Harwood ready to lace up for another season

It's creating a real buzz around the squad and keeps everybody on their toes. Joe Harwood Carterton hooker Joe Harwood admits to contemplating retirement but he is still looking forward to leading Wairarapa-Bush into their 2010 Heartland championship rugby campaign.
"I'm getting a a bit older and the body is getting a bit sorer," the 30-year-old Harwood said yesterday.
"I won't say I haven't thought about calling it a day but right now it's about focusing on what is ahead of us, and that's exciting.".
Captaining Wairarapa-Bush at Heartland level is, of course, nothing new for Harwood.
He had the reins when they won the premier trophy, the Meads Cup in 2006, and he was also in charge when they didn't go so well in 2008.
A stint in Australia meant he was not able to build on the "55 or so" games he has had for the union last year and fellow front rower Kurt Simmonds took charge in his absence.
But Harwood was always the favourite for the job after he returned home and led Carterton to the premier division title at club level.
That confidence wasn't shared by the man himself though, simply because the battle for starting positions in the Wairarapa-Bush pack was so hot he wasn't even sure he would be amongst the chosen few.
And even now he is quick to emphasise he doesn't see himself as being anything like an absolute certainty for regular selection.
"Honestly, I wouldn't think there is one forward in the squad who is guaranteed to be there on a regular basis, and that includes me," Harwood said. "One bad game and you could be on the outer, that's how tough it is."
Harwood sees the stiff competition for starting places as having a positive effect on the overall team performance because of the fact players can't rest on their laurels.
"It's creating a real buzz around the squad and keeps everybody on their toes," he said.
"It's going to give an extra edge to training, that's for sure."
For Harwood the 2010 season will be played in two halves with making it through to the Meads Cup section being the primary objective in the first of them, and going all the way to the grand final the centre of attention in the second.
"We have to aim for the very top but we also have to realise there are going to be a lot of challenges to overcome before we can even think about winning the title, "he said. "How we handle those is going to be everything, absolutely everything."