TUHAKA AT THE HELM: Front-rower Jody Tuhaka will again lead HSOB in the premier club rugby competition that kicks off with the Tiny White Memorial Day hosted by Tapuae in Wairoa on Saturday. Tapuae have returned to the premier grade, which comprises seven teams. There were eight but Pirates pulled out. HSOB are going for four Lee Bros Shield title wins in a row. Picture by Paul Rickard
TUHAKA AT THE HELM: Front-rower Jody Tuhaka will again lead HSOB in the premier club rugby competition that kicks off with the Tiny White Memorial Day hosted by Tapuae in Wairoa on Saturday. Tapuae have returned to the premier grade, which comprises seven teams. There were eight but Pirates pulled out. HSOB are going for four Lee Bros Shield title wins in a row. Picture by Paul Rickard
HIGH School Old Boys coach Jamie Hutana will have to call on “stalwarts of the club” as he prepares for the opening round of the Poverty Bay premier competition — the Tiny White Memorial Day — at Wairoa on Saturday.
“We’ve got Siosiua Moala away (playing in Spain), James Warren,(recovering from a hand operation, Les Hills (set for a knee operation on his knee), Hadyen Stuart (unavailable due to work commitments), Evan Bryant (transferred to OBM) and the Maka brothers (Tavita and Blanco) still to attend training, we’re pretty short on numbers,” said Hutana, whose side will be chasing a fourth straight Lee Bros Shield title this season.
“JP (Jonathan Poole) and Matt Meads will probably form the locks this weekend and no doubt I’ll have to call on Kolo (Fonohema), who will play anywhere.
“I’m also trying to persuade Jared Phelps to come back and play. He’s had a big week with the national surf lifesaving champs but maybe we can get him back before too long.”
“We have our front row from last year — Russell Burns, Jody Tuhaka, who will captain the team again, and Tamanui Hill although Tamanui is due to go in for a clean-out on his knee in about three weeks, which will rule him out for four weeks.”
Hutana, who played 102 games for Poverty Bay had to lace up in HSOB’s only pre-season game, a 50-point thumping by Norths from Porirua.
“That’s it for me but fortunately I’ve got players like JP, Matt and Kolo, who are fitter than me.
“Apart from Hayden and James Warren, our most experienced back, we’ve still got a few of our young backs from last year — Scott Tallott, Korey Love, George Halley, Zane Boyle and Baxter Mackay, who has come back to the district.
