Steelers' young veteran is key to relegation battle

Counties Manukau first five-eighth Blair Feeney is a 25-year-old veteran who looks back with nostalgia to the days when his side could take apart any team in the country.

Now he's one of only two players who have had more than 50 matches for the union, and as goalkicker and playmaker he is fighting to keep his union from relegation.

Clearly some points against struggling Wellington in today's match at the Cake Tin would help Counties Manukau to avoid relegation.

Equally Wellington need points. So for both sides, the match is a big one.

Counties Manukau do not offer the fearsome attacking strength of past years, including when a young Feeney was making his early mark.

He points to some of the players lost in recent years, Jonah Lomu (to Wellington), Joeli Vidiri (Auckland), Errol Brain (Japan), Jim Coe (retired), Tony and Glen Marsh (France), Andrew Roose and Lee Lidgard (overseas), and Fijian Api Naevo.

Indeed, Feeney almost left himself. He signed two contracts with French clubs last year, but both deals fell through. The calls keep coming, and he says Italy features prominently in the offers.

"We had some world-class players in those days. But we've just become a feeder union now. It's pretty sad, really, because we were so strong from 1995-98.

"By the time 1999 came around we had lost all our experience. You just can't replace those kind of players."

Only wing David Wood has been around longer than Feeney.

Wellington hooker Shane Carter has his fingers crossed that lineout caller Inoke Afeaki does not call long throws today.

Wellington's lineout was shambolic against Southland and Waikato in the last two games, but the team is confident that adjustments made by forwards coach Graham Mourie will work.

These have included a minor adjustment in Carter's throwing style, work on lock Dion Waller's technique, and work on the understanding between caller Afeaki and Carter.

Carter is confident things will go much better, but when asked what goes through a hooker's head if a few lineouts go wrong, he said: "I hope he doesn't call it down the back."

"Seriously, everything's got to be right - the throw, the lifting. But if things go wrong, I'll keep working. We'll all keep working. Practice this week has gone very well in the lineouts."

Carter, Wellington's stand-in captain for the past two seasons, says he has no problem with Tana Umaga getting the job while Norm Hewitt is injured.

- NZPA