Eketahuna lock Stu Smith is on a roll. Just after being confirmed as the winner of the Wairarapa-Bush section of the Air New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year award he has been named as one of 46 triallists for the New Zealand divisional team's three-match tour of Fiji next month. Pointsfor the Player of the Year award were allocated on a match to match basis during Wairarapa-Bush's NPC third division campaign, in which they finished runners-up to Poverty Bay. Smith ,24, made no race of the Wairarapa-Bush title, picking up points in practically every game for his consistently outstanding all-round play. He not only starred in his specialist role of lineout forward but also stood out for his diligence in the rucks and mauls, his rampaging bursts in broken play and his sturdy defence. Smith's prize from Air New Zealand is two return tickets to any of their domestic destinations and he now goes forward to the Most Valuable Player award-also sponsored by Air NZ- which is chosen from all three divisions of the NPC. The winner there will receive two return business class tickets to either the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga or Samoa. Other third division players in the running for the MVP reward are Luke Brownlie (Buller), Craig Tansley (Horowhenua-Kapiti), Bevan Brown (King Country), Daniel Bokser (Mid-Canterbury), Scott Leighton (Poverty Bay), Andrew Wilson (South Canterbury) and Hadleigh Smith (West Coast). The triallists for the divisional team are to assemble in Wellington from October 28 to 30 for two trial matches and Smith is one of two Wairarapa-Bush players who will be involved, the other being his Eketahuna clubmate Simanu Simanu. The midfield back also had a strong season for Wairarapa-Bush , invariably making his mark with his aggressive approach on both attack and defence. Simanu was among Smith's closest challengers for the Wairarapa-Bush Player of the Year award, along with hooker Rob Foreman, flanker Brian Saolele, No 8 Mike Robinson, second-five Nathan Couch and wing Esava Teko.
