Rugby: Caskey loyal to walking wounded

Town lock Josh Lane reached over to snatch the ball from the back of a Country rolling maul at the trial game on Saturday. Lane has been named in the Development XV.

Steelform Wanganui coach Jason Caskey has kept faith with a number of players under injury clouds after naming his extended squad for preseason of the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship yesterday.

The 28-player group will have evening sessions tomorrow and Thursday at Cooks Gardens, followed by a full camp on Friday to prepare to face Hawkes Bay Saracens in Napier on Saturday, kickoff 2.45pm.

From last year's Whanganui Metro squad and playing for Ratana this season, promising hooker Keanu Puki-Kaa has been named in the Development squad.

After that, the squad will be reduced to 26 players, with the unlucky two likely to join the Wanganui Toyota Development squad, of which 19 other players were named yesterday under new coach Denis Edwards.

The Wanganui Heartland team contains around ten players who did not take part in Saturday's Town vs Country trial, a number of whom have been on the shelf.

Lock and flanker Campbell Hart missed several weeks of McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu's late run to the Tasman Tanning Premier title with a groin strain, while Waverley Harvesting Border fullback Nick Harding hurt his hamstring and will miss at least this week's game.

Also back is Collegiate 1st XV captain Cody Hemi, who had a plate in his jaw for six weeks after breaking it in Wanganui's June game against the Manawatu Evergreens.

Newcomers to the set up are PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape winger Te Rangitapu McLeod and loose forwards Angus Middleton (Waverley Harvesting Border) and Lake Ah Chong (Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist).

The elevation of Middleton and Ah Chong among the other experienced loose forwards sees Border's Ranato Tikoisolomone squeezed out and named in the Development XV - the only still active player from June's Ranfurly Shield challenge to Canterbury no longer in the squad.

The Development squad will train at the Kaierau Country Club on Thursday evening before their first game on Saturday against the Hawkes Bay Under 19's at Napier Park.

The Steelform Wanganui team is

Forwards: Roman Tutauha (Ruapehu); Cole Baldwin (Border); Hamish Mellow (Border); Viki Tofa (Marist); Gabriel Hakaraia (Ruapehu); Raymond Salu (Pirates); Sam Madams (Marist); Sokonaia Kalou (Border); Fraser Hammond (Ruapehu); Campbell Hart (Ruapehu); Jamie Hughes (Ruapehu); Angus Middleton (Border); Bryn Hudson (Ngamatapouri); Tremaine Gilbert (Taihape); Lake Ah Chong (Marist).

Backs: Lindsay Horrocks (Border); Fa'alele Iosua (Pirates); Craig Clare (Ruapehu); Dane Whale (Taihape); Timoci Seruwalu (Ngamatapouri); Kaveni Dabenaise (Border); Josaia Bogileka (Marist); Simon Dibben (Marist); Samu Kubunavanua (Ngamatapouri); Cody Hemi (Wanganui Collegiate); Cameron Crowley (Marist); Te Rangitapu McLeod (Taihape); Nick Harding (Border).

The Wanganui Toyota Development team is

Forwards: Wiremu Cottrell (Taihape); Jack Yarrall (Kaierau); Marek Willis (Marist); Joseph Edwards (Kaierau); Keanu Puki-Kaa (Ratana); Josh Lane (Kaierau); Alex Mulipola (Marton); Jackson Campbell (Ruapehu); Ranato Tikoisolomone (Border); Taione Ratu (Marist); Cade Robinson (Kaierau).

Backs: Kahl Elers-Green (Ruapehu); Josh Fifita (Ruapehu); Grayson Tihema (Border); Vaovasa Afasua (Pirates); Osea Tarogi (Kaierau); Elijah Ah Chong (Marist); John Kilisi (Marton); Karl Pascoe (Kaierau).