RUGBY - Sharks primed for 'battle of loosies'

The Western Sharks are hoping a strong bench will help them win the "battle of the loosies" tomorrow when Hikurangi come to visit at Dargaville's RD1 Park.
Sharks captain David Pullman is quietly confident that, with the home advantage, they can show that their 13-10 victory over Hikurangi in the opening round of the Southern Districts Premier competition was no fluke.
"We beat them over there so they'll be looking to come over here and take it to us but, after the way we played last Saturday, I think we should be able to beat them," he said.
"It'll be a game won in the loose forwards I think, they've got some good loosies ... but we've got a few numbers now with a few guys coming back from injury so we'll be looking to get a few impact players on at halftime to counteract them."
The Sharks backline has also improved since the start of the season and they were particularly impressive against Marist last week.
With two of Hikurangi's main strike weapons, Cass Walding and Damien Fakafanua, carrying injuries after a tough match last weekend against Kamo, the Sharks may look to dominate out wide.
Hikurangi coach Stu Cook said the Sharks had improved a lot this season.
"I think we may have given them the confidence to develop when they beat us first time around, but good on them, they've got a good front row and that helps them all the way through the rest of the team," he said.
"We all know what we have to do but everyone knows it will be a huge task for us."
Hikurangi's recent form shows they certainly can win but the points from this weekend's match are vital to the Sharks' chances of making the playoffs, so an intense game is on the cards.
Elsewhere in the competition, Hora Hora will be looking to make a successful return to Hukeranui with Mid Northern equally determined to finish the day with a win. Hora Hora are unbeaten since the third round at Easter while Mid Northern have been struggling to land the points in close matches recently.
Mid Western host Marist and coach Kevin Lewis is no doubt warning against overconfidence after their upset win over Mid Northern last week. They can expect a better performance from Marist, who had a forgettable game last week and have struggled with consistency all season.
Kamo host Waipu, with both sides in desperate need of some points while cellar dwellers Old Boys host league leaders Wellsford.