LEAGUE - Warriors won't have bar of prison-based team

TAKAHIWAI Warriors are the only side to go into this weekend's opening round of the Whangarei City and Districts Rugby League not needing a crystal ball to figure out how they'll go.
They know already. The team will receive zero points from their fixture against the Ngawha Saints after the club's board decided to default the match.
The club doesn't want the prison team in the league and decided to default the first-round match as a protest. The committee has said the rest of the scheduled encounters between the two teams are also likely to be defaulted, but that will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Takahiwai coach Mark Freeman said although the team was primed and ready to go after good pre-season preparation, there were no regrets about the political decision.
"Everybody's behind the committee's decision and there are no dramas in the team about it, at all," he said.
The team isn't planning any extra training this weekend and will treat the break like a bye, but at this stage of the season, there should be little effect on the team, Freeman believes.
"We were ready to go this weekend ... but I guess it means that we'll come out all guns blazing next weekend against Portland," he said.
The team has won both of its pre-season matches against Northern Wairoa and Montana, a far north selection, quite comfortably, and Freeman is satisfied with the way the team has come together.
The real test will now have to wait another week, with Portland getting an extra week of match practise to get ready, when they face Marist tomorrow.
The match is one of the more interesting clashes in the opening round, with both teams rebuilt over the off-season and with a number of young players looking to take their chance in senior football and make a difference in the match.
The Northern Wairoa Bulls are also a younger side than in previous years and they host the Kaikohe Lions, who, like last season, will want to set the early pace in the competition.
Last year's beaten finalists, Hikurangi Stags, have the bye, while defending champions Moerewa Tigers have a home match against the other new boys, he Bay Slayers.
The winner of the match will take home the Denis Davis Memorial Trophy, named after the widely respected Davis, who passed away during the off-season.