Gladstone prepare for a big weekend

It will be a case of most roads lead to Gladstone when premier division club rugby matches continue in Wairarapa-Bush tomorrow.
Not only will Gladstone be celebrating their old-timer's day but with Anzac Day the next day they are also taking the opportunity to honour past club members who lost their lives in the two world wars.
Special jerseys have been designed for the Gladstone players to wear in what should be an intriguing game against a Marist side who headed the premier division points table until their loss to Carterton last weekend.
These jerseys will have the popular Anzac Day poppy on them with the Gladstone club's own logo and plans are for them to be handed to the players by one of the club's oldest war veterans. A bugler will play the Last Post just before kick-off.
There will be evening entertainment at Gladstone too with rugby league great Taweru Nikau speaking at a function, all profits from which will go towards the new floodlights being installed at the sports complex.
The Anzac jerseys will be auctioned off and they should prove a popular collector's item, particularly if they come after a Gladstone win, something which is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.
That Marist will have an edge in attacking flair in the backs can't be denied but Gladstone will fancy their chances of negating that advantage by depriving them of the ball through dominating the forward exchanges. Rugged front rowers Kurt Simmonds, Richard Puddy and Bevan Morland will be expected to lead the way in that respect and, if the Marist eight fails to fight fire with fire, they could be in trouble. This one could go right down to the wire.
Marist's defeat last weekend left Eketahuna at the top of the points table and, tomorrow, Eketahuna will be at home to the team who claimed the Marist scalp, Carterton.
News that Eketahuna have picked up a number of talented Bush Sports players, including ace Wairarapa-Bush loosie Josh Tua-Davidson, suggests they are going to remain a front runner for the premier division title but they won't get any favours from a Carterton side touted as the team to beat at the start of the season and only just starting to live up to that billing. This too appeals as a game which will see few points separating the sides. East Coast must still be kicking themselves after they practically gifted a win to Masterton Red Star last weekend through a combination of poor decision-making and shoddy defence and they will be keen to take out their frustrations on Martinborough at Whareama. Again, nothing can be guaranteed results-wise as Martinborough have been among the more consistent performers and deserve to carry the favourites tag.