NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Tua-Davidson back to add forward grunt

Wairarapa Times-Age
3 Sep, 2009 05:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

The Joss Tua-Davidson saga has taken another dramatic turn with the naming of the Bush Sports flanker on the blindside flank for Wairarapa-Bush in their Heartland championship match with Wanganui at Memorial Park on Saturday.
A star performer for Wairarapa-Bush in their six non-championship games, including the Ranfurly Shield challenge with
Wellington, Tua-Davidson missed their Heartland opener against West Coast in Greymouth last weekend .
He was ousted after the NZRFU ruled he did not fit their "local player" criteria,
a decision based on the fact Tua-Davidson had played his club rugby for Bush Sports in the Manawatu competition.
And with Wairarapa-Bush having already signed three Wellington backs - Nick Risdon, Siaosi Anamani and Junior Togia - as their "loan players" the prospects of Tua-Davidson having any involvement in Heartland games seemed slight, to say the least.
Under Heartland rules only three "loan players" can be named for any one championship match and the importance of halfback Risdon, centre Anamani and wing Togia to the Wairarapa-Bush backline, combined with a surfeit of quality loose forwards, obviously counted against Tua-Davidson big time.
Even the Manawatu union giving their Wairarapa-Bush counterparts permission to sign him up under the "loan player" provision as well appeared unlikely to help his cause.
A few days, however, can be a long time in rugby and Tua-Davidson's chances of a recall to the Wairarapa-Bush side were boosted by an unfortunate turn of events in Greymouth when first flanker Jared Hawkins and then No 8 Duncan Law were forced from the field through injury.
Hawkins with damage to a knee which could see him miss the rest of the Heartland programme and Law with a hamstring strain expected to sideline him for a couple of games.
Initial thoughts were their absence would mean Chris Senior and Corey Reid playing on the flanks against Wanganui and Nathan Rolls returning from his own injury hassles at No 8 but after "humming and haaing at great length" coach Kelvin Tantrum has decided to go with Tua-Davidson in the No 6 jersey rather than Reid.
A scenario which meant, of course, that one of Risdon, Anamani and Togia had to miss out in the backs with Togia drawing the short straw. He has been replaced on the wing by Pioneer utility back Tommy Harmon.
Tantrum, admitted it was "hugely frustrating" to drop Togia who was one of the few success stories for Wairarapa-Bush in last season's abortive Heartland campaign and one of their best attackers against West Coast.
"He (Togia) has done nothing wrong, nothing at all," he said. "It's just that circumstances dictate Josh should play and he (Togia) is the unlucky one"
Tantrum reckons Tua-Davidson's no-nonsense, confrontational approach, both on attack and defence, could. be hugely beneficial against a Wanganui side boasting a mobile set of forwards who will be aiming to steamroll the Wairarapa-Bush pack.
"Joss is a guy who doesn't know how to take a backward step and, quite frankly, I think that will be a big asset against Wanganui," Tantrum said. "His physicality is what we need."
Whether Wairarapa-Bush will have the services of their ace lineout forward, middle rower Tomasi Kedrabuka, in Saturday's match won't be decided until later in the week. He came out of the West Coast match with a sore shoulder and it was continuing to trouble him at training on Tuesday evening. If he cannot play Reid will take his place with Gladstone's Tim Fleming coming into the reserves.
A likely Wairarapa-Bush starting line-up against Wanganui is: Nick Olson; Tommy Harmon, Siaosi Anamani, Sam Mitchell, Heemi Tupaea; Byron Karaitiana; Nick Risdon; Nathan Rolls; Chris Senior, Tomasi Kedrabuka, Andrew McLean, Joss Tua-Davidson; Jared Brock, Ben Pereira, Kurt Simmonds. Reserves: Api Matengta, Sele Tugaga, Jordan Watene, Corey Reid, Nick Beavon, Richard Puddy, Joe Feast.
Meanwhile, there has been a change in time and venue for the curtain-raiser match on Saturday featuring the New Zealand Marist Colts and Wairarapa-Bush under-20. It will now be played at Memorial Park No 2, starting at 1pm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Live
New Zealand

Atmospheric river hits as power cut to thousands of North Island homes

New Zealand

Bold, colourful and a good cause: Hastings' new event aims to attract 1000 people

New Zealand

Oranga Tamariki ordered to pay $108,000 over battle to remove Māori child from Pākehā foster parents


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Atmospheric river hits as power cut to thousands of North Island homes
Live
New Zealand

Atmospheric river hits as power cut to thousands of North Island homes

Multiple heavy rain warnings have been issued in regions across New Zealand.

28 Jul 10:32 PM
Bold, colourful and a good cause: Hastings' new event aims to attract 1000 people
New Zealand

Bold, colourful and a good cause: Hastings' new event aims to attract 1000 people

28 Jul 10:24 PM
Oranga Tamariki ordered to pay $108,000 over battle to remove Māori child from Pākehā foster parents
New Zealand

Oranga Tamariki ordered to pay $108,000 over battle to remove Māori child from Pākehā foster parents

28 Jul 10:21 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP