The multi-talented Kaden Makea will captain Hastings West in Wairoa next week. Photo/Paul Taylor
Quizz Kaden Makea's Tamatea 12th grade rugby coach Paddy Steffert about the fullback's ability to follow a similar path to Israel Dagg and you get a quick response.
"Yes Kaden could be the next Izzy Dagg. But he could also be the next Paora Winitana or the next Thomas Makea. All three of them played rugby for Tamatea in their younger days."
Thirteen-year-old Heretaunga Intermediate Year 8 pupil Makea will captain Hastings West in the 117th edition of the Wattie's Hawke's Bay Primary Schools Ross Shield rugby tournament in Wairoa next week. He is one of 17 players from his Tamatea 12th grade team spread across three different teams at the event which caters for players 56kg and under.
A distant relative of four-time world champion Black Sox softballer Thomas Makea and a point guard or shooting guard who was introduced to basketball by former Tall Black Winitana, Makea, said if he had to choose between the three codes basketball would get the nod.
"But we will see what happens with rugby next week and in the future too."
Earlier this year Makea made two trips to Melbourne for basketball. One was with the New Zealand under-14 team which finished ninth of 16 teams at the Australian state championships.
He caught the eyes of the national basketball selectors when he helped the Hawke's Bay under-13 boys team win the Central Region tournament in Wellington last year.
A month after returning from Melbourne, Makea was touring the United States and Canada with International Softball Academy's under-13 boys team which accumulated five wins from three different round-robin tournaments.
A second baseman or short stop, Makea, has played for the Dodgers club during the last three years.
Earlier this month he played for the Heretaunga Intermediate School's boys basketball team which finished second at the AIMS Games in Tauranga after losing 40-35 to Waikato's Moeroa Intermediate in the final.
Former Tall Black Everard Bartlett coached the Heretaunga side.
He is confident of dropping the kilogram he has to shed before Monday's weigh in to make him eligible for next week's tournament. After being an apprentice player with the 2017 Hastings West team and missing last year's Ross Shield tournament through injury, Makea is eager to help Hastings West, who shared the title with Napier last year, collect the shield for a third consecutive year.
"Obviously winning the Ross Shield is the main goal. I'm also hoping to make the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team, be named captain of that side and win the Taupo Trophy for player-of-the-tournament," Makea said.
Former All Black Dagg won the Taupo Trophy in 2001 when he played No 8 for the title-winning Hastings East team. While Makea prefers the fullback position is happy to play anywhere in the backline.
He is happy with how the Hastings West side, which is coached by Anthony Morley and Murdoch Paewai, has prepared for next week's tournament.
"We won three of our five build-up games and both losses were close and against older and bigger opponents."
A Hawke's Bay under-14 touch representative, Makea, the oldest of four children in his family, will attend Hastings Boys' High School next year.
"I have no doubt he will succeed in whatever code he chooses to pursue. He is such a neat humble kid who receives awesome support from his parents Kane and Alisha. They have made a lot of sacrifices for him which have all paid off. If I had to predict the Taupo Trophy winner before the start of the tournament it would be Kane," Steffert added.
In addition to the Ross Shield and Taupo Trophy, several other trophies will be up for grabs next week. The Ron Pierce Trophy will be awarded to the team or teams displaying the best behaviour and sportsmanship on and off the field.
The Life Members' Salver is awarded to the rural team which does the best at the tournament. A Jarrod Cunningham Trust selector will name a player to attend an IRZNZ course and that player receives the Jarrod Cunningham Trophy.
The winner of Thursday's match between Hastings East and Hastings West will receive the Bill Mathewson Trophy.
The winner of Friday's match between Napier and Dannevirke will receive the Steve Cottrell Memorial Trophy and the winner of Saturday's clash between Wairoa and Central will receive the Tino Amato Memorial Trophy.
Tuesday: 12.30pm, Wairoa v Dannevirke; 1.30pm, Central v Hastings East; 2.30pm, Napier v Hastings West.
