League: Crash and burn at Jetz

The revamped Bartercard Cup competition kicks off this weekend after a last-gasp flurry of player transfer activity and the last-minute resignation of the Counties-Manukau coach.

Dean Hunter threw in the towel on Wednesday, and last night the remains of a troubled management team were hoping all the players named to play Waicoa Bay Stallions on Saturday would turn up to training.

Jetz chairman Lou Proctor said they would play at Patterson Park at Ngaruawahia "if I have to pull my boots on".

Hunter and Proctor have not spoken since an argument at training on Tuesday. Hunter delivered his resignation to the New Zealand Rugby League, who are his employers as franchise controllers.

Several Counties-Manukau players who were in the team that finished third last year started training with the Jetz early season, then departed for the Waitakere Rangers as the problems between the coach and management brewed and contracts failed to materialise.

Among those are accomplished players Gavin Bailey and Lee Tamatoa, who, along with Mark Toelau, had been with Hunter when he was coach at Glenora, where he also fell out with the club board.

Proctor made Hunter apply for the job this year despite the Jetz's success in their first two years, finishing sixth then third.

Yesterday Proctor said Hunter had "tried to sign players with our money and we said, 'No'. On Tuesday he said the players we had couldn't catch the ball, then he shot through with one of his entourage."

Proctor said it had "cost us a million pounds to come third".

"Counties-Manukau is now what we want it to be, truly representative of the area."

There were two ex-Kiwis at the top of the list as prospective coaches. He wouldn't name them, but it is believed Gary Kemble is one target and Richie Blackmore has been approached.

Hunter said he was saddened by the fact he would not be coaching for the first time in 12 years.

He would reconsider if Proctor was off the management team.

"It was not a professional environment. Contracts were not finalised, Mangere-East were refusing to release players - you can't coach in that environment. At this level of football you need everyone sticking together."

The Waitakere Rangers could be the big threat to a third title for the remodelled Lions.

Big talk of the league clubs is the return of former Melbourne Storm second rower and 12-test Kiwi Matt Rua, 28, whose junior club was the Waitakere Seagulls, and whether he will go back to the NRL after a break since 2002.

The Rangers have New Zealand 'A' coach Bernie Perenara in charge, and he has gathered a decent backline, including son Bernard who was halfback for the winning Lions last year, former Warrior Boycie Nelson who has been playing in France, Tamatoa and Bailey.

They have Henry Turua from Otahuhu and Karl Guttenbeil from the defunct Marist-Richmond side with Rua and Karl Edmonson on the bench as a strong backrow department and hooker Dean Shepherd is a smart runner in traffic and good deliverer of the ball.

The competition drops from 12 to 10 teams, the Auckland clubs from eight to five and not all are happy with that. Mt Albert wanted to stand alone, and the Auckland Rugby League is beefing up its Fox Memorial and Roope Rooster competitions in opposition.

The NZRL publicly applauds the ARL approach of trying to make its competition as strong as possible but a big rift simmers.

There is only so much money in league, and player payments have brought clubs to their knees. There are only so many top-level players to go around, and the game needs a national, professional competition.

The Warriors need a competition to provide up-and-coming talent.

The two-year deal with Maori Television for Monday night live broadcasts, cover of other games and competition wrap-up offers the game and its sponsors increased coverage. Counter to that is the crowd problem, with many people reluctant to travel to neutral grounds, as evidenced by the generally poor turnout for games at Ericsson Stadium in the past. Too many of the franchises have struggled with inter-club politics.

There is a fear among pundits that the competition will be top-heavy and bottom-weak, with the Lions strengthened after Marist-Richmond was folded, along with Canterbury and the Rangers dictating things because of their classy line-ups and depth.

At the other end of the scale there are the new Northern Storm, who are a bunch of no-names with some Auckland ring-ins; the Central Falcons, who traditionally struggle if the Army calls up its members for manoeuvres; and Waicoa Bay, who are still building local strength.

In the "unknown quantity" bracket are the Wellington Orcas, rebuilding under new captain Taylor Pelenise who has transferred from Canterbury; the troubled Jetz; Tamaki, who have plenty of Otahuhu players but have not attracted as many from the old Tornadoes; and North Harbour, who have few from the old Hibiscus Coast. The latter have picked up centre Shaun Metcalf, the player banned after attacking his pregnant girlfriend.

In the coaching boxes, little has changed.

Perenara returns after a year off following his time at the Brothers, Dean Clark takes Tamaki in a step up from Papakura, and local identity Hiki Rutene takes over from legend Tawera Nikau at Waicoa, but the rest are long-term returnees.

The Lions' two-time winner Brian McClennan rates his squad "the strongest I've had in Bartercard." Steve Buckingham returns at pivot and as captain, and they have Warriors development players in Patrick Ah Van, Rowan Baxter, Misi Taulapapa, Andreas Bauer and Wayne McDade. Julian O'Neill and Sala Fa'alogo have returned from Widnes. Former Hibiscus Coast prop Shannon Stowers has joined.

He and the team have forgotten the last two titles, he said.

"We'll attack for the title, we're not out to defend it."

He was pleased with the number of players who had gone on to professional contracts and hoped that would continue.

"We'll find more."