League: Manawatu Mustangs are Whanganui-ladened for NZRL championship

Whanganui Boxon's Woody Martin will lead the Manawatu Mustangs when their NZRL National Championship campaign kicks off against the Wellington Orcas this afternoon.

They were rivals both in Manawatu and Taranaki club league, but now the Whanganui Boxon and Linton Cobras are allied as the Manawatu Mustangs kick off their NZRL National Championship campaign this afternoon.

Manawatu will play the Wellington Orcas at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North, before taking on the Taranaki Sharks next weekend in New Plymouth as the Central Region pool of the national tournament.

After MRL folded their Premier club grade for 2018, both the Boxon and the Cobras transferred over to the TRL Paddock to Plate Butchery Premiership, with the understanding the best players from both teams would later combine as the Manawatu representative squad.

While the Cobras had an unhappy Taranaki club season, having a win taken off them for an illegal player and defaulting their last two games, the Boxon were the competition's form side until being upset in the Grand Final by the Bell Block-Marist Dragons.

Now, Boxon coach Haze Reweti has taken on the Mustangs job and spent the last three weeks welding eleven Boxon players and seven Cobras into a cohesive force before today's match.

"The boys have had a good bound right from the get-go," he said.

MRL has given the team two vans, one based in Palmerston North and the other in Whanganui, allowing players to take turns travelling up and down Stage Highway 3 for training sessions in alternating locations.

"It's not ideal when you've got to travel for training, but somehow we make it work," said Reweti.

"That comes down to our management."

The likes of Jackie (Jax) Tuala and Tyrone Kemp have done a good job chasing up after the squad members to make sure everyone can either attend sessions or is accounted for.

The Mustangs had a solid hit out two weeks ago with a 38-4 hammering of the Taranaki Development team in a preseason match, although Reweti confirmed the vast majority of the Taranaki lineup were from their Sharks roster.

"They'll be bigger, better, stronger when we go up there to face them next week."

Nonetheless, after the gutting Grand Final loss when the Dragons ran down the Boxon's 34-12 lead to win 42-24, Reweti admitted it felt good to "stick it" to a number of those players.

"It put a smile on my face."

The Orcas represent a much sterner test when they bring an experienced lineup to Palmerston North to face a team selected from only two club squads.

"They play quality [club] rugby league, week-in and week-out, which reflects on their rep football," Reweti said.

"Tough to beat. We'll have to bring our A game."

The winner of the Central Region pool will move onto the next stage of the tournament against the Northern and Southern pool winners.

Kickoff against Wellington today is 2pm.

The Manawatu team is
1. Logan Afoa (Linton); 2. Emitai Logadraudrau (Boxon); 3. Tautahi Rawiri (Boxon); 4. Nikolao Ioane (Linton); 5. Joshua Metekingi (Boxon); 6. Shadow Wirori (Linton); 7. Bernard Matthews (Boxon); 8. Pita Marshall (Linton); 9. Hosea Taripo (Linton); 10. Shade Heta (Boxon); 11. Woody Martin (c) (Boxon); 12. Coby Devery (Linton); 13. Richie Graham (Boxon).
Reserves: 17. Steven Aue (Boxon); 15. Jason Franklin (Linton); 16. Tuhi Reweti (Boxon); 17. Gordon Karaitiana (Boxon); 18. Jordan Davis (Boxon).