Uehara contacted the Otago Daily Times this week following an article around the club’s fortunes.
The side sits bottom of the premiership with just today’s game left against Tasman in the first round.Uehara, who coached the side in 2013-14, when it finished second bottom, said some good things had come out of the new season.
"They have good managers and they have managed to bring out some good players. They are training like professionals, five times a week and from what I hear are training well as a team," he said.
The players were happy with the set-up, he said and understood what new coach Paul O’Reilly was trying to do.
"But they talk about investing in new talent and yet get in these Irishmen. I’m not against bringing in overseas players but there are good young players not getting a run."
The side has brought in six Irishmen to boost the side but it has not led to any victories.
"The thing is if they compete through money then it is not going to work. It’s delusional. We are never going to match the teams from up north.
"We’ve been trying to do it this way for how many years? It has never worked. We need to have a long term view. Need to put in some young players and stick with them. It will take five years but you’ve got to stick with them. An 18-year-old now in five years time will be a different player when he is 23."
He said all the great club sides around the world invested in youth and stuck with it.
"The thing is we say we nearly held Auckland, we nearly did this against some side. But what is the point just sitting back and defending and still losing. You’re better off having a go with some young guys and losing now.
"In five years’ time those kids would have grown and be the core of a good side."
He said players come and go but as long as there was about half a dozen good players in the side it could succeed.
He had tried a long-term plan when he was coaching the side but said he did not have the backing after changes at board level. He was confident there was young talent in the region to compete in the league.
Uehara said the side might lose heavily in the first couple of years but short-term pain would lead to long-term gain.
