A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
OBM will open a nine-point lead on fifth-placed High School Old Boys in the premier division if they beat Athletic at the Oval tomorrow.
“It’s a big game for us,” said Enterprise Cars OBM co-coach Keith Henderson. “A win would set us up for a real crack at making the top-four playoffs.
“It is also going to be Willy Grogan’s (halfback) last game before he goes to Ireland for a holiday.
“It would be good to send Willy off with a win.”
Henderson, a former Poverty Bay and Ngati Porou East Coast No.9, will cover for Grogan until he returns.
“It’s not the ideal situation. It’s hard enough coaching without having to play, but at least Willy will be back for the playoffs . . . if we make them.
“I suppose people will expect us to beat Athletic but we’re taking nothing for granted. We need everyone to turn up on the day.”
Dean Pohatu gets an extended run at first five, with skipper Jake Holmes at second five.
“Dean’s a good young player, with a lot of heart, and having Jake inside him will be a big help.
“We’re moving Scotty McKinley from the midfield to fullback which will give him more time and space to attack.”
Charteris Choppers Athletic coach Jimmy Whaitiri has done a good job with limited resources this season but if he can arrive in town with a full squad, they will make OBM work hard.
East Coast Farm Vets YMP coach Steve Smith says the fact he is going to give some bench players a starting spot against Roseland Tavern Tapuae at Wairoa tomorrow doesn’t mean he is treating Tapuae lightly.
“It’s more about keeping the pressure on for starting places,” said Smith, who will be without skipper and midfielder Reihana Wyllie but will have former Magpies and Poverty Bay first five Kahu Tamatea on the bench.
“Kahu brings a lot of experience and, of course, skill at a crucial time of the season. Rei’s not in town this weekend and we may give Shayde Skudder a rest to recover from a knee injury.
“He’s raring to go but if there’s any reaction we’ll not risk him. He’s been a key player for us this season, playing some of his best footy.
“We’ve got good depth in the squad and if we stay injury-free it’s going to make my job of picking the starting 15 difficult. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
With competition leaders Waikohu playing third-placed Ngatapa, YMP have the chance to go joint top if they win and collect a bonus point . . . provided third-placed Ngatapa win at Te Karaka.
“It would be nice to finish top going into the playoffs, from the aspect of building a winning formula, but we’re not bothered about that at this stage,”
“We’ve talked about not underestimating Tapuae on their home ground and probably what’s going to be heavy, wet conditions, which will suit their style.
“We have to make sure we don’t get drawn into a game style that doesn’t suit us.
“Having said that, I believe we are a better team than last year when it comes to tactics and playing style — adapting to wet-weather conditions.”
Tapuae coach Frank King and skipper Wayne Hema deserve credit for fronting up every week and being on the wrong end of some big scores.
“We always knew being back in the premier division was going to be tough and it’s turned out that way,” King said.
“We’ve just got to keep on being positive, encouraging the boys and pointing out that it’s not that long ago that Waikohu were playing senior ones.”
Tapuae do not lack courage but against a team that includes Poverty Bay players Willis Tamatea, Skudder, Fawn White, Eru Wharerau, Mekepio Brown and Te Peehi Fairlie, as well as Chayse Skudder, Jeremy Ferris, Luke Bradley, Rocky Monika, and Brian Whaitiri-White, and now the mercurial Kahu Tamatea, it is going to take something special for Tapuae to win.