Master coach Barry Matthews has not yet had to pull on the boots himself.
But he did move son Jake — who usually likes a clean jersey at halfback — to blindside flanker last weekend, perhaps summing up where Valley is placed in terms of its depth.
Valley leads the Citizens Shield after four straight wins yet arguably has the leanest squad in the competition.
"We were lean last year too. We only had 18-19 players but we got through with no injuries," Matthews said.
That has not been the case in 2023. Burly prop Logan Dunlop is out for the season with a knee injury, promising newcomer Inia Kolinisau has been sidelined since the opening weekend, intriguing Welsh lock Rory Bartle has still to make his debut, and wiry lock Anthony Docherty is the latest addition to the casualty ward.
At 11.30am last Saturday, Matthews could literally call on just 14 premier players. The SOS was sent to Valley trainer Scott Mayhew, and the former Old Golds winger — still in fine nick at 44 — played the full 80 minutes in the 57-14 win over defending champion Kurow.
That sentence rather sums up the odd nature of Valley’s season. Its squad is wafer-thin, yet it has rolled unbeaten through the first month of the season.
The club does not generally have the x-factor of some others, though winger Junior Ravuvu is exciting to watch in full flight. Instead, the team is well-drilled with a forward pack led by wily campaigners Sam Sturgess and Cam Rowland, and a backline featuring the younger Matthews, Matt Vocea and Ben Paton.
Versatile forward Scott Ruddle has been having a quietly excellent season with his attitude and work rate, while president’s grade captain Mark Roney has added his experience to the outside backs.
"It’s about teamwork, and the guys buying into the game plans that we set, and working for each other," Barry Matthews said.
"The boys are reasonably fit. They’ve got a bit of self-belief and there are guys who have had another year of experience now."
Valley plays a potentially dangerous Athletic Marist team in Oamaru tomorrow.
"They’ve got a heap of dangerous ball-runners. When you’ve got a team with power and x-factor, they’re going to be tough if they get their tails up."
Old Boys play Excelsior, while the Kurow-Maheno game has been moved to King’s Birthday Weekend to coincide with Kurow’s 125th celebrations.
In the rejuvenated president’s grade, Valley and Athletic will clash for the Reece Kiwara Trophy, which has been at stake in premier clashes in recent years but has returned to the second tier following Athletic’s return.
