You couldn’t help but feel the pain etched in North Shore Mariners’ head coach Joe Haywood’s words when our top tier National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition along with football went into shutdown mode temporarily via COVID-19.

The 2020 season was supposed to be a year of ambition, dreaming and thinking big for the club being a part of the NSW’s elite – Haywood expertly promoted his Mariners squad towards the big leagues only to be met with a speed bump along the way.

That speed bump was a virus.

Prior to the year kicking off, rival NPL NSW Men’s clubs saw the Mariners as easy pickings and three easy points going off their pre-season form – that, and the injury to one of its key signings in former NPL NSW Men’s Player of the Year Panny Nikas, it was little wonder why every NPL critic had them penciled in to struggle this year.

With last year’s Champions APIA Leichhardt FC and 2019 Premiers and NPL Champions Wollongong Wolves penned in for their first two games of the season, no club couldn’t have asked for a tougher draw to kick-off its NPL NSW Men’s journey.

What we then saw prior to lockdown was the total opposite to what the pundits thought.

Haywood’s men earned a 1-1 draw against APIA with ten-men and then traveled to the South Coast in round 2 and defeated the Wollongong Wolves 3-2 courtesy of a 91^st minute winner. Two incredible results to send the NPL NSW Men’s league into a spin but Haywood’s troops were brought back down to earth as they were taught a footballing lesson going down 4-0 to the young guns at Sydney FC in round 3.

Ready to hit up round 4, Haywood and the Mariners were hyped to correct their wrongs from the FC match as they faced Blacktown City but alas that game was never to happen via the temporary lockdown of the sport.

Haywood made no secret how much COVID-19 had changed the world but emphasized the importance of keeping safe.

“The COVID-19 virus has changed society, the daily routines of everyone and there will be long-term changes as a result.

“Hopefully we can gain some positives in these tough times though with everyone able to self- reflect on everything they have.

“I have been trying to self-isolate as much as possible with my young family keeping them safe.”

As a coach, Haywood has played a pivotal role in ensuring his players are still doing their bit in keeping fit in the event of the competition recommencing later in the year as well as further improving himself in the coaching philosophy department.

“During this time I have developed some individual homework programs for the players at North Shore Mariners (Please see links below post article)

“I have also been re-designing my football philosophy and updating my documents with new areas that I have developed and or improved throughout the current season.”

It’s not just the players that are keeping fit during this period as the Englishman along with his family are doing their bit in staying in shape.

“We have set up a home gym with the usual dumb bells, ropes, punching bag adding to this runs and bike rides to obtain physical endurance around the local area.

“We are lucky that we have an amazing local park that is a good size with a running track and two artificial pitches.

“I usually attend the local gym 3-4 times a week so obviously I’m missing this routine but trying to make the most of what we have at home to keep fit and healthy.”

In his fifth year at the club, the temporary suspension of the league has seen Haywood stood down from his coaching post like so many have suffered during this tough time until the sport picks back up again, hopefully sooner rather than later.

“During this period I have been stood down from my full-time role at the North Shore Mariners but luckily I have accrued annual leave so I am being paid during this period.

“Although I am officially on annual leave, I have still been working with the aim of trying to improve the football club’s program so that when we return we are in a better position than before.”

Coaching means everything to Haywood, its his way of life and he couldn’t have best said it himself after he was asked what he missed most about our game.

“I miss coaching the senior team.

“I miss working on designing sessions and tactics to beat an opponent and then delivering a week of work in preparation for the next game.

“I cannot wait for the next game to come.”

Like every footballer, coach and referee interviewed recently, Haywood pleaded for the community to stay indoors, practice self-distancing in order for us to get back to our game as soon as possible.

“My main message to the football community is stay inside as much as possible – stay away from other people.

“If we all do this we will stop the spread of the virus and hopefully be able to get back to our daily lives and the game we all love soon.

“I have seen a lot of coaches still doing individual 1 on 1 sessions for example, these need to stop immediately as all other football activities.

“We need to set an example, using the power of our sport, and stay inside and stop the spread.”

Click here to view the North Shore Mariners Self-Isolation Training Program

Below are some examples of what drills Haywood has put together for the entire North Shore Mariners NPL club

North Shore Mariners talented young gun Brian Jamba has remained positive in what has been a tough couple of weeks for the sport of football.

With the temporary suspension of football pushed to the 31^st of May, Jamba has continued to go on with his day to day routines albeit with a twist.

“There’s no question that it’s been a very difficult time for not only the sports world, but all industries across the globe as well.

“Me personally, I am grateful that my family is well and keeping safe.

“The other positive I am thankful for is, I am also able to work from home (Account Manager at Proofpoint) which puts me in a better position than some of the others I feel for out there.

