'Earn it': Chiefs boss issues message to new recruit Josh Ioane
Josh Ioane may be the headline recruit for the Chiefs leading into the new Super Rugby season, but the one-test All Blacks pivot won’t be receiving any special treatment from his new employers.
That’s the message from Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan, who has iterated that Ioane, like the rest of his teammates, will be made to earn his place in the side’s starting lineup.
Ioane drew headlines last August when it was announced that he had been granted a release by the Highlanders with one year still to run on his contract with the Dunedin-based franchise.
A day later, the Chiefs confirmed they had signed the 26-year-old, who told RugbyPass in September that the motive behind his switch was spurred by a mutual feeling of unfulfilled potential between him and the Highlanders.
That consensus between the two parties came after Ioane struggled to replicate the kind of form that made him an All Black in 2019 on a consistent basis.
Instead, Ioane was plagued by constant reshuffling between positions across the backline, as well as a raft of high-profile off-field issues.
In the end, his desire to play in his preferred position of first-five instigated his move north, with the Chiefs landing one of the signings of the Super Rugby Pacific off-season.
However, despite his test rugby status and talent as a ball-running and playmaking threat, McMillan has offered Ioane no assurances of starting honours ahead of teammates Kaleb Trask, Bryn Gatland and Rivez Reihana.
Speaking to media on Thursday, McMillan said that although Ioane has impressed since linking up with the Hamilton-based outfit ahead of the new campaign, he still faces stiff competition from his fellow first-fives for the No 10 jersey.
“To answer the first part of your question, really rapt with how Josh has come in,” McMillan said.
“He’s actually taken the liberty of coming in pre-Christmas and over the summer break to sort of familiarise himself with the environment. He’s in really good nick physically and he’s really starting to find his voice at training now.
“Smart players will go into a new environment and not try and own the place right from the get-go, so he’s been smart in that way. He’s in great nick, as are the large majority of the squad.
“One of the things, I think, that we’re going to find this year is competition for places is going to be strong and competition drives higher standards right across the board, and the 10 situation is no different.
“It’s probably one of the most contestable positions in the team. You’ve got Kaleb Trask, who’s been running there, we’ve got young Rivez, we’ve got Josh and Bryn so they’re all getting their fair share of time there in the pre-season.
“Then, over the next couple of weeks, one of them will put their hand up and say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy to lead us through the first part of the season’.
“But, outside of probably Sam Cane, nobody’s been guaranteed a starting position. It’s basically earned.”
While he acknowledged that Ioane’s desire to play at No 10 was a significant reason as to why he joined the Chiefs, McMillan held firm on his stance that his new man has a challenge on his hands to prove his worth in the squad.
McMillan added that such a philosophy will prove to be beneficial for the Chiefs as they look to end a decade-long silverware drought in the inaugural edition of Super Rugby’s revamped competition.
“To be really transparent, I think that Josh has come to the Chiefs because he wants to play 10 and he sees an opportunity to really challenge for a starting spot,” McMillan said.
“What we haven’t done, and what I wouldn’t do with any player is ever give them a guarantee or a right of passage to a jersey. They’ve got to come here and earn it like everybody else.
“Josh had made every post a winner, but equally been really impressed with the other guys and that’s what competition does, right? It means if you want to start then everyone has to raise their game, and if we do that then the season is looking promising.”
Despite New Zealand’s nationwide move into its red light Covid setting, McMillan said both of his side’s pre-season fixtures against Moana Pasifika in Auckland next Friday and the Blues in Te Puke the following Saturday are still going ahead as planned.
Those games will provide McMillan the chance to mix-and-match his first-five options before the Chiefs open their Super Rugby Pacific campaign against the Highlanders in Hamilton on February 19.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments