Eels hope to glide past bogey team

Otumoetai Eels' long-awaited homecoming could carry extra significance if they get past their bogey team and book a place in the WaiCoa Bays premier club semifinals.
It's been almost 10 weeks since the Brookfield New World Eels' last home game at Mitchell Park, with the side tomorrow eyeing a win over Taniwharau, who they've never beaten, to consolidate their spot inside the competition's top four.
The Eels are equal fourth behind Hamilton City Tigers, Ngaruawahia and Taniwharau following last weekend's 40-10 win over Ngongotaha, but have a big points differential jump on Pikiao and Turangawaewae.
Eels coach Brett Rodger's instructions for his side tomorrow are simple - go out and enjoy it.
"It's been ages since we've been at home and the club has never beaten Taniwharau so there's nothing to lose."
The Eels play a catch-up game against the Hamilton Hornets at Mitchell Park on July 2 before sitting out their final bye game in the last weekend of round-robin. Two points from the bye and a win against Taniwharau or the Hornets should be enough to cement a play-offs spot. "That's been our goal all year to crack that top four - we've said all along with the players we lost from last year that that would be an achievement," Rodger said.
The Eels' playing stocks continue to dip, with fullback Mike Johnston joining inspirational skipper and loose forward Mikaere October in the casualty ward and wing Arepa Ohia, who has hardly played this season, in Scotland at the touch World Cup.
Johnston copped an accidental knee to the head in last weekend's win while trying to stop a try and will spend the next few weeks on the sideline recovering from concussion Rodger described "being up there with the worst I've seen on a footie field".
"Mike just got his head in the wrong place relative to where the guy's knee was and won't be playing a part in the rest of the round-robin for us. He's good enough to slot straight back in when he's right, although we won't be rushing him."
October's prognosis is less clear after the former New Zealand Maori rep and first pick for the Eels this season fractured his neck in the loss to Pacific on June 11.
Even more remarkable was that October carried on playing after injuring his neck, oblivious to the severity. "Mikaere's still walking, which is great news, but I'd say that's him for the season. He's a tough nut and thought when it happened it was just a neck strain, but X-rays showed it was more serious than that.
"Mikaere reckons he could be right in 12 weeks (for the national provincial competition with the WaiCoa Bays Stallions) but it's something I'd never talk him into rushing back for - we'd need clearances from the right people before we'd even contemplate putting him out there."