The Star: February 01, 2024

The Star Thursday February 1 2024
26
SPORT
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wilson plots new course for Bulls
• By Will Evans
Walter
Wilson
A GRAND-FINAL hero of the
1990s will take over the reins of
the SENZ Canterbury Bulls.
Halswell stalwart Walter
Wilson has been appointed head
coach, taking over from Jed
Lawrie who has guided the side
for the past two
seasons.
The Bulls
were relegated
from the premiership
last
season to the
national championship
for the
competition
which starts
after the club
grand-final.
Wilson brings an impressive
and varied coaching CV to the
role; he guided the Halswell
reserve grade team at the tailend
of his playing days, coached
Canterbury 19s and South
Island Scorpions – the latter to
a historic NZRL national youth
tournament final appearance in
2018 – and led Ryde-Eastwood
Hawks across the Tasman to a
Sydney Shield triumph in 2019.
He played in grand-finals for
Halswell during the 1990s, and
returned to the club in 2021 and
coached the Hornets premiers to
back-to-back preliminary final
appearances before stepping
down.
“I’ve had a year off, I stepped
back from the Halswell role
with Ray Hubbard being there, I
thought the timing was perfect
for him – he was more than
Sports Shorts
MOVING FORWARD: Stand-off Jimmy Wihongi in action for the Canterbury Bulls last
season. The team and will now be coached by Halswell stalwart Walter Wilson.
ready for that role,” Wilson said.
“I went and watched
a few games, basically
stepped right away from
it all, but I got itchy feet
again. The opportunity
with the Bulls and the
timing has just really
married together, which
I’m really excited about.”
CRL’s call for a Bulls
head coach unencumbered
by club duties
prompted Lawrie to step down
after two years at the helm, the
Jed Lawrie
seven-time grand final coach
instead lining up for one
last season at Hornby.
“Jed did a great job at
a really challenging time
for Canterbury Rugby
League, but having
someone that’s going to
be accessible to watch
all the games and pick
the right players that
are in form, for all the
right reasons, that’ll be
an exciting opportunity as well,”
Wilson said.
PHOTO: NZ RUGBY LEAGUE
“Just to get around and talk
with the coaches and hopefully
be able to talk with the players
on a weekly basis leading up
to selecting a form side will be
great.”
CRL chief executive Malcolm
Humm underlined Wilson’s
vast experience and ongoing
commitment to developing his
coaching skills as key factors in
the appointment.
“With the SENZ Canterbury
Bulls being relegated to the
national championship in 2024,
(we) believe Walter is the right
person to lead the campaign to
victory and guide the team back
to the national premiership in
2025, where he will retain the
head coach role.”
Wilson said he is eyeing new
players.
“One step at a time, and we
might go out with expressions
of interest to see who actually
wants the privilege of wearing
the Canterbury jersey.”
“We’ll need to build a belief
system within the group and
some understandings of what
we’re doing – all of those key
phrases that most coaches throw
out there.
“We know we’ve got talent
in Canterbury. You can see the
youth that’s come through in
the last year, especially with the
success of St Thomas’ (national
secondary schools title), and
Manu Clarkson’s (South Island
Scorpions 16s) team that he took
to the national tournament title
– the majority of those boys were
from the Canterbury side.
“There’s a lot of youth coming
through, so there’s a lot to look
forward to in the next couple of
years.”
Wilson said it is important to
preserve the values and team
culture aspects that have contributed
to the considerable success
they have enjoyed in the past
eight years.
“I think it’s important to talk
to them and I’ll be more than
happy to get some feedback
about past seasons, what’s
worked and what hasn’t.”
CANTERBURY’S 50-over
Ford Trophy campaign resumes
tomorrow with a match against
Otago at Mainpower Oval in
Rangiora. The red-and-blacks
will be without Black caps
Tom Latham, Matt Henry and
Daryl Mitchell but will see
Super Smash top-scorer Henry
Nicholls turn out after his recent
dropping from the national
team. At the halfway stage of the
competition Canterbury have
just one win from their first five
games but will hope to build
on a promising Super Smash
where they finished runners-up
to Auckland. The first ball at
Mainpower Oval will be bowled
at 10.30am.
THE BLACK Ferns have locked
in three home tests to kick off
their 2024 season. The team will
play Australia, Canada, and the
USA on home soil as they look to
defend the Pacific Four title they
won last year. The tournament
doubles as qualification for the
WXV competition, with the top
three teams sealing their spot
in the top tier, also known as
WXV1.
New Zealand’s games take
place on May 11, 19 and 25 with
venues and kick-off times to be
confirmed.
YOUNG GOLFER Cooper
Moore goes into this weekend’s
Canterbury strokeplay
championships with two
wins under his belt. 15-yearold
Moore won the Otago
strokeplay and South Island
championships, which were
combined, at the Otago Golf
Club at the weekend. He claimed
the titles thanks to a one-shot
victory over Otago’s Jacob
Bellamy in nail-biting fashion.
Bellamy missed a six-foot putt
for par on the 18th which would
have forced a playoff had he
sunk it after Moore bogeyed the
hole. Moore’s best score was 68
which he achieved in the second
of three rounds. The Canterbury
strokeplay championships begin
on Saturday.
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