,” said Field, wearing his coaching hat. Although he has ambitions as a coach, Field intends taking his new career “one step at a time.” Attendance at a New South Wales coaching course at Armidale last January proved to be an eye-opener. “I learned the players and coaches have to be fully committed. The Australians put more emphasis on the importance of good handling — we talk about it; they do it. “Look at last year’s tests and the number of mistakes we made com-

pared to Australia. The

basics must come first You can forget all the fancy moves, forget them altogether,” he said. “I’ve been one of the lucky ones really,” said Field. “Anything that I didn’t get from the game was my own fault” . Sydenham’s most important gains have been

the Faimalo brothers, Esene and Alex. The Otago scrum-half Chris Dowling, has transferred to Canterbury in his employment and will replace Mark Forsey, now with Addington. Of the 1986 semi-final-ists, Addington had the most changes. As well as Esene and Alex Faimalo, John Rangihuna (back to Eastern Suburbs), Phil Cross (training with

Hornby) and Robert Moimoi (in Auckland) were not in the squad which travelled to the West Coast last week-end. Nor was Malcolm Taylor, who is still playing in England. Hornby, the defending champion, will be without Brendon Tuuta (working in the Chatham Islands), Michael Stewart (with Northcote after a work transfer to Auckland), Hami Shelford (living in Brisbane) and the retired Stu Wells and Steve Geddis. The coach, Frank Endacott, is concerned at a lack of specialist prop forwards, but will again have a wealth of talent after Graham Larson, Vaughan Low and Tony Jordan make belated starts to the season.

Halswell, eyeing a fourth consecutive grand final under a new coach, Phil Prescott, has few alterations. Absentees will be the experienced forwards, Robbie Rushton and Darryl Hawker. Three regular Papanui players, John Blazey, John Cannell and Craig Campbell, are overseas, and Gary Taie has retired. Kevin Allan, the coach, is looking to youth to fill the gaps, and hopes that Mark Broadhurst will be available after completing his season with Hull Kingston Rovers. The chances of MaristWestern, Sydenham, Kaiapoi, Linwood and Eastern breaking into the top four will be clearer after their first appearance in the Radio Avon tournament next Sunday.