Rugby: Import threat to Kamo

Alan Whetton may be addressing the Kamo faithful this evening but it is the arrival of his nephew tomorrow that is causing concern among the Kamo coaching staff.

Mid Northern's already formidable pack has been spiced up by the arrival of loosie William Whetton and they will challenge Kamo up front to try and spoil the club's 125th jubilee party.

There's no doubting Whetton's rugby pedigree. He is Alan's nephew and Blues' chairman Gary's son. He has drifted North looking for a Northland ITM Cup contract after captaining the Harbour second fifteen last season.

"We heard that Whetton had a great game for them on Saturday but for Mid Northern to notch up a score like that, the whole team must have been playing well," assistant coach Barry Herman said.

"They are a bogey team for us but we couldn't have asked for a better opposition to play for the jubilee match."

Herman admits he's not as confident as he might be of Kamo extending their winning run to six by beating Mid Northern, after they rolled top-of-the-table Mid Western 61-3 last weekend, but adds that it's not all doom and gloom.

Although Kamo will be without their starting hooker through suspension after an unruly match against Old Boys last week, Reuban Wright escaped suspension by the judiciary. The team will also be strengthened by Cameron Goodhue's return after he made his Super Rugby debut last week.

Mid Northern's problem all season has been consistency but they will have been fixated about ruining Kamo's party since the final whistle last week. If the match keeps to the script, the crowd should be still talking about the match in 25 years' time.

The four other matches in this weekend's premier grade are likely to be just as tight.

Hikurangi host Old Boys with both sides coming off losses last week and Marist have a point to prove when they host the new leaders Wellsford, hoping to show their early season form hasn't deserted them completely.

Mid Western will be keen to put their last outing behind them when Hora Hora visit. The Western Sharks were unlucky last week and now have a tricky tussle with Otamatea at their Farmlands Park base.