Rugby: Rookie prop makes King sized contribution

Mike King might be the oldest in the Napier Old Boys Marist premier rugby side at 36 but he is a rookie when it comes to propping.

"This is my first season at prop at this level. In fact I haven't propped since my primary school days at Maraenui. I didn't have much technique but I'm lucky the young props in our NOBM side are pretty good and tell me what to do.

"You've got to learn pretty quick otherwise you get screwed," King explained.

The tighthead has proven how fast a learner he is with rapid progress in the art and last weekend produced a barnstorming performance against a Central side which offered far more resistance than Hawke's Bay Insurances Limited Napier Old Boys Marist's 44-6 Maddison Trophy fourth round victory at Park Island suggested. This saw King become the 13th winner in the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Player of the Year award.

Ironically, King ranked another rookie first season premier prop, Napier Technical's Mark Braidwood, as the toughest opponent he has marked in the competition. What makes King's feats even more significant is the fact this is his first season back in rugby after playing in the lower grades for Maraenui seven years ago.

A father of three, King, was happy to reveal the secret to his success - crossfit training.

"Crossfit is great for pre-season training. It teaches you to push yourself when you are stuffed. Last year I was 122kg and now I'm down to 113. The aim is to get down to 100kg before I fight in the Battle for Life," he said, referring to his boxing debut on September 21.

"I'm quite surprised at how fit I am. This is definitely the fittest I've been since I played for the Hawke's Bay Unicorns rugby league side back in 2003."

He used to work in the bush which kept him fit but an accident several years ago saw him switch to a "sit down" job, unloading logs for DG Glenn Logging at Panpac.

"It's not physical ... all buttons and steering wheels so that's why crossfit is so important to me.

"It was while doing crossfit I meet up with some blokes from NOBM who asked me to come and play for them," King said.

The former Phoenix, Seals and Pirates club rugby league player is enjoying his season and is confident NOBM can beat MAC at Flaxmere's Ron Giorgi Park on Saturday in a match likely to decide who qualifies second for the semifinals.

"We were rubbished a bit in the papers at the start of the season. But we've built each week and got better and better."

Should NOBM pip MAC on Saturday like they did in their Nash Cup clash (15-10) it will be no surprise if King and his fellow tighties are among the first the NOBM supporters raise a glass to. The battle of the two packs should be a beauty.

An interesting aside to the match is the fact the MAC head coach, Pat Benson, is also a life member of the NOBM club.

Best & fairest

NOBM v Central:

3, Mike King (NOBM); 2, Johnny Lauano (NOBM); 1, Warwick Slingsby (Central).

MAC v Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports:

3, Mose Fa'afua (MAC); 2, Louie Tovo (MAC); 1, Roger McPherson (Pirate).

Hastings Rugby and Sports v Clive:

3, Jack Crasborn (Hastings); 2, Jorian Tangaere (Clive); 1, James Rosenberg (Hastings).

Havelock North v Taradale:

3, Tony Lamborn (Havelock); 2, Jody Allen (Taradale); 1, Brendon Edmonds (Havelock).

Tech v Tamatea:

3, Hugh Reed (Tech); 2, Josh Te Whata-Colley (Tech); 1, Tane McGuire (Tech).

Leaderboard

14 points:Hugh Reed (Tech).

10 points: Mark Braidwood (Tech).

9 points: Mark Atkins (Clive).

8 points: Ausage Fomai (Hastings), James Tango (Clive), Louie Tovo (MAC).