Corey Tamou thought he had done his chips.
Especially after the 27-year-old Northland rugby halfback had started the season as part of the New Zealand Maori team last year, but finished it playing fullback for the Northland development side.
Things had obviously gone haywire somewhere in between winning the Churchill Cup with
the Maori team and getting overlooked for the Northland Air NZ Cup campaign.
But it looks like Tamou is bouncing back. Reinstated in the starting team, Tamou is slowly rebuilding his reputation in a Northland side that is making rapid strides this season.
But Tamou is still wary. The pain of non-selection last season still burns, so he is not about to start revelling in his new status just yet. Especially as he knows his coaches are watching his every move very closely.
"It is a bit of a funny thing, I wasn't too sure where I stood at the beginning of the season but I chipped away and chipped away in the club season," Tamou said.
"I was lucky enough to get an opportunity in pre-season matches and managed to play alright and got the nod," he said.
"I am enjoying just being involved and obviously playing, I mean that's why you do all this training."
But what did he think mid-season last year when a request came from on high for Tamou to play fullback for the development team?
"It was tough. I went though the highs of being in the NZ Maori team and then the low of not being involved in the Northland team. It was tough but I just had to persevere."
"It was a bit of a circus really. While I have always backed myself to play other positions I am a halfback, have always been a halfback and back myself to play there anytime."
Named to start at halfback again tomorrow, in an intriguing match against Tasman, Tamou is preparing himself for a tough day out.
Tasman arrive with a reputation as a counter-attacking force, a side loaded with speedy backs who are rated as the best opportunists in the competition.
Tasman have scored seven tries so far this season, and six of them have been from unexpected turnovers, intercepts and miscued kicks.
But Tamou reckons confidence is slowly growing in the Northland ranks, a factor they are keen to demonstrate to a growing band of hometown fans tomorrow night.
"I think probably last year has a lot to do with the way we are playing. Our building process really comes from that," he said.
"A lot of the same players are back and are taking it to another level. We are conscious of what we have to do. We have to be on our game because there is competition right through the squad now."
For the third week running Northland coach Mark Anscombe has underlined his reliance on his experienced players. Despite several of his first-pick side carrying niggly injuries and prolonged after-effects of a rough opening to the representative campaign, the starting team is basically unchanged.
Props Bronson Murray and Tevita Mailau rotate starting roles and winger Glenn Martin was only overlooked in favour of Fetu Vainikolo after being hospitalised with appendicitis on Friday.
It is a gamble on the resilience of Anscombe's elder statesmen like David Holwell, Tony Coughlan and Hayden Taylor that needs to pay dividends. As is the ongoing experiment at centre with Tony Koonwaiyou, while Josh Levi and Leo Taliu wait on the reserves bench.
Tomorrow's game kicks-off at 7pm.
NORTHLAND V TASMAN
Homeworld Stadium, 7pm, tomorrow
Hayden Taylor 15 Robbie Malneck Fetu Vainikolo 14 Blair Cook Tony Koonwaiyou 13 Andrew Goodman Dan Bowden 12 Joel Iggo Rene Ranger 11 Kade Poki David Holwell 10 Tim Taylor Corey Tamou 9 Lualua Vailoaloa Jake Paringatai 8 Peter Nixon Joel McKenty 7 Jonathon Poff Justin Collins (c) 6 Alex Ainley (c) Brad Taylor 5 Nathan George Dan Goodwin 4 Chris Bentley Bronson Murray 3 Ben Franks Tim Dow 2 Mark Stewart Tony Coughlan 1 Ben May
Reserves
Northland: Justin Davies, Tevita Mailau, John Cocker, Steve Baker, Rhyan Caine, Josh Levi, Leo Taliu.
Tasman: Steve Fualau, Tristan Moran, Kahu Marfell, Mark Bright, Kahn Fotuali'i, James Foote, Caleb Ralph.
Corey Tamou thought he had done his chips.
Especially after the 27-year-old Northland rugby halfback had started the season as part of the New Zealand Maori team last year, but finished it playing fullback for the Northland development side.
Things had obviously gone haywire somewhere in between winning the Churchill Cup with
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