Sinderberry predicts bright future for Sarries

The current climate within the grand, old club is one of feverish positivity mixed with the belief that it is on the cusp of something special. Hard-nosed pundits shrugged their shoulders as the Men in Black posted a fourth place Premiership finish last season while making the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup in the process.

Those same blinkered onlookers are now beginning to sit up and take notice as the club proudly occupies third spot in the table while flourishing in the EDF Energy Cup.

Unsurprisingly, life at Saracens is pretty good at the moment and Sinderberry's positive outlook reflects that. Ambition breeds success and vice-versa, and boy have Sarries been ambitious in the past with little to show for it. However, there has been a sea change in the past 18 months.

Sinderberry's hiring and firing of a stream of coaches over the years since he joined in February 2003 makes The Apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar look somewhat indecisive, but he knows he has struck gold in Alan Gaffney. Recommended by his friend and one-time Sarries troubleshooter Eddie Jones, director of rugby Gaffney has transformed Saracens from an inconsistent club into one of the most dangerous outfits in England. Results speak for themselves and Sinderberry cannot speak highly enough of the former Wallabies number two.

"I'm delighted with the continued progress the team is making," said the Sydneysider. "Alan Gaffney and his coaching team have done a tremendous job and to see a team not only winning but also playing fantastic rugby is what we're all after.

"The question mark for me (when Gaffney was appointed) was whether we had the players that would fit into the style Alan wanted to bring. He's shown how good he is at getting the best out of players.

"One of the things Alan has given us is a very definitive style. We've had coaches in the past that have been forward orientated and others that are backs-orientated. But now we're seeing a good balance in our play and it's something we want to keep seeing."

Gone are the days where the club's revolving door was in danger of coming off its hinges, such was the volume of coaches and players exiting the club no sooner had they arrived. But now, with a solid core of players having bonded over the past three years and a unified coaching team, Sinderberry is convinced the good times are not too far away.

"What we've learned about this league is that it's possible for any of the teams to push their way into the top half of the competition," he said. "It's another step entirely to get yourself consistently into the top three or four.

"As much as we are delighted about getting up to that position (4th) last year, the real challenge for this year is to make sure we keep competing in all three competitions for as long as possible, which requires a very careful balance of the use of the players. Alan has shown how adept he is at doing that.

"When you look at clubs who are winning they also have a low turnover of players as players naturally want to stay with a winning organisation. On balance you would say we have a better squad but what is more important is that we've got a coach and his staff who are getting more out of these players. You see someone like Hugh Vyvyan who has certainly had some good years but is now consistently one of our better players. The coaching staff, as a group take the credit of that."

Sinderberry is as straight talking as they come. He will not allow any aspect of the club to stand still as he is a firm believer that to take it forward everyone from himself to the ticket sellers have a massive part to play. He is no fool and knows one season in the upper reaches counts for nothing unless it can be repeated.

"Having one good year where you are in the top half of the competition doesn't suddenly make you one of the elite teams. You don't earn that title until after three or four years of consistent performance where you are actually winning things.

"What we can say is that we are making progress and that's important. As long as week keep making progress and we maintain the stability here then I think we've a lot to look forward to."

One thing Sinderberry is looking forward to, as are the players and fans is the return of Eddie Jones to Vicarage Road. Buoyant after helping South Africa to World Cup glory as their technical advisor, Jones will arrive on these shores shortly to reprise his role as rugby consultant.

Many fans have already started speculating that he could be Gaffney's long term successor. Sinderberry stressed that no decision had been taken yet but Gaffney's contract does run out in the summer.

"Alan is in charge," said the CEO. "His contract runs out in June next year and we're in the process of discussing how we move forward with that. There are certain things Alan wants to do on a personal front. He made a commitment to us for two years and you can't say enough about what he has achieved.

"I think regardless of what happens it will be fair to say Alan will keep having an involvement with the club for some time." Asked if that would apply to beyond his current deal, Sinderberry replied: "Absolutely."

And as for Jones? "Eddie is working part time with us. He's got a number of other consultancies and as well as assisting Alan as required Eddie's primary focus at the moment is about recruitment. If we are going to make further steps up the ladder in becoming one of the elite teams then we have to get much better at our recruitment. So to have somebody with Eddie's knowledge focusing on that is another important part of what we are trying to do."

While the current generation of Saracens are restoring pride to the club's once battered reputation for its big spending without happy ending, Sinderberry believes the next wave of talent coming up through the ranks will help sustain the success the club craves.

"The academies all take time but the structure we have in place at the moment is outstanding," he enthused. "Mike Hynard (Academy manager)has done a great job delivering a regular flow of players who are capable of playing in the Premiership. That's an area that continues to develop and takes a lot of investment by the club.

"We believe we have one of the top academies in the country which forms a huge part of the whole organisation moving into the top half of the competition."

Where those future stars play their rugby in the red and black shirt remains to be seen. Saracens are celebrating their 10th anniversary since moving to Watford from Bramley Road and are working hard to increase their local fanbase.

Rumours surfaced this week that London's proposed Olympic Stadium could become their next home after the 2012 games, but it would be brave to lead the club into a nomadic existence after forging good community and business links in Watford.

"Our support comes from a surprisingly long way," confirmed Sinderberry. "We're spread throughout north London, up into Hertfordshire and Essex. From the Watford end, it's an ongoing challenge.

"At the moment we're coming off the back of a World Cup where we have collectively suffered and are in the process of seeing the crowds start to come back. Our average crowd size last year was our second best ever but we certainly feel like we've got a long way to go in this area."

And as for a future move away from Vicarage Road? "We've a good relationship with Watford and have enjoyed their successes and I'm sure they feel positively about ours," said Sinderberry. "There are constraints there in what we would like to do on a matchday compared to other clubs and in a perfect world you would like to think you can be somewhere you can call your own, somewhere the fans can identify with. But this is what we've got to work with and have to keep making the best of it.

"It's always something the club has one eye on (a possible move) but we have a relationship with Watford at the moment."

So, what is Sinderberry's vision for Saracens in the next five years? "Consistency is the key and we consistently want to be one of the top four clubs in the UK," he stated. "We have to be consistent in our playing and coaching staff and unless you keep setting that bar higher and higher you are going to get caught up by someone else.

"The reality is we are going to be assessed by where we are in the league. We got in the Heineken Cup three years ago, had a blip and dropped out again, then had a great year last year and we're heading in the right direction again this time. The last three or four years we are building in the right direction and that's what it's about.

"It's about have the solid foundations in place. It's about the whole organisation aspiring to be number one in their respective areas. We've got to get better at everything whether it's answering telephones and selling tickets to how we market and position ourselves."

So, consistency should surely bring some long awaited silverware to the club but Sinderberry is not getting carried away. "We've got to put ourselves into a position to get those trophies and we're almost there. The building blocks are getting laid and if in the next five years we're in the top four, that will be a great result."