Stallions looking out for No1

Ypres Williams where are you? - the Waicoa Bay Stallions need your help.

That's the plea from Stallions coach Morgan Kutia as he struggles to nail down a fullback to take on the Wellington Orcas at Rotorua's Puketawhero Park tomorrow.

The Stallions have been ravaged with the unavailability of players and injury this season, which has made it difficult to field a full strength team.

"To be honest, we've struggled at times to get the team that we wanted. So sometimes we just have to select those ones that are turning up to training," Kutia said yesterday.

"It's very difficult week in, week out to get boys down to training, especially when our base is in Ngaruawahia and [the players] have to come from Tokoroa, Mt Maunganui and Rotorua - sometimes they do turn up and sometimes they don't. It is very frustrating."

No better example of this is tomorrow's match, where Kutia hasn't named a starting fullback. "We've had five players from last week pull out for one reason or another and one of those has been our fullback, who only told us on Tuesday. We had training [on Thursday] and we're still searching."

Kutia said he had a couple of players he was considering for the position.

"There is one boy that I was looking at ... if I can contact him I will. He's from [Rotorua club] Central and his name is Ypres Williams. So Ypres where are you?"

The Stallions go into round six of New Zealand Rugby League's national competition sitting second to last on the points table and with no chance of taking the championship.

But Kutia wasn't using the unavailability of players for his team's performance this season.

"I'm not putting the blame on anything, it's just really on the field is where you win or lose games," Kutia said.

"We try and have quality training sessions for those who turn up but probably the main thing is not having available the players that we want. We selected a squad of 25 but to be honest there's a group of three or four that haven't even been able to turn up through work commitments or injury. If we had the squad we wanted in the first place then we'd have a far more competitive team.

"We're still aiming up for Wellington this Sunday and hopefully we can do the business."

All three Stallions squads will be playing tomorrow, with the 15s kicking off at 11am, followed by the 17s at 12.15pm and the premiers at 1.45pm.

Waicoa Bays Stallions squads:

Premier: Mounga Molisi, Ruben Williams, Mikahere TePania, Jordan Tairakena, Vinnie Morunga, Hayden Karena, Brendon Anderson, Heremaia Samson, Adam Bungard, Samson Graham, Zane Milliken, Simon Beale (capt). Reserves: Faamoana Leilua, Peter-George Rata, Peter Wiggins, FetaiaimausoTauiliili-Pelesasa.

17s: Pryor Collier, Stonie Bartle, Isaiah Cooper-Tetevano, Paeturi Maletino, Petelo Kelemete, Connor Hohepa, Tommy Katene, Rudi Mose, Douglas Unuwai, Matiu Love-Henry, Eru Wano, Parahi Wilson, Rawiri Holmes. Reserves: Piki Thomas, Kardas Kaea, Axl Kingi, Baiden Somerville.

15s: Anaru Kaika, Liam McNeil, Sean McGregor, Ahurei Winitana (capt), Mista Tapsell, Brian Turia, Kayleb Kingi-Murray, David Edwards, Storm Rangitawa, Papi Muru, Larry Moore, Mosese Mafi, Te Aroa Smith-Lawson. Ress: Harry Barsdell, Tyrone Takau, Manuel Manuel, T WAnderson.