FOR PHILLIP Morris, the race for a third straight Tasman Tanning Premier title is a marathon, not a track meet.
After admitting his Black Bull Liquor Pirates had a "Hawaiian-style preseason" - the result being an embarrassing 34-0 loss in the opening round derby with Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist - Morris said the message had been well and truly delivered by the time they thrashed Harvey Round Motors Ratana 60-24 in the Pa last Saturday.
Although Pirates are still "miles off where we will be", Morris wants to keep building and could not get a sterner test than the 2015 grand final rematch with Waverley Harvesting Border, who will also be bringing the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield to Spriggens Park tomorrow.
"We had a week of criticism [after Marist]," Morris said.
"Denning [Tyrell] told them to bring their mouthguards to training, which showed in having more ink against Ratana.
"Another week or two, we should know where we are. Come June we won't be stale."
While he is somewhat expecting Pirates to be a step off the pace come the end of Round 1, in an eight team competition a squad just has to secure fourth spot and come the finals anything can happen.
Against Ratana, Pirates got good service out wide with six tries coming from their wingers in newcomer Tarino Tamura and Clive Stowers getting back to his best form.
"I think he's jumping out of his skin this year, and Denning's at second five, so he got more ball in space," said Morris of Stowers.
Tamura, a Cook Islander with sevens experience, has been farming up at Fields Track and the coach likes the attitude he shows.
The team is missing departed prop Brett Turner in the set piece, but Jason Hauiti has been filling the void and Morris hopes to have a new front-rower join the team in about a week.
Vital is the form of No8 Lasa Ulukuta, who understandably has had other things on his mind after February's Cyclone Winston devastated the Fiji islands, including the Ulukuta family household.
Both his younger brothers and fellow players Pene (Pirates) and Bobo (Border) have returned home to help their parents with the damage, while Lasa remains in Whanganui with his family to look after.
"We were talking about it the other day. He said to me, 'it's like the old times'. They might get power in six months," said Morris.
"That's obviously distracting him too, but he'll be there at the end."
Despite giving up their biggest scoreline to Pirates in 33 games since the year 2000, Ratana under their coach Cornel Mason are looking to the future with a youth movement for the next three years.
The club have formally folded their Senior team to give full focus to the Premiers, especially as night shift work has impacted on numbers at training while talisman captain Vaan Rauhina has hung up the boots after a fine career, now acting as Mason's forward coach.
Facing Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau at the Pa, Mason knows the city team have upped their fitness levels so with a young backline he admits his squad has to embrace the grind - keeping the ball in tight and in front of the forwards tomorrow.
His plan is to improve "home stocks" and "restore some values" with an all-local team, where it is hoped the regulars like Charlie Mete, Te Tua Kemp, and Kane Tamou can hold the line while they rebuild.
The toughest thing is teaching the squad to have patience and not be discouraged when results will not go their way for a couple of years, Mason said.
"These young guys don't necessarily understand that. Just bear with me, we'll get there."
In other games this weekend, PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape host Marist at Memorial Park, while after they were both hammered last weekend, the wounded Utiku Old Boys and McCarthy Transport Ruapehu meet in Ohakune.
The 1pm curtainraiser at Spriggens Park will be interesting as the debut game for the new Wanganui Metro team in the Manawatu Colts competition against PN Old Boys Marist Fitzherbert Rowe.
Both Morris and Cornel are big supporters of the Metro concept, believing the local game will benefit by those players joining adult club rugby once they've have some seasoning at Colts level.
"We've donated six of our guys to that Metro team," said Mason.
"They're still young, so for me it's about looking down the line.
"I've had people here looking sideways at me. Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he said.