Hayden Meikle: West Coast first up. What are you expecting?
Barry Stevens: To be totally honest, I haven't seen a lot of them. I've spoken to a few guys who have told me they'll probably bring a rugged, big forward pack and play a lot of close-in rugby. We're expecting a physical battle.
HM: Have you set down an overall goal for the season?
BS: Yeah, we've got some team goals. You'd be lying if you said your goal wasn't to win the competition. We've got wee targets along the way. Making the playoffs is the first one. Performing well at home is another one.
HM: What sort of rugby will we see from the Old Golds?
BS: I've coached in Otago for quite some time and I'm a real advocate of the expansive style. We want to use width. And we've got some big forwards who are good ball-runners.
HM: How difficult is it going to be to get all these amateur blokes up to speed in terms of fitness?
BS: That's the big thing that has struck me so far. These guys are all workers. We've got farmers and milkers and forestry workers and freezing workers. They're all working big hours. It's a matter of fitting in some training around them. You can't get everyone to trainings. But we've got guys doing some supplementary fitness work, and we're showing some good signs there.
HM: The North Otago squad has locals, overseas imports and Dunedin club players. How do you bring all those blokes together?
BS: It's just spending time together. Talking and communicating. We've got a real melting pot. There are guys from the islands, from the UK, America, as well as guys from Dunedin. They're a good bunch and they all want the same thing. They want to do the jersey and the community proud. Our first road trip next week will be good to help build the team environment.
HM: Coaches hate this, but can you identify a player or three to watch this season?
BS: Oh, hell. There are a number of exciting players. Ralph Darling has been around a long time and he's our captain. I've been nothing but impressed with him. He's got a great amount of knowledge and he's really keen. Sam Sturgess is a guy that will add a lot of experience. Our blindside flanker, Filipo Veamatahau, is a young fellow - not long out of school - and he's really exciting. For a kid of his age, his maturity and ability is amazing. He's got a big future.
HM: You've worn a sort of black jersey in your pre-season games. Tell me you haven't ditched the old gold.
BS: Definitely not. That's our away strip. We've got a new sponsorship from Gilbert and our new jerseys are arriving soon.
HM: Did you grow up in North Otago or just live here for a while?
BS: I was born and bred in Dunedin, but I lived in Oamaru for three years. That's where I met my wife, Tina. I played for Valley and had a couple of seasons with North Otago in the early 1990s.
HM: Halfback, if I recall?
BS: Yeah.
HM: Yappy and scrappy?
BS: Absolutely, ha ha.
HM: North Otago's recent history is pretty impressive, with three national titles in the past 13 years. You feel any pressure to maintain the legacy?
BS: Not really. It's a cliche, but the most pressure comes from within. There has been a lot of pride in the jersey over the last 10-15 years. I was in that team that got beaten 139-5 by Auckland, so they've come a long way. We're working hard to perform to the best of our ability.
