Rugby: Youth spur resurgent Reid

Everard Reid with 4-year-old son Darrell and four of the lads he is mentoring. From left are Kainoa Smith, Te Wheturere Ferris, Kalhain Collier and Kaya Wainohu. Photo/Paul Taylor

Take note of the enthusiasm and vigour MAC captain and lock Everard Reid is displaying.

"It's the young fellahs in our team. They're keeping me on my toes and I'm also gaining inspiration from a new role I've taken on ... a mentor for youth within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," Reid, 30, explained.

That motivation saw Reid produce a player-of-the-match performance as MAC moved clear of promotion-relegation game territory with an 18-14 sixth round Maddison Trophy victory at Flaxmere Park on Saturday. He joined the Taradale pair of prop Ezrah Amituanai and midfield back Billy Ropiha at the top of the leaderboard with three weeks remaining in the battle for the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award.

"While the game was close we put Tamatea under a lot of pressure. As has been the case a lot this season we didn't finish off a lot of our scoring opportunities," Reid said.

"All the boys in our team understand we're not top four material like we were last year. We're in a rebuilding stage with a lot of young and raw talent."

His form suggests he could easily be the third lock in the Magpies ITM Cup squad behind last year's regular starters, the "Twin Towers" Mark Abbott and Michael Allardice.

"That was probably the case at the start of the season. But I know Hawke's Bay like to develop young fellahs and the likes of Tom Parsons and New Zealand under-20s player Geoff Cridge will be the backup locks.

"Family comes first for me these days. I could end up playing for East Coast like I did last year or another Heartland Championship side ... options are still open at this stage," the father of two said.

"Family and the brotherhood is what attracts me to the MAC side. I'm from a third generation MAC family and both of my children are likely to pull on MAC colours in whatever code they choose," said Reid, a grandson of former All Black, Hawke's Bay and East Coast player Tori Reid.

He had two seasons with Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports in 2009-10 and is looking forward to a visit to Tamatea Park on Saturday.

"Pirates did a lot for me and I've got a soft spot for them. I know they've got a soft spot for me to as I always take a few knocks when we play them," Reid said with a grin.

He ranked Taradale's Magpies No8 Mark Atkins as the toughest player he has marked this season. All Black lock and former Magpie Brodie Retallick remains his hero.

"Chiefs assistant coach Tom Coventry did such a great job with the likes of Brodie and Ben Tameifuna when he was a Magpies co-coach. There are plenty of other Ben Tameifunas here in Flaxmere ... they just need opportunities."

Reid, who also still works as a caretaker at Flaxmere College, sees plenty of potential MAC players at a young age. He knows it's only a matter of time before they may be ready to replace him but in the meantime ...

"I'll keep doing whatever it takes to keep my place."