It's Hammerlander time

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="585838" data-time="1465441704">
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Oddly enough, it's only for one year. Brown heading to work with the Japan national team in 2018. So it's a stop-gap measure. Whoopie. 
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Highlanders Chair: "Tony, this is your assistant, Mark Hammett".
 
Tony, "Nice to meet you, Mark".
 
Hammer, "You're fired"!

MajorRage

Was his gig with the sunwolves only a one-termer?

Wurzel

This smacks as Highlanders settling for second best.
 
They wanted Tony Brown but he wasn't keen because they knew he was bailing in 2018. They couldn't find anyone else worthy so they convinced him to coach for at last one year. Then thought they better lock in their second option, Hammett, as assistant in case he got contracted by Buller before 2018 rolled around.

SouthernMan

When I first saw this announcement I was reasonably chuffed, Brownie had changed his mind, fantastic, another long term coach. But then more information came out, he's only head coach for one year! With Mark Hammett likely to take over? This is a cop out in my mind and is only going to disrupt things. Sadly the Highlanders are now stuck in a Japanese rugby merry-go-round. They get Jamie, we get Mark, they get Tony.
So our backs coach becomes a head coach, to bugger off and become a backs coach somewhere else a year later. I would have been chuffed for this, if Tony was signing a two or three year deal. But a one year deal as a head coach is a joke. 
To me this smacks of the franchise management struggling to get decent candidates and jumping on the bail out option. While giving Mark Hammett a year as a dress re-rehearsal to see how the players like him and whether or not he has the buy in to become head coach.
Structure and consistency is very important to any sporting organisation and the upheaval which could occur over the next couple of years at the franchise could have some dire consequences.
Tony is a great coach, but a one year contract for a head coaching role is stupid in my mind. Mark Hammett, to me his results speak volumes and while the Sunwolves have looked good at times. I do worry when I think of his time at the Hurricanes.
I've really enjoyed the Highlanders over the last three seasons and want to give management the benefit of the doubt, but I am scratching my head about this decision.

Canes4life

All I can say is goodluck Highlanders I really hope Hammett doesn't F up what you have going atm.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="584108" data-time="1464606978">
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<img src="http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Halt_e28cb7_279158.jpg" alt="Halt_e28cb7_279158.jpg">
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Can we give jegga some kind of nomination for this ridiculously hilarious post ? It's even funnier when you sing it with your kids in the car and say the above instead of "Stop, Hammertime"......

Stargazer

Article on stuff website: 

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
Tony Brown to coach Highlanders in 2017 Super Rugby season before heading to Japan 
 Last updated 15:26, June 9 2016 
 Tony Brown is the new coach of the Highlanders, but only for one season. 
 He will take over the top job in 2017, but move overseas in 2018, linking up with the Highlanders' current coach Jamie Joseph, who is off to coach the Japanese national team. 
 Current Sunwolves coach Mark Hammett will join the franchise as one of Brown's assistants, with his fellow current assistant Scott McLeod staying on. The pair have been given contracts through to the end of the 2019 season. 
 Brown had originally signed on to continue as the franchise's attack coach next year, turning down the chance to take over the top job, but hinted in April that it had become a possibility again. 
 He told Sky Sports: "It seems to be no one wants to follow Jamie Joseph and take the Highlanders over. Who knows, I might get bullied into it." 
 Now, he says he's excited by the opportunity. 
 "I wasn't sure the timing was right for me, but having spoken to people inside and outside the organisation, I know now that this is too good an opportunity to pass up. 
 "Knowing that I will have Stormy (McLeod) and Hammer (Hammett) with me was an important part of the decision and I'm excited at the prospect of working with them next year." 
 Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark said he was delighted with the appointment. 
 "We said at the outset that we were looking to replace Jamie Joseph with a proven coach with a successful track record and we certainly believe Tony fits that description. 
 "Ideally we would have liked his appointment to be longer however, we are excited by the coaching group we have appointed for 2017 and are confident we will find a quality replacement for Tony in the time frame we have available." 
 Hammett was head coach of the Hurricanes from 2011 to 2014 before taking up a similar role with Cardiff Blues, then becoming the first head coach of Japanese expansion team the Sunwolves this year. 
 "Clearly what Jamie and the team have accomplished is outstanding," said Hammett. 
 "All I really want to do is make a contribution to the group from what I have learned over the last few years as a head coach, assist Brownie and Stormy as much as I can, and build on the good work that has already being done. The opportunity to work with the Highlanders is very motivating for me and I am looking forward to it." 
 McLeod has been an assistant coach since 2013 and while his current contract ends after this season, he was happy to recommit through to 2019. 
 "Obviously whenever you finish a contract you have to weigh up all your options and it certainly wasn't an easy decision, but I get a lot of satisfaction from working with the current group of players and coaches," he said. 
 "The family has also settled well into Dunedin and with some fresh challenges for the club on the horizon, the best option was to recommit to the Highlanders." 
 - Stuff 
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Billy Tell

