northharbour
Academy Player
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- Sep 1, 2010
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High-profile North Harbour co-coaches Geoff Wilson and Craig Dowd have been sacked with a year remaining on their contracts.
The former All Blacks have paid the price for their 11th placed finish in this year's national provincial championship, which followed a 12th-placed campaign when the pair first came together in 2009.
The North Harbour board lost patience with the results and voted unanimously last night to seek a coaching change.
Chief executive Brett Hollister said the position will be advertised and the union's gaze will extend offshore.
"Who would know whether the options are going to be limited to New Zealand," he told Radio Sport.
"We're committed to getting the very best person to get the best out of the player group that we've got."
Both Dowd and Wilson had performance clauses written into their contracts, meaning the union won't have to pay out on their final year. The union had targetted a top-seven finish.
Anthony Boric, one of two North Harbour players on tour with the All Blacks -- alongside prop Tony Woodcock -- was saddened to learn of Dowd and Wilson's demise.
"It's disappointing for them, and us, to hear that news. It's happened very quickly," he said today.
"Obviously I've played a couple of games for Harbour this year and saw how passionate they were about the team.
"I think they're good coaches it's just a shame the way players performed hasn't helped their cause at all."
Former Auckland prop Dowd and Otago winger Wilson both played 60 tests in careers that closely mirrored each other.
They made their test debuts in 1993 and scaled great heights playing for their country through the remainder of that decade.
The former All Blacks have paid the price for their 11th placed finish in this year's national provincial championship, which followed a 12th-placed campaign when the pair first came together in 2009.
The North Harbour board lost patience with the results and voted unanimously last night to seek a coaching change.
Chief executive Brett Hollister said the position will be advertised and the union's gaze will extend offshore.
"Who would know whether the options are going to be limited to New Zealand," he told Radio Sport.
"We're committed to getting the very best person to get the best out of the player group that we've got."
Both Dowd and Wilson had performance clauses written into their contracts, meaning the union won't have to pay out on their final year. The union had targetted a top-seven finish.
Anthony Boric, one of two North Harbour players on tour with the All Blacks -- alongside prop Tony Woodcock -- was saddened to learn of Dowd and Wilson's demise.
"It's disappointing for them, and us, to hear that news. It's happened very quickly," he said today.
"Obviously I've played a couple of games for Harbour this year and saw how passionate they were about the team.
"I think they're good coaches it's just a shame the way players performed hasn't helped their cause at all."
Former Auckland prop Dowd and Otago winger Wilson both played 60 tests in careers that closely mirrored each other.
They made their test debuts in 1993 and scaled great heights playing for their country through the remainder of that decade.
