Duffin reaps reward

Carterton No.8 Brodie Duffin has been rewarded for a storming performance in his team's 17-5 win over Eketahuna in the grand final of the premier division club competition, with selection in the Wairarapa-Bush rugby squad for their upcoming NPC first division campaign.
That game saw Duffin up against another serious contender for the back row berth in the Wairarapa-Bush side, Eketahuna skipper Steve Olds, and Duffin's stronger all-round effort gave him the nod.
He was a diligent support player to the rampaging Fijian trio Tomasi Kedarabuka, Langi Peters and Andrew Compain as they launched attack after attack from broken play situations in the first half, and was absolutely outstanding on defence in a second spell which saw Eketahuna camped inside Carterton territory for long periods.
Middle rowers Kedarabuka and Peters will join Duffin in the Wairarapa-Bush squad, but Compain, like Olds, can be considered unlucky to miss out. However, they give the side excellent cover in the loose forwards, a department in which Gladstone duo Sam Henderson and Mike Spence and Greytown-Tuhirangi's Sylvanus Iro were always in the "near certainty" category.
Wairarapa-Bush coach Peter Russell intends to use Iro, who played a lot at No.8 last season, as his number one openside flanker and with Henderson seemingly certain of the blindside flanker role, the acid will be on Spence and Duffin in the battle for the No.8 role in the starting line-up.
They both seem sure to be given considerable match time there in the last of the non-championship games against Poverty Bay in Masterton on August 12, and whoever makes the most impression is likely to start in the opening NPC first division game against Buller, also in Masterton, on August 19.
The other forward selections in the squad announced today are pretty much as anticipated.
Carterton's Joe Harwood will skipper the side from hooker and a clubmate in South African Bert Buckle, who also starred in last Saturday's club grand final,is one of four props chosen. He will be just one of many forwards in the squad who are very adept with ball in hand.
Another of the props is Eketahuna's Brendan Walker who has made such a huge impression at club level this season with his power and technique at scrum time.
The most notable feature of the back selections is the "one to be added" at the very bottom of the list. With Lawrence Matthews and Joji Tamani being overlooked and Marika Kau ruled out by injury there is a vacancy on the wing and Russell is hopeful of filling that position with a well-performed Wellington-based player, the name of whom could be revealed later this week.
If that is the case there will be three Wellington "imports" competing for places in the backline, Junior Togia and Peato Lafeale, both of whom played in the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury, having retained their spots in the squad.
Togia is a prolific try scorer who has one of the wing berths all to himself while Lafeale will probably be the first choice fullback although he has often played in the three-quarters as well.The fact he is a reliable goal kicker is another plus in that it means Wairarapa-Bush now has a more-than-useful useful understudy to Patrick Rimene in that crucial role.
But the really good news in the backline is that last season's NPC third division player of the year, centre Simanu Simanu, has declared himself fit enough to rejoin the Wairarapa-Bush squad after missing the Shield game because of a recurring knee injury.
Having him combine with the mercurial Nathan Couch in midfield is an absolute must if Wairarapa-Bush is to be a serious contender for the first division title in 2006.