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The contracting decision the Highlanders may live to regret
It’s not unusual to see a player leave a team where they’ve struggled for game time, or struggled for form, and suddenly come alive in a new environment. The Highlanders, in particular, have been experts in the past at turning journeymen into world-beaters.
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Malakai Fekitoa made just one appearance for the Blues in 2013 before signing with the Highlanders a year later and then made his All Blacks debut that same season.
Likewise, Liam Squire had enjoyed some success with the Chiefs prior to his shift south but hadn’t established himself as a mainstay in the pack. In his first season with the Highlanders, however, his newly adopted side were crowned Super Rugby champions.
Cult figures Ash Dixon and Marty Banks, meanwhile, started their Super Rugby careers with the Hurricanes but didn’t find great success until they relocated to the Highlanders.
Fans of New Zealand’s southernmost franchise will be hoping that new head coach Tony Brown can work similar magic with new recruits Billy Harmon, Fetuli Paea and Solomon Alaimalo – but it may actually be a departed Highlander that ends up making the most waves in 2021.
Cantabrian Josh McKay was lured south by the Highlanders in 2018 and, at the time, his signing was rightly hailed as a major coup for the club.
McKay represented Christchurch Boys’ High School in his formative years and, alongside new All Black Will Jordan, terrorised opposition schools during the 2015 competition. McKay notched over 20 tries for CBHS over two seasons in the First XV, primarily while wearing the No 10 jersey, and his attacking capabilities were evident for everyone to see.
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He was quickly ushered into the Canterbury academy and made his Mitre 10 debut in 2017, scoring seven tries throughout the season. With the likes of George Bridge, Braydon Ennor, Israel Dagg, David Havili and McKay’s former schoolmate Jordan already signed up, there was no room for McKay at the Crusaders for 2018 – and the Highlanders snapped him up.
Few minutes were on offer for McKay in his debut Super Rugby year, but coach Aaron Mauger was still compelled to sign the young outside back up for another two years, keeping the speedster in Dunedin until the end of last year.
Despite continually proving his prowess for Canterbury, including scoring 11 tries in the 2019 provincial competition, McKay still struggled for game time with the Highlanders and was ultimately not offered a new contract at the end of last year.
Instead, the Highlanders persevered with the likes of Sam Gilbert, Scott Gregory and Tima Fainga’anuku – men who weren’t even in the squad at the start of the season.
Some men just can’t seem to catch a break – while others have been picked more on promise than anything they’ve shown on the park to date. Who were the winners and losers from the NZ 2021 #SuperRugby squad unveilings?https://t.co/oTydDYluC9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 3, 2020
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Speaking to Stuff last year, McKay confirmed he’d not been re-signed by the Highlanders and that he was working on the physicality required of a Super Rugby wing.
“I’m not with the Highlanders next year, I’ve not got any Super,” he said. “At the moment, I’m just focussing on Canterbury and if something pops up through playing well then something pops up.”
Nothing did pop up at the time, however, and when the Super Rugby squads were announced in December, McKay’s name was nowhere to be found.
It appears that the last laugh may be with McKay, however, with the former Highlander now joining the Crusaders ranks for the Super Rugby Aotearoa season as injury cover for Braydon Ennor.
With the pre-season now in full-swing, McKay will be competing with fellow injury replacement Rene Ranger as well as Crusaders regulars Sevu Reece, David Havili, Will Jordan and Leicester Fainga’anuku for spots in the back three – but Crusaders strength and conditioning coach Simon Thomas has no reservations about McKay’s potential.
“He’s managed to put on a little bit of muscle over the off-season and get himself to a good playing weight,” Thomas told Stuff, indicating that physicality might not be a problem for the McKay in 2021.
“Josh has done an awesome job. He’s got an opportunity and really worked hard towards it. With the weight he’s put on, but the speed he’s still running, he’s in a really good space to deliver for us when he gets an opportunity to play.
“Which he needs to, because there’s a fair bit of competition in the outside backs here. He’s made a good start.”
Will Jordan has regularly been involved in rugby tug-of-wars between rival teams.
The up-and-coming fullback spoke to @TomVinicombe about the decisions he's made to remain in @CrusadersRugby country. #SuperRugbyAotearoahttps://t.co/44suG8u80Y
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 29, 2020
‘A fair bit of competition’ may be somewhat of an understatement – but we’ve seen injury replacements emerge as starting players by season’s end on more than one occasion.
Most recently, Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa’i managed to earn an All Blacks call-up in 2020, despite only signing with the Chiefs part-way through the season.
Crusaders wing Sevu Reece also went from a Crusaders late addition to a World Cup starter in 2019 – which shows there’s a definite pathway for McKay to get his professional career back on track.
And if McKay does prove the doubters wrong and fly high for the Crusaders, it could mark the first real misstep in the Highlanders’ contracting approach for the last few years. Of course, some players simply thrive better in different environments and often it’s the motivation from being cut that allows a player to realise their potential – perhaps the Highlanders have just done exactly what McKay has needed to come of age.
Comments on RugbyPass
It’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
6 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
2 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
11 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
6 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
2 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
7 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
7 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
7 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
11 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
7 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
6 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
2 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
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