My mini pet hate on this forum: cutting and pasting newspaper articles in their entirety. 
Just paste the link: if I'm interested I'll click. If I'm not I don't get finger arthritis scrolling down. 
Merci.

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="585888" data-time="1465451627">
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My mini pet hate on this forum: cutting and pasting newspaper articles in their entirety. 
Just paste the link: if I'm interested I'll click. If I'm not I don't get finger arthritis scrolling down. 
Merci.
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I'm the opposite, you don't want to risk clicking on a Ratpoo, Walrus or Gallagher link by mistake.

sparky

Great to see Tony Brown get the gig. 
 
Rumours out of Ireland are that Joe Schmidt will be looking for a coaching job in NZ in 2018. He might be the next Highlanders coach.

Bones

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="585888" data-time="1465451627">My mini pet hate on this forum: cutting and pasting newspaper articles in their entirety. 
Just paste the link: if I'm interested I'll click. If I'm not I don't get finger arthritis scrolling down. 
Merci.</blockquote>
My mini pet hate is people too lazy to post the article. Why would I want to click to see it when I can read it here?

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="585896" data-time="1465452733">
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I'm the opposite, you don't want to risk clicking on a Ratpoo, Walrus or Gallagher link by mistake.
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I like o think in some small way posting their entire articles means less clicks and the day they are out of work draws closer.

Bones

Oh and fuck fuckitty fuck.

Billy Tell

Ok I'm in the minority. 
As I adhere to the principles of democracy I accept the ruling of the masses. 
Cut 'n' paste it is. 
But think of the virtual trees.

Smudge

As a (borderline) member of the fourth estate, I would prefer any stories posted to be accompanied by links to the original publishers. Just a matter of courtesy. But I would suspect I'm in an even smaller minority than Billy Tell.

SouthernMan

ahhh members of the fourth estate, what do they know.

Smudge

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SouthernMan" data-cid="585923" data-time="1465458429">
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ahhh members of the fourth estate, what do they know.
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Slightly less than former members of the fourth estate.

taniwharugby

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="585922" data-time="1465458082">
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As a (borderline) member of the fourth estate, I would prefer any stories posted to be accompanied by links to the original publishers. Just a matter of courtesy. But I would suspect I'm in an even smaller minority than Billy Tell. 
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Yeah I try to do it that way...every now and then, there isnt much to be gained by the whole article so I post an extract from it with the link.

booboo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="585888" data-time="1465451627">
My mini pet hate on this forum: cutting and pasting newspaper articles in their entirety. 
Just paste the link: if I'm interested I'll click. If I'm not I don't get finger arthritis scrolling down. 
Merci.</blockquote>
 
Nup. Makes it easier to read. Stops the clicks on the ckick bait trolls. Means you don't have to switch between windows. Suck it up

booboo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="585922" data-time="1465458082">
As a (borderline) member of the fourth estate, I would prefer any stories posted to be accompanied by links to the original publishers. Just a matter of courtesy. But I would suspect I'm in an even smaller minority than Billy Tell.</blockquote>
 
Yep. Agree entirely.

The Silver Fern

It's Hammerlander time