Extensive rules review may bring changes for next season

The Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's council of clubs is undertaking a comprehensive review of rules and regulations around their club competitions.
Chairman Fergus Rutherford told the Wairarapa Times-Age this week that the review should be completed in time for changes to be made before the 2011 season.
Rutherford agreed that the debates which arose over the Marist premier division playing a non-transferred player in the first three of their competition games this season had highlighted the need for all rules and regulations to be carefully scrutinised.
Marist were initially deprived of 14 competition points by a subcommittee appointed by the council of clubs but had those points reinstated when they appealed to an appeals committee.
The reinstatement also meant Marist became the new holders of the Chris Kapene Memorial Trophy as the leading premier division side at the end of one complete round.
However, they were not awarded the $1000 which also went with that honour because the appeals committee found they must take some responsibility for what it labelled a technical breach of the rules.
With the 14 points, Marist share the premier division lead with Carterton and Eketahuna on 44. Carterton and Eketahuna also have the same points differential of plus 144, Carterton having scored 306 and conceded 162 and Eketahuna having scored 307 and conceded 163. Marist have a points differential of 133 _ 291 scored and 158 conceded. Technically they lie third.
Tomorrow's premier division draw sees all three facing formidable opposition.
Marist will battle defending champions Masterton Red Star at Memorial Park. Their first round clash closely contested with Marist sneaking home 8-0 and another cliff-hanger is on the cards. The fact Masterton Red Star are again likely to be without key backs Byron Karaitiana and Heemi Tupaea, both of whom have injury hassles, should mean their focus will be on dominating Marist up front through in-form locks Tyrone McTavish and Jake Bubb.
Marist will use the attacking skills of backs like Nathan Couch, Daniel Blong, Phil Aporo and Sentury Taafa and the end result could very much depend on whether they get enough quality possession to do exactly that.
One of the assistant referees for the Memorial Park fixture will be Aaron Reid who is on an exchange visit from the Far North Coast sub-unions in New South Wales. He will control the senior reserves match between the same two clubs starting at 1pm.
Eketahuna travels to Whareama to take on an East Coast side which will be desperately seeking the win which will keep them in serious contention for a semifinal spot a little further down the track. The ball-winning capabilities of the rugged Eketahuna pack have been well documented in these columns and, on the soft grounds which invariably crop up at this stage of the season, they are an even greater force to be reckoned with.
The problem then for East Coast is how to reduce their effectiveness so that pacy backs like Nick Olson, Luke Shanks and Jesse McGilvary can do their stuff. Look for some innovative tactics from the home side as they strive to find the answer to that dilemma.
Carterton, like Eketahuna, are on something of a roll but they will be very wary of the dangers of counting their chickens leading into their clash with Gladstone at Gladstone.
Up front, it should be one hell of a battle with the Gladstone pack having all the fire and experience needed to measure up to the Carterton eight and, now that Gladstone have gained the services of former United States and Fiji international winger Joseva Naivalu, they will have greater sting in their backs as well.
Gladstone actually had a one-point win in the first round encounter and another thriller seems assured.
Greytown and Martinborough meet at Greytown with both teams shooting for the maximum points which would seriously boost their semifinal hopes. Of the two, Martinborough have the better form line and did win the first round match 10-3 but Greytown are a side capable of matching up to just about anyone when they are firing on all cylinders. A minor upset is very much a possibility here.
Pioneer hosts Puketoi at the Park Sportsground and, while an improving Pioneer seem certain to do better than the 64-0 defeat they suffered in the first round, they will again find life difficult against a Puketoi side whose pack seems sure to dominate the battle for possession. In Jason Liverton, Puketoi have an inside back with an impressive tactical kicking game and his influence on proceedings should also be marked.
The full draw for tomorrow's club rugby is:
Premier division: East Coast v Eketahuna, Whareama at 2.30pm (A. Stringer; G. Moorcock and R. Wakeling); Marist v Masterton Red Star (T. Roseingrave; A. Reid and J. Devine); Pioneer v Pukletoi, Park Sportsground at 2.30pm (G. Hall; S. O'Gorman and G. Wyeth); Gladstone v Carterton, Gladstone at 2.30pm (C. Jefferies; S. Andrew and T. Lyford); Greytown v Martinborough, Greytown at 2.30pm (D. Goodin; O. Weeks and A. Mortenson).
Senior reserves: East Coast v Eketahuna, Whareama at 1pm (G. Moorcock); Marist v Masterton Red Star, Memorial Park at 1pm (A. Reid; J. Devine and K. Lochhead); Gladstone v Pioneer, Gladstone at 1pm (S. Andrew); Featherston v Martinborough, Featherston at 1pm (M. Porter); Tuhirangi v Carterton, Pirinoa at 2.30pm (G. Reisima); Greytown a bye.
Secondary schools
Premier first XV grade: Wairarapa College v Palmerston North Boys High seconds, Wairarapa College at 12.30pm (S. O'Gorman). Open grade: Rathkeale seconds v Makoura firsts, Rathkeale at 11.15am (T. Lyford); Chanel firsts v Wairarapa thirds, Chanel at 11.15am (J. Devine); Wairarapa seconds a bye. Under-15s: Wairarapa v Feilding A, Wairarapa College at 9.50am (B. Whale). Junior: Chanel seconds v Kuranui seconds, Chanel at 10am (P. Weeks); Rathkeale Green v Wairarapa Gold, Rathkeale at 10am (A. Mortenson); Rathkeale White v Wairarapa Gold, Rathkeale at 10am (M. O'Farrell); Makoura seconds a bye.