How Ryan Martin led Northland’s Historic Ranfurly Shield Win

The Ranfurly Shield isn’t just a trophy. It’s a pressure cooker that turns every home match into a final, pulls entire towns into the story, and asks players to carry something heavier than a scoreboard. After Northland’s first Shield win since 1978, head coach Ryan Martin joins me to explain how his group handled the moment and why the celebration and the responsibility can actually fuel performance instead of distracting from it. We dig into Ryan’s simple coaching framework for big games: confidence equals belief times evidence. Belief comes from the language you use and the “white noise” you remove when the week gets loud. Evidence comes from what you’ve trained long before the spotlight shows up, including the repeated reps that create quick skill retrieval when fatigue and nerves hit. Ryan shares how a single photo, two minutes of silence, and a few carefully chosen words can set a tone that speeches never reach. From there we get practical: shock and awe without chaos. Ryan breaks down why two or three trained surprises like an unusual lineout setup or a bold tap move can rattle a structured defense, and how he stores ideas in a personal coaching library for the right opponent at the right time. We also talk training design, including the “cliff face” drill for earning momentum, and why pad holders must act like mini coaches if you want standards to rise across the whole squad. Finally, we go deeper into coaching culture: leading with care, catching people doing something good, clipping heroic moments, and using haka and kaitiaki guardianship to build identity that lasts through media attention and mid-season celebrations. If you coach rugby, lead teams, or just love what sport can do for a community, you’ll take something usable from this conversation. Subscribe for more coaching culture conversations, share this with a coach who has a big game coming up, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What’s one piece of “white noise” you want to remove this week? Send us Fan Mail How to be a great coach Book Vol 2 is out on Amazon now Support the show Subscribe and Share, it makes a massive difference! Appreciation in advance.