Difficult opener for Navan's second senior AIL campaign

Second-season syndrome. After consolidating their place in the AIL Div 3 last season, Navan will seek to improve on that in the forthcoming campaign that gets underway on Saturday with an away fixture against Wanderers. This is a time of transition at Balreask Old and the big challenge for coach Leon Jordaan will be to take the team to a top four finish and promotion. That's one of the main targets. He will have considerable breathing space to experiment with his team safe in the knowledge that if things don't work out Navan will not fall through the relegation trapdoor. Attempts by legislators to introduce a new division in the All-Ireland League means that for this season there will be four promotion places while the team that finishes bottom won't have to endure the ignominy of a swift return to the junior ranks. Not that Jordaan is going to be looking downwards. He puts a big emphasis on positive thinking particularly on such aspects as visualising how a game or an incident will work out. Having guided Corinthians to promotion in one of the previous chapters in his extensive coaching career Jordaan knows what is required to succeed. He puts a big emphasis getting both the head and the heart in the right place. He is a follower of the philosophy described by American golfer Bobby Jones about his own profession: "Golf is a game played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears." Recently Jordaan took his squad to Carlingford for a three-day bonding session that included some socialising, but also plenty of work on the training pitch. The coach has also brought in a sports psychologist in recent weeks to work with the squad as he continues his task of getting the players in ship-shape for the challenges ahead. Jordaan is seeking to introduce a new style of play that is about off-loading quickly, working cleverly at the breakdown, getting the backlines moving and asking serious questions of the opposition defence. That will take time to implement. The big question going into Saturday's opener against Wanderers is just how ready is the team? Defeats to the likes of Naas and Barnhall suggests there is still some way to go before Navan are in a position to take down sides such as Wanderers, Sunday's Well or Instonians. Maybe they are simply saving their best for the league? Arguably the biggest challenge of all for Jordaan, assistant-coach Damien Guerin and new team manager Dara Fallon is moulding a new side over the coming weeks from all the changes that have taken place in playing personnel - and they have been wide-ranging. The core of last season's side have moved on. Gone are Brad Harris, Ryan Roberts and perhaps even more significantly, Karl Manning. When it came to classy full backs at AIL level Manning is right up there and his pacy, jinking runs from deep, defensive positions was a very important part of the Navan weaponary. There had been talk of other clubs further up the AIL foodchain trying to entice him to sign for them. Manning has taken a year out to travel and he will not be easily replaced, neither will talented prop Eoin King who is also travelling abroad. Another to wave goodbye is Alan Hickey. A part of so many rousing Navan victories in the Leinster League, Hickey was dogged by injury in recent seasons, preventing him from getting a decent run in the team. Injuries have also ruled out a few players for the start of the season at least with Johnny Baker, James McCaghy, Tommy Geraghty and Conor Brady among those on the treatment table. The newcomers to Balreask Old include two New Zealanders, second-row forward Tom Boyle and out-half Martin Coll, as well as an Australian. Also signed up is Simon Monaghan who is from Drogheda. He is a winger and he will also fill the role of youth development officer. Ross O'Brien, who is from Navan, is included in the squad after a spell with UCD and St Mary's. A new prop, Darragh Kiernan, from Jordaan's former club Malahide has also been recruited as has ex-Ashbourne player Rory Gleeson who has moved from Old Wesley. To get their campaign up and running on the right note Navan will look to core players such as David King, Paul Feeney, Simon Hogan, David Geraghty and Duffy. A significant development for Navan RFC this season is the opening of their Youth Academy which is designed to keep up-and-coming young players involved with the club. So often in the past, talented youngsters who emerged through the under-age ranks were snapped up by Dublin clubs once they went to college or to work in the capital. Now the aim is to keep everybody involved for as long as possible. One of the interesting aspects of Navan's campaign this season is that they will lock horns once again with old adversaries from the junior ranks such as City of Derry, Naas and Seapoint. First up on Saturday is Wanderers at their Merrion Road fortress. After that it's at home to Sunday's Well. Navan will be looking for a good start as they seek to make an impact in their second season in the senior ranks.