Midland hockey team toughens up

Respect no one.
That's the message Midlands men's hockey coach Sue McLeish has been drumming into her team in the buildup to this year's national league, which begins at the Tauranga Hockey Centre tomorrow.
Midlands were fifth from six teams last year, with McLeish displeased at her players' lack of confidence against frontline opposition.
"We are a competitive side, at least when all the New Zealand players don't front up, and I've been telling the team this year never to give respect away to their opposition players unless they've earned it.
"That's something we did too often last year, rolling over when things got tough. We shouldn't necessarily give a guy any respect unless he's gone out and done something to deserve it."
Midlands play Wellington in Tauranga tomorrow in a national league double-header that has the Midlands women taking on their counterparts from the capital in the curtainraiser. Midlands men were spanked 11-0 in the corresponding clash against Wellington in Tauranga last year.
"This first round game is all about getting as many points as we can in the early rounds when the New Zealand players aren't there and also making sure that any team that takes us lightly pays for it."
Wellington have named New Zealand men's player Mitesh Patel in their side but have left out world-class striker Phil Burrows and his international teammates James Nation, Umesh Parag and Kyle Pontifex tomorrow.
Australian international Brett Livermore, who won Olympic gold last month in Athens, is also missing for the first round.
Midlands, who drew the last of four warmup games 2-2 with North Harbour, are without three of their draft players _ Australian Seyi Onitiri, Andrew Morgan and Luke Emmerson.
Former Tauranga player Craig Bigham has made the squad out of the Auckland club competition, with Tauranga Old Boys right half Tim Haig also included. McLeish has been impressed with Haig's input.
"It's not easy slotting in when you're the only guy from Tauranga but Tim has shown a good understanding of the game and has been an absolute find as far as I'm concerned.
"He's the sort of player that you know what you'll get every time he gets out there."
There are no Tauranga players in the Midlands women's team who, like the men, are expected to struggle in the expanded eight-team national league. Former New Zealand women's player Robbie Matthews spearheads the lineup.
The women's national league game begins tomorrow at 12.30pm, with the men in action at 2.30pm.
Meanwhile, Tauranga will have a team in division two of the national women's hockey tournament being held at the Tauranga Hockey Centre next week.
The 14-team tournament, split between two divisions, begins on Monday and runs for six days, culminating in the final next Saturday afternoon.
In division one, defending champions Wairarapa will be competing against six other teams from as far away as Nelson and Southland.
Tauranga play two games a day for most of the week, with their first match against New Zealand Army on Monday (3.30pm).
The Tauranga team, selected and coached by Alan Galletly, will include a blend of youth and experience, with former international Sue Furmage providing the experience to mix with the skills of the younger players, some of whom are still at secondary school.
Veteran Black Sticks' defender Diana Weavers, now living in Maketu, is likely to turn out for Tauranga.