Giants look to make third consecutive final

Giants have a hard act to follow when they contest the Wanganui Braves men's softball tournament in Wanganui from this Saturday through until Monday.
The Masterton-based side have been runners-up the last two years to Porirua in 2006 and Miramar in 2007 a stunning record considering the tourney involves many of the country's top club sides.
But while coach Tony Nixon concedes the making of a third consecutive final won't be easily achieved he remains optimistic that Giants will again make their presence felt in a big way.
"There are never any guarantees when you come up against opposition of this calibre but we have beaten the best of them before, and we can do it again," Nixon said. "It's all about playing to your potential for all three days, do that and we'll be as dangerous as anyone."
Giants will be without two of their leading batters, Michael Grant and Mark Quinn, for the first two days at Wanganui because they will playing for Hutt Valley in the national league series.
And there is the possibility of pitcher Ritchie Clarke being sidelined through a knee injury, something which would be a big blow after Clarke's herculean performances for the Hutt Valley side which won the national NPC tournament last weekend
Helping to ease the likelihood of Clarke's absence though is the news that fellow Giants pitcher Justin Karaitiana, who has also been battling injury, should be recovered in time to play at Wanganui and that Giants have picked up another well-performed pitcher in Jerold Lajpold from Cardinals as a loan player for this particular tourney
Lajpold will be one of two loan players in the Giants the line-up with Charlie Reid-Putaka (Hutt City United) coming into that category too
Both Lajpold and Reid were also in the Nixon-coached Hutt Valley NPC side, which was skippered by Michael Grant and, along with Clarke and Karaitiana, included other Giants players in Blair Thompson and Terry Waitere.
Nixon said the rigours of playing nine tough matches in three days at the NPC tourney should serve the Giants players well at Wanganui.
"They've had a decent taste of pressure softball and that has to be their advantage," he said.
The draw for the Wanganui Braces tourney sees Giants playing Tamatea of Hawke's Bay and host club Wanganui Braves on Saturday and Royals of Wellington and Poneke-Kilbirnie on Sunday. The top two teams from each pool will then go forward to the semi-finals on Monday.