After starting the 2017 season with just one win from their first five matches, West Harbour found their groove towards the end of the season and fell just short of a long awaited finals berth, after winning their final seven matches. Star playmaker and Catchpole Medal winner Tayler Adams' form was good enough to earn him Super Rugby contract but coach Todd Louden seems to have found a more than adequate replacement, who will lead a fitter, tougher and stronger Pirates outfit around Concord Oval this year. Overview with Todd Louden: "It’s been good and really challenging, particularly for the players because we’ve had a big pre season with a big focus on conditioning. The spine of the team has obviously changed a little with Tayler Adams heading to Melbourne to join the Rebels, so we’ve had to update things in that regard," Louden told Rugby News. "We learnt a lot from last season, I think as a club we all know what it takes to be successful now. We obviously started