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Return of Maggs set to produce positive influence
CRAIG WEST has hailed the impact of Kevin Maggs since the former Ireland centre's return to Clifton Lane.
The 35-year-old was appointed as West's assistant at Rotherham Titans two weeks ago following the departure of John Stankevitch to rugby league side Rochdale Hornets.
Maggs proved a revelation during a brief spell with Rotherham last season when the experience gained from 70 international caps and spells with Bristol and Ulster helped guide the club to five successive wins and away from relegation.
A similar battle to avoid being part of the four-way relegation play-off at the end of the season is ensuing again at Clifton Lane, leading West to call in Maggs who will assist him with the running of the team and will also play a part on the field.
"Kevin was a big influence last year on the pitch and we are going to be looking at getting him involved playing wise in a week or two," said West, whose side host Doncaster Knights in the South Yorkshire derby tomorrow.
"His commitment is better than any coach I've worked with in my time at the club, and he's travelling up from Bristol every time he's with us.
"You need to hear different ideas and to be able to delegate to other members of the team, to share responsibility.
"There's a lot of decisions to be made and if you're on your own you don't have the time to make all those decisions.
"He brings a wealth of knowledge to the club. Kevin is a sounding board for me, but he is also very committed and a hard worker.
"I do believe though that his biggest influence at this club will be on the pitch."
Maggs will continue alongside West on the sidelines tomorrow as Rotherham look to bounce back from last week's costly defeat at Moseley.
Having surged into a handsome lead on the back of an impressive win over Cornish Pirates the week before, Rotherham's kicking game collapsed and unforced errors allowed Moseley to claim victory.
The conclusion of tomorrow's derby marks the mid-point of the Championship season with Rotherham 10th and desperate to finish in the top eight and in the promotion play-offs.
They had the ascendency over Doncaster due to their neighbours' dreadful start to the campaign until Saturday's defeat was coupled with a fourth win on the bounce for Lynn Howells' Knights, who climbed out of the bottom four for the first time this season.
"Doncaster are on a good run of form and even if we were playing them on the back of a six-match losing run we would never take them lightly," said West, whose side have not beaten Doncaster in their last seven attempts, but came close last December before losing to Jamie Lennard's last-gasp penalty.
"I anticipate it will be another tight game between the two of us. There'll be a lot of passion and commitment from everyone involved.
"As always it will be a big game. It means a lot to the people who have been involved with the club for a long time.
"But once you're on the pitch you have to put that to one side and the players have to concentrate on their own jobs."
Rotherham's pack is stretched thin with Tinus Du Plessis and Adam Kleeberger on international duty with Namibia and Canada respectively.
Hooker Ross Batty, one of West's key summer signings from Newcastle is missing through injury.
"It's left us a little thin and we look forward to having them back, but Andy Barnes came in last week and did well," added West. "He brings something different in the back row."
The visit of Doncaster sees a number of ex-Titans returning to Clifton Lane with Howells able to call on Chris Briers and Chris Hallam in the backs and Stuart Corsar, Neil Cochrane and Glen Kenworthy in the forwards.
It all adds to the spice of a local derby.
"It's always been a difficult place to go to, certainly in my two years at Doncaster," said Knights director or rugby Howells.
"Rotherham are a team that if everyone is playing well they become very difficult to beat. Defensively and in the set-piece they are very strong. They have scored a couple of penalty tries which just shows the strength of their scrum.
"Derbies are completely different to any other games. It's the side that commits the least amount of errors that prevails."
nick.westby@ypn.co.uk
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
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