Top club players earn chance for representative honours

Some of the top performers in club rugby  have been rewarded for their efforts by being named in the Northland development squad for the upcoming Northern Regional competition.
Northland "B" coach Adriaan Ferris said form in club competition was one of the key ingredients when selecting the squad.
"It's our role to reward guys who have been playing well at the club level all year and I've been working closely along with Bryce [Woodward] to identify players who have been coming through," he said.
The aim this year is to improve on - or at least maintain - last season's performance and Ferris thinks he might have the squad to work with.
Some of the players in the squad are perhaps unfortunate not to have been given Northland senior contracts this season - like Brooke Gilmore and Brock Mustrad - while others have burst from relative obscurity to be named in the squad.
One of those was Davion Young, the Ohaeawai halfback who represented Northland in age-grade rugby and now was making a bid for higher honours, Ferris said. "Davion has spent the last couple of years raising his kids and while he hasn't really left the game, he's now ready to refocus and we think he's got a big future."

 This season, Ferris has travelled around the Far North identifying talent. One of the areas he has sought to improve on, after being on the wrong side of some physical encounters last season, was to recruit some bigger players into key positions.

 The captain has yet to be decided but one of the players  to assume a leadership role is Western Sharks skipper Garry Whippy, whose club form this season has been  sensational.
"I used to play with Garry so I know he would never let the Cambridge blue jersey down and we're looking to him as a leader in the squad," Ferris said.
He is hoping the Sharks' skipper and other squad members, like Steve Baker and Gilmore, who have played at a higher level, can have the younger players feed off them.
After a couple of scores blew out last season a big hope for the coach is that they can install some mental conditioning within the squad to try to make sure that consistency is brought into every game.
The team's first pre-season fixture is on Saturday against Counties Manukau Development at Wellsford.
Northland Development: Ace Barlow (Kerikeri), Andrew Ritchie, Brock Mustard Jershon Witehira (Mid Northern), Brent Murray, Brooke Gilmour (Mid Western), Dan Mason (Kamo), Davion Young, Joshua Woodman (Ohaeawai), Eric Wihongi (Hikurangi), Ethan Crucher, Jeff Kalemani, Matt Harrison, Tevita Vaipulu (Old Boys), Gary Whippy, Solomon Palu, Ryan Barker, Reece Hamon, Ualosi Kailea, Sione Fonua (Western Sharks), Jack Tango, Steve Baker (Kamo), Matt Wright, Mike Wiringi, Aterea Davis
(Wellsford), Ray Hutton (Marist), Troy Raitt (Hikurangi).
Wider training group: Johnny Wright (Eastern), Latu Moala (Western Sharks), Mark Bennett (Hora Hora), Penetau Kluskovic (Eastern), Rhys Te Nana (Moerewa), Warren Dunn (Hora Hora).
Currently injured: Saxon Samuels (Mid Western), Jared McKenzie (Kamo).