After spending the best part of the last decade coaching professionally in Australia, the UK and Japan, Joe Barakat was looking forward to a quieter than usual winter in 2022.

But then came a call from West Harbour.

Barakat had watched his former club struggle in recent years and had heard whispers circulating that some rival clubs wanted the Pirates out of the Shute Shield competition.

“We let ourselves get picked on last year by dropping down to three grades and one colts team and they grouped West Harbour in with the other teams that they wanted to kick out of the competition,” Barakat told Rugby News.