Weekend to savour for Moala boys

JOINING FORCES: After battling each other over the club season, HSOB’s Sio Moala (with ball) and OBM’s James Grogan (left) and Murray Hewson (second from left) will combine forces for Poverty Bay in the 2016 Heartland Championship. The Bay have warm-up games against Wairarapa Bush and Hawke’s Bay before kicking off the competition against Ngati Porou East Coast on August 27. Pictures by Paul Rickard

HIGH School Old Boys No.8 Siosiua Moala had an extra incentive to play well in Saturday’s Lee Bros Shield premier club rugby final.

Moala’s brother All Black midfielder George flew in from Auckland to support his older (by one year) brother.

“I thought he dominated physically all round — on attack and defence,” 26-year-old George said after HSOB’s 16-2 victory over Enterprise Cars OBM. “But today is his day. I’d rather you talked to him.”

It was a weekend to celebrate for the Moala boys.

As well as the HSOB win, Siosiua was named in the Poverty Bay squad for the Heartland Championship, and Blues centre/winger George made the All Blacks squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.

Siosiua said he only found out the day before the game that George was going to be at the game.

“Being only a year apart we’re close and it boosted my confidence. It’s an honour for me that George would come to watch the final.”

Siosiua arrived in Gisborne from Auckland last year and played for Ngatapa before transferring to HSOB this season.

After three man-of-the-match performances in the opening three games of round 1, he missed all of the second round and the first three matches in round 3 because of injury.

“In the past injuries have tended to get me down but I’ve had great support within the team and family, and it was great to be able to pay them back with this win,” said Siosuia.

“I’m not a big fan of man-of-the-match awards, they’re OK but it’s a team game. Now I’m looking forward to helping Poverty Bay have a good Heartland Championship.

Bay coach Mutu Ngarimu said Moala could play at six or eight.

“We’ve got an exciting group of players who can play as loosies — Siosiua, James Grogan, Jake Paringatai, Lynden Manuel and Ken Houkamau. There’s going to be plenty of competition for the three starting spots.”

With former Ngati Porou East Coast lock Everard Reid, Murray Hewson, Dan Goodwin (Bay of Plenty loan player) and Jacob Cook battling for the two locking berths, and a likely front row of Sione Ngatu, hooker Russell Burns and Hawke’s Bay-based Jody Allen, Ngarimu has a potentially formidable forward pack.

“There’s other young guys in the squad who will keep the senior players on their toes and that’s what I’m after.”

The Bay have warm-up games, both away, against Wairarapa Bush on August 13 and Hawke’s Bay on August 20.

“I’ll be giving everyone the chance to show me how much they want to wear the jersey,” Ngarimu said. “I’m excited about the backs but we all know there’s nothing they can do if the forwards don’t get them good front-foot ball.

Former All Black Rico Gear (36) is the oldest player in the backline.

“People talk about age but you can’t buy the type of top-level experience Rico has,” said Ngarimu. “He may not play every game but even when he’s not on the pitch, he’ll be coaching and mentoring the backs. When you’ve got guys of his quality, who are passionate about the region and the team and wanting to contribute, you don’t close the door.”

Ngarimu has thrown down the gauntlet to locally-based halfbacks Willy Grogan and Mario Counsell by recruiting former Gisborne Boys’ High School No.9 Maia Gibbs.

“Maia’s been playing for Linwood in Christchurch but like the other two halfbacks, he’ll have to earn his starting spot.”

The other loan players are Whakatane Marist first five-eighth Isaia Vuki and his clubmate Ratu Daurua (centre/winger).

“I’ve had good reports on all the loan players but, as I’ve always said, the heart of the team is the local players. We have some promising young players but it’s what we do on the pitch that counts. It’s important we get off to a good start when we host the Coast (Heartland opener) on August 27.”

Ngati Porou East Coast beat the Bay 26-8 in their Queen’s Birthday Weekend local derby at Ruatoria.