Kevill switch coup for Greens
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday March 29, 2011
NEW Merewether coach Stacey Sykes believes prized recruit Dan Kevill will provide the X factor that has been missing from the Greens.In the biggest and most controversial off-season move in recent Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union memory, Kevill has left Wanderers to join their arch rivals and reunite with his former Newcastle and NSW Country under-20s coach.Sykes said the towering No.8 would make his Greens debut in second grade in the season opener against Southern Beaches at Townson Oval on Saturday but expected him to quickly take up a leadership role in the top grade.Kevill joins Sydney University and former player of the year Dan Lewinski, Knights 2001 premiership winner Sean Rudder and Hamilton back-rower-cum-hooker Bell Sasula as the new faces in a Merewether side that were runaway minor premiers last season only to lose both semi-finals.But Kevill's defection, which was formalised last week, has created the most interest.The 26-year-old inspired the Two Blues to an epic 21-20 grand final triumph over the Greens two years ago and in the same year collected the Anderson Medal for the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union's best and fairest, an award he shared with Tom Shannon (Hamilton) and Mosese Voka (Singleton).Sykes said he and Kevill had clicked when the former was in charge of the under-20 representative teams."If I didn't get the coaching job and we didn't make the changes we have, he wouldn't have come across," Sykes said."I hadn't spoken to him since before Christmas and then I got a text from a few weeks ago."He had heard good things about our team and wanted a new challenge."I gave him 48 hours to make sure his mind was set."He came to training on Tuesday and sent me a text to say it was the best training session he'd had in a couple of years."With Bell, Sean Rudder and a few new faces coming in it was enough for him to come on board."Wanderers coach Dan Beckett, who lured Kevill back to the club after a year playing league, declined to comment on the star's departure but is said to be bitterly disappointed.Sykes, who won three premierships as a player with Singleton, is in his first senior coaching appointment but is aware of the pressure to succeed."That is the nature of the beast," he said."I was lucky to win a few competitions. Everyone talked about [the impact of former Wallaby] Steve Merrick but you need to have grunt up front."What we need to do - and Merewether haven't done it in the past - is to go through [the defence] before we go around it."Dan will provide that bit of aggression. He will be that X factor."
© 2011 Newcastle Herald