“It’s heartbreaking that some haven’t had the option of working from home at least.”

The Mariners under the watchful eye of Joe Haywood have put together a football program whereby Jamba and co have been following to a tee in keeping the players fit and well during this unfortunate break.

“Since the football lockdown I have been doing the football program that was set out by the club for all players.

“This consists of sprints, running, ball work and gym work.

“It’s important that we somehow keep the best possible shape because we don’t exactly know when we’ll be called back into action.

“I’m hoping very soon once it is safe to do so.”

Football is a way of life for Jamba as it is for many involved with the popular sport.

But it is what comes with our amazing game, the highs, the lows, the goals, the tackles, the tactics, the sportsmanship, the bonding of teammates and so much more that a footballer such as Jamba misses.

“I miss it all.

“Trainings, games, the boys the whole lot.

“Football is one of those games that you can’t go without for a certain period.

“That time is definitely overdue.”

“The fact that every single person in the world has somehow been affected by COVID-19 makes this a very serious matter.

“It is important for us all (NSW Football Community) to follow all the medical advice that is being given to help each other.

“It’s not a matter of one of us doing it, it must be all of us or else it doesn’t work.”

Teen sensation Emmanuel Peters has treasured an unlikely reunion with coach Joe Haywood that has seen him star for a newly promoted North Shore Mariners side who have sent shock waves throughout the National Premier Leagues NSW top tier Men’s competition this season.

The 19-year-old linked up with North Shore ahead of their maiden campaign in the top flight this season after some time under Haywood in the Central Coast Mariners youth system and his boyhood club Mount Druitt Town Rangers.

The clinical midfielder has hit the ground running by finding the back of the net in both the Mariners’ opening day 1-1 draw with reigning Champions APIA Leichhardt and Sunday afternoon’s momentous 3-2 triumph over 2019 Premiers and National Champions Wollongong Wolves.

Peters has been a livewire in attack, earning himself back to back man of the match accolades and subsequent positions in the Rounds 1 and 2 Ultra Football Team of the Week.

The youngster revealed how this season North Shore were determined to silence the critics from the outset.

“After hearing all the rumours about how everyone was doubting us from the start all the boys got together and said ‘we have nothing to lose’,” Peters said.

“We are just going out game by game, playing with freedom, working hard and playing with heart.

“We know it’s a tougher challenge in NPL 1 compared to NPL 2 as everyone players better football and it poses a challenge week in week out no matter who we play.

“But if we keep performing the way we are, we know we can surprise teams. We have a very good balance, with a few older boys supporting us young players coming through.”

Peters may have only signed with North Shore a few months ago, but their manager Joe Haywood played a valuable role in the Mount Druitt junior’s development.

Peters was scouted from the Western Sydney club to sign with Central Coast back in 2017, where his coach in their National Youth League squad was none other than Haywood himself.

“I had Joe as my coach and under him I believed in myself more and my whole football changed,” Peters said.

“Then when he left I had some ups and downs with the new coaches which led to halfway through last year when I came back to Mount Druitt.”

At the time Peters was juggling his footballing dream with school commitments, and despite impressing in patches for the A-League academy side he decided to return home to Mount Druitt in mid-2019.

However that move failed to present the playing time he desired, leading to a rekindled relationship with Haywood at fresh pastures.

“I wasn’t getting time in NPL 1 with Mount Druitt so I spoke to Joe and after North Shore got promoted he told me if I came across I would get game time,” Peters said.

“It’s a fresh club for me and the boys all believed in me and were there for me from the start.

“I was really nervous when we had our first trial game against the Central Coast Mariners A-League team but going into it the boys told me to just do what I do best which really helped.

“Joe just told me to have fun and it turned out alright.”

Not many could have foreseen North Shore in the position they currently stand, but Peters believes the club have worthy foundations in place to ensure that their first two results are not simply a flash in the pan.

“I think we play really good football and most importantly we play with heart,” he reflected.

“We go to every game to just give 100% and leave everything on the field.

“Everything we do is not just for ourselves as players but for the badge and the club.

“Even if we are having a bad game we just make sure to do the defensive work, always running back and tracking players.

“We are all going in the right direction with Joe who has done so much for this club since NPL 4 days.

“I would say because we have nothing to lose the sky is the limit.”

Peters still has long term dreams of breaking into the professional game and is more than willing to put in the hard yards at NPL level with that in mind.

“My dream has always been to be a footballer so if that happens signing my first professional deal would be a dream come true,” he said.

“But at the same time the NPL 1 is a very high level and I just have to keep working harder and harder and not dream too big.”

North Shore Mariners will look to maintain their remarkable unbeaten run when they host Sydney FC at Lambert Park on Sunday.

– By Chris Curulli (Twitter handle @ChrisCurulli)