Roller Mills team issues call to arms

Preparations for the Northland team heading to Silverdale to contest the annual Roller Mills weight restricted tournament from Sunday September 29, to Friday, October 4, are now well under way.

The side was progressing with its traditionally extensive build-up towards this year's events - which, like the 2013 Taniwha Shield tournament, has a new increased weight restriction of 57kg (previously 55kg) - by playing friendlies and holding a number of in-house camps. Manager Catherine Stewart, who has returned to helm the side once more, said the tournament represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the 23 young men.

"This tournament has been going for 86 years and has seen many famous New Zealand rugby players taking part including current All Blacks Sonny-Bill Williams, Kevin Mealamu and Richard Kahui," she said.

Stewart firmly believed this year's squad was a special one and contained enough raw talent to bring the Roller Mills Trophy home to Northland for the first time ever; while Plan B was to at least finish better than last year's position of 4th.

She noted it was an ambitious plan but one which could well come to fruition under a coaching squad with years of experience: head coach Maurice Colley and forwards coach Brent Colley helped Hokianga to its first Taniwha Shield victory in 63 years in 2011, while back coach Sam Brown was a key part of the successful Bay of Islands team which won back-to-back Taniwha Shields in 2009 and 2010. The trio will be joined by a strong management unit consisting of Stewart joined by assistant Melanie Harrison and physio Graeme Powdrell, all from Dargaville.

The side has been going through the usual strong preparation over the past month, although Stewart said the focus this year has been more on getting the team together 'in house' to bond than playing friendlies.

Last weekend, the NRM side played a friendly against an invitational Vikings-styled team in Whangarei, the 27-15 victory proof the squad was starting to gel. The NRM selection plays Auckland East in Wellsford this Sunday before embarking on a two-day bonding camp at Tauranga Bay the following tournament (September 21-22). The side has also been training once a week in Moerewa, and will depart for Silverdale on Friday, September 27.

Again, Stewart encouraged the wider community to get behind the team again this year providing both spiritual and more substantial support.

"We want to create a tsunami wave of blue (being Northland) to flood Silverdale," she said, noting individuals, businesses, clubs, and schools could help her group of committed and focused young men in the ambitious quest to secure the title.

More information and offers of support can be found on the side's facebook page. Alternatively, contact Catherine Stewart (027)356-5031.

The 2013 Northland Roller Mills (NRM) squad features players from all seven sub unions and was selected from the 2013 Taniwha Shield tournament contested by Northland primary school students in Whangarei in June: Isaiah Harding, Tomislav Baker, Oliver Hilton-Jones, Micheal Conrad-Ellis, Corey Evans, Takerei Rollo, Pukeroa Rollo, Rihari Pomare, Johnny Rakena (Mangonui), Liam McNally, Shine Fulton, Ryan Nankivell (Bay of Islands), Joseph Ngere (Hokianga); from the southern districts: Romeo Kakara, Matthew Harrison, Ethan Sherwood, Lathan Hutchinson-Walters, George Fanning (Northern Wairoa), Rivez Reihana, Remedi Broughton, Dylan Brown (Whangarei), and Johnson Peters (Rodney/Otamatea).