Wednesday: 12.30pm, Napier v Central; 1.30pm, Wairoa v Hastings West; 2.30pm, Dannevirke v Hastings East.
Thursday: 12.30pm, Hastings East v Hastings West; 1.30pm, Central v Dannevirke; 2.30pm, Wairoa v Napier.
Friday: 12.30pm, Wairoa v Hastings East; 1.30pm, Napier v Dannevirke; 2.30pm, Central v Hastings West.
Saturday: 10.30am, Dannevirke v Hastings West; 11.30am, Napier v Hastings East; 12.30pm, Wairoa v Central.
Wairoa: Krucial King-Huata, Julian Hati, Wharekauri Kaimoana, James Vennell, Alex Johnson, TJ MacKenzie-Tupai, Fynn Broad, Rakatoa Morris-Wallace, Gus Brickel, Ashton Robinson, Toko Turipa, Anaru Rore-Keefe, J-Dan Taumata-Tarawhiti, Aya Gilbert, TJ Taylor, Kazhmia Shelford, Te Puihi Rore-Keefe, Zade Thompson-Maxwell, Odin Bremner, Ford Aranui, Chief Huata.
Napier: Hakopa Snow-Pimm, Lucas Stok, Daniel Osooso Onasemu, Manawa Karena, Teina Robin, Harry Keighley, Arthur Baker, Isaac Edmonds (captain), Noah O'Brien, Oliver Beale, Troy Taitapanui, Iraia Roberts, Tyrese Ngarangione-Wicks, Mando Osborne, Jacob Cotter, Tane Lind, Brooklyn Montgomery, Lockie Seerden, Kendall Bush, Jesse Beals, Quinn Nicholls, Alex Barra.
Hastings West: Tuteira Brightwell (vice captain), Joseph JJ Lilo-Iosefo, Charlie Sisam, Mike Brown, Creed Johnson-Whakaua, William Bennett, Reed Paewai, Jerome Prebble-Morrell, Jaedem Sidney, Hawaikirangi Jackson, Panapa Peia, Charnika Hapi, Frances Tevita, Noah Rogers, Kaden Makea (captain), Iziah Matamata, Caleb Strong, Vander Taylor, Jack Sunckell, Kalos Anderson, Meschach Craig, Hunter Andrew.
Central: Angus Hunter, Toby McKavanagh, Te Toa Hema, Monty Hobbs-Turner, Viggo Pedersen, Riley Tautau, Seth Ireland, Jahmaige Reti-Young, Marcus Leach, Rhys Kawana, Benjamin Poulton, Robin McKenzie, Diego Maraki-Pene, Thomas Evans, Charlie Withers, Riley Mullany, James Foley, Jock Chambers, Heath Lawrence, Wills Baines, Bronson Saunders, Fionn Stevenson.
Dannevirke: Isaiah Lawson, Zachary Filer (vice captain), Taylor Barnes, Benjamin Olsen, Joshua Holland, Preston Teller, Dylan Taylor (vice captain), George Prouting (captain), Sam Stratford, Drhyas Paewai, Kyran Pinfold, Luca Bicknell, Maia Beale, Matthew Barrow, Jamie Monaghan, Jack Cammock, Jayden Stewart, Fergus Prouting, Boston Kaa, Ryder Fowler, Craig Elliffe, Anders Easton.
Hastings East: Adam Frith, Angus Lovett, Bowen Steffert, Chance Katene, Deegan Butcher, Divaan Singh, Elyjah Hutchins, George McHardy, Jack McFetridge, Jayden Papuni-Matchitt, Jonah Cooper, Lachlan Varcoe, Logan Timmins, Marshall Landon Lane, Max Thornton, Noah Ioasa, Raef Robinson, Rhys Llewellyn, Ryan Emery-Dittmer, Stradoe Houia, Triumph Voice, Vaydah Matchitt.
Rotorua Boys' won with a last-play penalty after their prop reached for the ball in a scrum, sealing victory over Hastings Boys' with a clutch final kick.