Rugby: Coach dreads 2011 format

New players like loose forward Matt Todd shone for Canterbury this year. Photo / Getty Images

There have been many disciples preaching the piety of next year's revamped ITM Cup but Canterbury coach Rob Penney isn't one of them.

In fact, he could be regarded as a heretic. Penney doesn't agree with the plan for each team to play four cross-divisional games on top of the six round-robin games against other sides in their division. He thinks it will breed confusion and a lack of interest.

"It's a bit of a shambles," Penney says, "but we have to live in the environment we have been given. In 2006, when the Air New Zealand Cup started, there were repechages and cross-division games and it turned the public off.

"It was too complex and people didn't understand it. I fear next year's format could be like that."

Penney would prefer to see two pools of seven play home and away before a final. There would also be promotion-relegation between divisions.

It is certainly a simplified concept but it wouldn't wash with the NZRU and more especially the unions coming to grips with life in the bottom seven.

Many of the smaller unions fought bitterly hard for their survival when the national provincial championship was being revamped and the scheduling of four cross-division games and blanket television coverage were what convinced them to accept the new format.

Canterbury will go into that competition as favourites - as they always do these days - after securing their third title in as many years with a 33-13 defeat of Waikato in Friday night's final.

Penney has signalled he is likely to be back to chase a fourth consecutive title next year - his contract is up but he's expected to be offered a new deal - but the coach doesn't know how many of his players will join him.

Only Stephen Brett, who has joined Auckland and Munster-bound prop Peter Borlase have signalled their intentions to leave, but Penney says it's inevitable others will follow.

Out of this year's squad, only three remained from the 2008 title-winning side and only six returned from last season.

"When you're a successful organisation, people come calling," he says. "It's frustrating because we are losing good players. We can't compete with the money being offered elsewhere from European rugby and other unions and if that continues it will be a real problem. I don't know how to fix that.

"You are losing not only playing talent but also players who have the potential to go on and do great things. Many are unfulfilled and we will never know how good they could have been if they stayed."

There will be many outside Canterbury who won't be crying into their cornflakes.

The union continually recruits and develops good players to the chagrin of others and their record in recent seasons is unsurpassed (they have won five titles since 2001).

They have unearthed a talented loose trio this year in Matt Todd, Ash Parker and Nasi Manu to complement captain George Whitelock, while their midfield combination of Sonny Bill Williams and Robbie Fruean is unrivalled.

Even when Williams was unavailable, Penney could call on Ryan Crotty or Brett.

Canterbury celebrated yesterday by heading to a woolshed outside of Christchurch for some team activities and a barbecue.

"It's very Canterbury," Penney says as the stereo started blared on the team bus.

So is winning the NPC.