RUGBY LEAGUE: Travel-weary Wirihana's boys fall to Whalers

HAMISH BIDWELL
He hasn't been dealt the greatest hand, old Eddie Wirihana. As if it wasn't enough he was taking over from the great Waka Leonard as coach of defending Eastern Alliance champions Te Rangatahi o Omahu, the draw and player unavailability has made life even harder for him.
We're seven games into this season's competition and in that time, Wirihana's boys have played at home once. The rest of the time they've had to load up the wagons and make the long, difficult trek to play at Gisborne's Awapuni Stadium.
That takes its toll of a team, especially one whose numbers are still badly affected by seasonal work commitments. So it was little surprise to Wirihana, then, when Omahu were ambushed 36-28 by the Paikea Whalers on Saturday.
"It is hard going up there all the time," Wirihana said.
"It ends up being a four-hour trip each way for us but at least we know it's going to stop in the next round. We've got to go up there for the second game of round two and then that's it.
"We're really looking forward to not having to go up there because it just makes it harder to get players.
"I probably had my half my number one team out for this game and another half-a-dozen players who just started showing up for training last week.
"All these games up in Gisborne weren't what we wanted but it's better to have them now than later on. At least now I can look forward to getting my best players back and having a few games at home.
"The loss wasn't what we wanted either but, like the draw, it was better to have it now than later. It doesn't hurt us too much, it just shows my players that we need to play for 80 minutes, not just 60.
"Paikea are a big, mobile team and they'll be pretty competitive. We were up 12-0 at one stage and then the guys got a bit lazy and it's frustrating that they switch off so easily.
"We had injuries and ended up with no bench and we had to tough it out for the second half with only 13 players."
The result sees the Whalers and EITSA remain as the last two unbeaten teams after the students beat Moana Toa 64-16.
In the other fixtures, Western Suburbs defeated Tapuae 66-4 at Ron Giorgi Park and the rejuvenated Turanga Panthers thrashed the Manutuke Mustangs 50-10.
Meanwhile, Gisborne Tairawhiti Rugby League boss Tuta Ngarimu has called upon his own people, and those from Hawke's Bay, to settle their differences. He's tired of the sniping that's gone on between each faction and wants everyone to concentrate on playing football.