Who Should We Emulate?
By WarriorPhill
June 8 2014
Lots of fans, players and even management make constant reference to the Warriors “needing” to be like Exeter Chiefs. But I don’t agree, I think we need to set our sights higher!
Cast your memory back to the last game of the 2004/5 Zurich Premiership, Warriors at home to Northampton Saints. 8,500 fans turned up to watch the likes of Delport, Rasmussen, Windo, Gillies and Sanderson take on, the then fellow relegation contenders, Saints. We won that game 21-19 thanks to tries by Raz, Powell and Hickey, finished the season in 9th place and watched in relief as Harlequins were relegated.
The following season we bettered that finish coming in joint 7th (8th). It looked like we were in the Premiership to stay and that we were progressively getting better.
In the 2006/7 season Northampton Saints found themselves in our current position – last. Ending the season in bottom place 1 point behind us, having finished in 11th place. A 9-10 away victory, on New Year’s Day 2007, at Franklins Gardens proved the decisive result. This should have kicked us into gear to progress up the league and could, easily have ruined the Saints – it would appear it had the opposite affect – on both teams.
The relegated Saints squad included the likes of Diggin, Cohen, Spencer, Thompson and Hartley. After a successful season in National Division 1, winning both the league and the cup, Northampton have gone on from strength to strength.
Building a squad, bringing on youth and building on a winning culture around the club Saints have won or contested for silverware in every season since their relegation.
THIS is what we want to emulate.
In the same period we have lost top talent, such as Wood, Kitchener, Benjamin, Kvesic, Mullan, been relegated twice and won promotion once, but not really contested for anything higher than the relegation battle in the Premiership or group stage European rugby.
Yes Exeter have a sound business model, Yes they have taken on the premiership and pushed for European glory, but in 8 year’s time would I rather we had followed the Chiefs route or the Saints route? The statistics speak for themselves:
Northampton Saints, since being promoted back to top tier rugby:
2008/9
Guiness A League Winners
Amlin Challenge Cup Winners
2009/10
Anglo-Welsh Cup Winners
2010/11
Heineken Cup Runners Up
2011/12
Anglo-Welsh Cup Runners Up
2012/13
Aviva Premiership Runners Up
2013/14
Anglo-Welsh Cup Runners Up
Amlin Challenge Cup Winners
Aviva Premiership Winners
Right now we can only dream of club honours anything like those of Saints, but they have proved it is possible, following relegation, to climb to the top.
Retaining the likes of Creevy, Thomas and Pennell was a massive step in the right direction. Signing experienced and exciting players like Sanderson, Mulchrone, Biggs and Mills shows that the club are pushing, they are serious about becoming a top club.
Nick Johnston could be our key man for finally becoming the big club we all know the Warriors can be. He has been there and done it. Johnston joined Saints in 2008 and has been part of the revelation that are now, Aviva Premiership Champions - Northampton Saints.
Can we look forward to back to back Premiership finals in 2021? If so, it will, in part be down to the clubs desire to bring in talent, expand the academy and create a winning rugby culture. Should it happen then not only can we look forward to teams like Toulon and Leinster coming to Sixways we can look forward to having one of the best grounds in English rugby. Get the results, bring in the fans and the Sixways 20/20 plan will be completed – 20,000 seats by 2020.
We are 1 year into a 5 year plan, I think we need to look further ahead, going 1 better than the Chiefs and doing it the Saints way.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014:08:18:19:43:30 by Powick Eastander.
Nothing wrong with aspiring to be like Saints though. Hopefully we'll get there one day - as Exeter might too. Maybe Chiefs are demonstrating that a period of consolidation in the prem is required before pushing for honours. If Dean Ryan's plan comes off, it will be fascinating if we can bypass this consolidation period and contend for trophies immediately.
As above though, the end result is to emulate the high number of Acad/EQ players in the matchday squad, similar to Quins.
I do not recall them losing big attendance numbers through relegation, or the lead up to their drop. It seems as a club we lose too many whenever things don't pan out, and lay the issue at the clubs door for not giving this and that to entice folk in.
Time to be the Faithful again.
In terms of our most direct comparison, Chiefs are the best example of relatively new created Prem club, and show the problems we will face when we gain momentum on the upward curve. How we deal with those same problems in the future, will be as a direct result of the steps taken now and what we have learned along the way.
Going to take plenty of patience and persistence for all parties, especially at the start of next season.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:11:09:44:54 by Patgadd.
Warriors Rugby Supporters Club Not a bad article, but not great. To be a better article would really have compared Northampton vs Chiefs in finer detail.
To be clear, I was not comparing us to Northampton, I was saying that theirs is the model we should follow, not necessarily Exeter, outlining the fact they have won something pretty much every season since they were promoted back to the Premiership
Quote:usa warrior
Our Academy structure is almost exactly like what NJ established at Northampton; in fact we have a larger area from which to recruit. This was the reason we brought him in, alongside the fitness side of things.
As above though, the end result is to emulate the high number of Acad/EQ players in the matchday squad, similar to Quins.
Nick Johnston did not establish the academy structure at Northampton. He was in charge of fitness and conditioning for the entire squad. Twelve months after he joined the performance of the team was noticeably better in that the Saints players were often fitter in the later stages of games than their opposition were. If The Hood can do the same at Worcester you will see the benefits at all playing levels.
For you, you have been in the premiership several seasons and know what it is about. Exeter in my opinion are still learning and have struggled to balance their squads in their various competitions shown by their collapse at the end of last season. It really is a crying shame they are not in the European Cup next year. I think Worcester are on a better foundation than Exeter were if you come back up again so with the right structure in place, there is no reason why you can't achieve more in a few years.
Good luck and keep the support, it will make it easier for people and players to invest with bums on seats.
Tremendous player with a big engine and soft hands. He is superb at tackling and at making the hard yards - he would make a great captain for the club. He is a player that others will follow and knows how to win. He is a class act and could be the stand out player for you going forward.
Enjoy your sabbatical - it will be great fun, you won't stop smiling.
Warriors Rugby Supporters Club By running the club as a business and developing our players rather than buying in international superstars
In any event GJVV has played eight times for Saints since signing for you and occasionally captained the side.
If you are still in doubt, ask Nick Johnson why he recommended him to DR as a must have.......