Hugh McGahan: Champion Campion is a major loss

I was as surprised as most people to hear that Kevin Campion was to depart the Warriors, just when we all thought that the exit door was well and truly closed.

It also saddens me knowing what Kevin has done for the club during his tenure, both as a player and in his short coaching stint. But, more importantly, it is what he stood for within the Warriors.

If I may speak on behalf of the general public, Kevin was perceived to be a tower of strength, the rock which everyone could lean on when things got tough and when toughness was needed to get out of a tight situation. As one of the coaches, he brought starch back into the Warriors defence - a stiffness not seen since his departure at the conclusion of 2002.

His no-nonsense approach to a problem was a no-nonsense solution. If hitting them hard in a tackle didn't solve a problem, then hitting them harder tended to do the trick - an approach Kevin imparted to those playing with him and which left a legacy not matched until his return for the 2005 season.

He will be missed and we must acknowledge his contribution before he departs our shores.

My interest in this situation is not why he has departed, as rumours abound as to why, but who is going to replace him?

Is someone going to take on the mantle of defensive co-ordinator in the shadow of Kevin Campion or is the position to be re-jigged to accommodate a current employee of the club?

If the latter is to be the case then someone needs to be used as a tackle bag for a few sessions to knock some sense back into them.

You cannot ask someone to do what Kevin did for this team as well as another job. In these modern days of professionalism, specialists have their place within a structure and to ask someone to fill a dual role is asking for trouble. It's like asking the doctor to look after the travel arrangements of the team.

If the position is to be filled by a specialist then a new defensive pattern and regime will need to be in place, practised and tested before the start of next season's campaign. This means an extra trial game may need to be looked at, as two or three fixtures is not enough for everyone to be comfortable prior to a NRL season. I am surprised that this role has not been filled to date or is there one imminent?

Regardless of this announcement, Ivan Cleary will be happy to witness the renewed confidence in some of his players within the Kiwi camp - with the hope they will return to invigorate the rest of his charges. Although the post-season work has commenced, it is more the off-field environment which needs revitalisation if success is to grow out of the new seeds that have been sown at the Kiwis and, hopefully, at the Warriors.