Hiku in danger of missing semis

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CONTENDERS for the Ngati Porou East Coast senior club rugby semifinals are emerging, with Saturday marking the start of the final six rounds.

The big question is whether regular champions Hikurangi will make the top four this year.

Uawa, Tokararangi and TVC seem well-positioned for places in the semifinals. But third-placed Tokomaru United have been hit by injuries and their place in the top four could be at risk.

The battle for top-four spots over the next few weeks should be interesting.

A glance at the club standings and the draw shows United could be vying with Hikurangi, City and Waiapu to retain their semifinal spot.

Both Hiku and United have tough games during the final rounds. City and Waiapu have an easier run for the rest of the competition, and their recent results are favourable.

Waiapu have lost by narrow margins in the past two rounds, and City are fresh from a draw with Hiku and have achieved the narrowest losing margin against Uawa this year. All four teams have byes in these final rounds.

Hiku have reached the semifinals most years recently, but even their most ardent supporters would admit they’ve had an annus horribilis so far this year, and are probably lucky to be fifth in the competition.

To reach the semis, Hiku will need to find form, and quickly. Like most clubs on the Coast, their defence is great, but fitness training and working together are problems for the forwards. I saw their backs this month, and there was no real problem there.

They are not without talent. As well as the four Hiku men named last week in the 22-man East Coast squad, lock Horace Lewis, No.8 Tanetoa Parata, and backs Kareti Palmer and Caleb Lewis have impressed this season.

Hiku play Tokararangi (second-equal in the competition) on Saturday, Uawa (first) the following weekend, Tokomaru United (second-equal) on June 11, and TVC (fourth) on June 25. On current results, their only easy game will be Tawhiti.

Last year’s beaten finalists Hicks Bay were come-from-behind hopefuls, but byes now rule them out unless something akin to measles or the trouncing of New Zealand’s last America’s Cup bid gets rid of a few other clubs.

For them the playoffs are a no-go zone because of their low standing and the fact that they only play four more games in the competition. Games to watch on Saturday: all of them, but TVC v United and Toka v Hiku will mark the first stage of the race for No.4 spot in the semis.