Following the appointment of Wayne Smith at the Chiefs, Duncan Johnstone, writing in The Dominion Post, believes it could herald a new era for the Waikato side with the arrival of some well known nameswho will draw the fans to the Waratahs' stadium next season due to their lack of a marquee player.
"Wayne Smith's arrival at the Chiefs could be the catalyst to snaring some major talent - Ma'a Nonu, Sonny Bill Williams and Aaron Cruden are certainly contenders.
Smith joins the Chiefs as Dave Rennie's backline maestro. It's a major coup for the franchise, bringing a world-class coach into the mix and returning him to his homeland.
There will surely be a spin-off for the Chiefs as they look to rebuild a backline that has been decimated by an exodus of talent.
Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Mike Delany, Dwayne Sweeny have all confirmed they are leaving to take up lucrative deals overseas. Stephen Donald looks certain to join the offshore drift and Tana Umaga's place in the squad must be tenuous at best given his age and increasing injuries. "
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