Ngongotahā Chiefs player Harlem Lea Tigaga-Angell celebrates a try against Mangakino during the Bay of Plenty/Coastline Premier Rugby League grand final last year. Photo / File
Ngongotahā Chiefs player Harlem Lea Tigaga-Angell celebrates a try against Mangakino during the Bay of Plenty/Coastline Premier Rugby League grand final last year. Photo / File
The countless hours of preseason hard yards are in the rearview mirror and Bay of Plenty league teams are set to rip in.
The Bay of Plenty Premier Rugby League season kicks off today.
The decision by Coastline club's Ōtūmoetai and Pāpāmoa to jump ship to the Waikato competition has reduced the number of teams, but those remaining are confident the level of competitiveness will not be affected.
Bay of Plenty District Rugby League chairman Graeme Hill says it is disappointing to see the number of teams reduced, but he has no doubt the teams remaining will play with the same passion and pride they always have.
"Coastline made the decision to move their teams into the Waikato competition believing it would be beneficial to them. As a result of that it's depleted our premier comp by two teams.
"However, it doesn't take away the competitiveness of our competition. In relation to the teams that are left, I think it will be an extremely competitive comp, based on the fact that all the teams in the Premier division for the Bay of Plenty are there to win it, they're not just there to participate."
This year Pikiao Warriors, Taupō Phoenix, Mangakino Hawks, Pacific Sharks and defending champions Ngongotahā Chiefs will contest the title. Four out of five of those teams have played in a grand final in the last two years.
"I wouldn't expect much to change even if Coastline had stayed in the competition, I would've expected Bay of Plenty to be represented in the final anyway to be fair.
"We're looking at our options, at the moment it will possibly end up being a three round competition. We are looking further afield to see if we can get games with other areas, other districts for our teams when they have the bye week.
Taupō Phoenix player Freedom Carson in action during the Bay of Plenty Nines last weekend. Photo / Ben Fraser
"If you listen to the coaches, none of them are turning up to lose. It's a great thing to hear, from a district point of view, none of the coaches are discounting their teams or what they can achieve this year," Hill says.
Ngongotahā Chiefs coach Paul Nahu expected his side to have a target on their backs this season, being the defending champions.
"You always want to beat the champions, it's a measure of where you're at. I don't know who was the last team [to win back-to-back titles] and that's obviously a goal, but it's only round one of the season. We'll worry about that later."
Nahu says he has lost about 10 players from the team that claimed the title last season, but he was confident in the players replacing them.
"We've lost quite a few, it's a little bit unknown. Quite a few guys went to Australia to further their careers - good on them, we wish them all the best. Some guys have moved out of town.
"We've got a reasonable squad with some new guys and I'm pretty keen to see how they go. It is exciting and it's a challenge for me as well."
Today,Ngongotahā start their title defence against Taupō Phoenix. Nahu says, with it being early in the season, he wants to see his team do the basics well.
"It might sound boring but we just want to keep things quite basic and work into the game, then work into the season. I don't want them to try to do everything at once - they know what they need to do."
Last season Mangakino Hawks were the dominant force before falling at the last hurdle against Ngongotahā in the final.
Coach George Samuels says numbers at pre-season training have not been as good as they were last season, but the core group who are there have all the motivation they need.
"We've probably got about 60 per cent of the players back, just work and other commitments. We've got a good core for sure - maybe 12 guys who are the heart of the team really and a few new guys.
"[Losing the final] is the big motivation for most of us. It's pretty disappointing to end the season the way we did, considering how we were tracking through the season. There are a few guys who were going to hang their boots up last season, if we had won the competition, but they're definitely back again, after getting that close."
Mangakino ease into the 2019 season with a bye in the first round. Meanwhile, Pacific Sharks, who won the Bay of Plenty Nines last weekend, host Pikiao.
Bay of Plenty Premier Rugby League Draw - Round One
Ngonotahā Chiefs v Taupō Phoenix at Puketawhero Park, Rotorua Pacific Sharks v Pikiao Warriors at Memorial Park, Tokoroa Mangakino Hawks the bye
