The move to get the Pawarenga Broncos up and running continued to gather momentum as the side held its second muster of the year at the Broadwood A&P Showgrounds on Sunday afternoon.
Around two dozen players of varying ages took part in light training run, and then executed various drills under the guidance of former player, Shorty Pirini.
Emphasising that the Pawarenga side was perhaps a tad prematurely referred to as the West Coast Broncos in last Thursday's Age, Pirini noted there were nearly double the number of players this time round compared with the previous Sunday, although that first muster had been mostly about the locals getting together for a chinwag to decide whether putting a team into Northland competition was a feasible option. He noted numbers grew throughout the afternoon, with later arrivals bringing word they knew of others waiting in the wings - including several who couldn't make it on Sunday after recovering from a big local do the previous night - who would bring depth to the side.
Also joining the fray during the afternoon were local powerbrokers Hone Harawira and league exponent Jim Larkin. The pair turned up later than they had planned, after coming across a car crash on the twisting turning roads leaving Broadwood and helping the young occupants get back home.
Harawira, in particular, is regarded as integral to getting the Broncos intoo the Rugby League Northland-organised provincial club competition this season. Harawira last week said he firmly believed the 13-man game in the district could return to the level of popularity it enjoyed in the halcyon days of the '80s and '90s when an all-Far North competition was contested by eight clubs. The Mana Party leader also plans to exploit his contacts to source support and sponsorship for the Broncos, who'll need playing jerseys and help with travel expenses.
