Parkes punt pays off,Sam’s the man to lead Sky Blues

LOOKING FOR SUPPORT: Ngati Porou East Coast halfback and skipper Sam Parkes waits for support during Saturday’s Queen’s Birthday Weekend game against Poverty Bay, which the Coast won 26-8. Picture by Paul Rickard

NGATI Porou East Coast co-coaches Troy Para and Wayne Ensor took a gamble when they appointed Sam Parkes to captain the team in this season’s Heartland Championship.

And the 22-year-old former Gisborne Boys’ High School halfback rewarded their faith with an inspiring performance in Saturday’s 26-8 win against LeaderBrand Poverty Bay at Whakarua Park.

Parkes set the tone for the Coast’s four-tries-to-one display when he made the break for the opening try in the third minute.

Up against a tough opponent in Willy Grogan, Parkes continued to lead the way on attack and in defence, playing like an extra loose forward.

“It was a team effort,” said Parkes, whose elder brother Ben came on in the second half.

“We had a good opening 10 minutes, then the Bay came back, but the tide changed after halftime.

“We started having fun. It’s great to bring joy back to the Coast, but we won’t get carried away. It’s only one game.”

Para said Parkes was the obvious choice to lead the team.

“Even though he’s young he’s been a Heartland player for a few years now and has won a Meads Cup medal.

Great season for Uawa“He’s also having a great season for Uawa, who are leading the club competition. He trains well and has the respect of his teammates.”

Para and Ensor used the game to have a look at three loan players — loosehead prop George Lelenoa (Thames Valley), No.8 Parekura Lalaga (Wellington) and first five-eighth Todd Doolan (Waikato) — and all three made valuable contributions.

Lalaga and Doolan, in particular, impressed.

Lalaga gave the Coast “go-forward” and made some big hits on defence. Doolan landed only one of four conversion attempts and missed a kickable penalty but the 25-year-old did not drop his head and played well.

“I was disappointed with my kicking; I think I used all the good ones up at training on Thursday night,” said Doolan, whose Hautapu club side are leading the Waikato premier division.

“I can kick a lot better than that but the important thing is we won and I loved being involved with all the boys.

“I was in the wider Waikato ITM Cup squad that came to the Coast a few years ago for a Ranfurly Shield match but got cut from the travelling squad.”

Man of the match to thankIf Doolan goes on to cement a place in the Coast Heartland squad, the coaches have Saturday’s man of the match, openside flanker Stefan Destounis, to thank.

After returning from overseas, Destounis played club rugby in Waikato and recommended Doolan to Para and Ensor.

Ironically, Destounis, who scored three tries on debut, was not going to play rugby this season.

Working as a crayfisherman in Tokomaru Bay, Destounis was “persuaded “ by his cousin Ted Destounis and Tokomaru United’s Joe Chaffey to play.

“I was going to take a season off rugby but I’m really glad they talked me into playing.

“I’ve been enjoying it and this is the icing on the cake. We’ve got a pretty young squad and two good coaches.

“It (the win) was a bit of a bitter-sweet moment. I grew up playing rugby in the Bay, making Poverty Bay age-group teams and always thought I would play for the Bay. But circumstances changed and my loyalties are with the Coast.”

Bay coach Mutu Ngarimu opted to go with an all-local squad — rewarding club players, particularly those who played against the New Zealand Universities side.

And while that is to be commended, Saturday’s performance showed that the former Maori All Black will need to strengthen his squad for the Heartland Championship.

The days of all-local squads — for teams wanting to make Heartland Championship finals — have long gone.

Whetu Haerewa and Para tried that policy in 2014 and the Coast lost all eight games, conceding 367 points and scoring only 67.

Neither the Bay nor the Sky Blues have the depth to seriously challenge the traditional big guns of Heartland Championship without loan players.