The Northern Storm's preparation for Sunday's vital rugby league match against the Central Falcons in Palmerston North has been somewhat overshadowed by the suspensions of three of the team's players last week.
Storm coach Phil Marsh said the season-long ban of Woody Maihi, Crize Neho and James Harris from representative matches
had taken some of the attention away from what was a key match for Northland's Bartercard Cup team.
Their game against the bottom-placed team on the league ladder is a must-win match for the Storm, and the Manawatu-Hawkes Bay team knows it.
"I've been reading the Manawatu Evening Standard this week and they've been building up the match as their chance to get off the bottom of the table," Marsh said.
The Storm beat Central Falcons 48-24 in their first round match to briefly move into the top half of the table but it has been tough going since then and the Storm have not scored another point.
Marsh said his players had trained well on Wednesday and they were well aware of the challenge they faced this weekend at Palmerston North's Fitzherbert Park.
"We're looking all right and we've been strengthened by some players who have come back from injury," he said.
Patrick Paki passed his fitness test last week by scoring five tries for Hikurangi against Marist in the Whangarei and Districts competition.
He joins Tame Proctor, who played for Moerewa last week for the first time since breaking his arm earlier in the season.
Captain Conrad King and halfback Anthony Clyde both trained this week and they will join the team for a light training session in Auckland tomorrow, before flying down to Palmerston North.
The match has been brought forward to 1pm so the Northland team can make airport connections that should see them home on Sunday evening.
