It?s poaching season already as NPC spies get to work

Wairarapa-Bush rugby coach Peter Russell is very mindful of the need for his union to look after the interests of his key players.
A number of Manawatu "spies" were at Wednesday's representative game at Memorial Park for a match between what what was an essentially Manawatu B team and Wairarapa-Bush with an eye to fishing out talent for next season when Manawatu will be part of the new national first division series.
And with several Wairarapa-Bush players having standout performances the chances are that they could be on Manawatu's shopping list over the next few months,something which Russell has mixed feelings about.
"Obviously we need to do everything we can to encourage our players to stay with us but at the same time we don't want to be seen to be holding them back," he said."It's a tricky situation but we have to face up to it."
Russell knows Wairarapa-Bush don't have the financial clout to match the bigger unions if the battle comes down to dollars and cents but he said players had to understand that the grass was not always greener on the other side of the fence.
"It's all very well if they are guaranteed spots in the premier side but if they are only going to play at B level then they could develop their talents better by staying with the likes of us," he said. "The players need to look very closely at what is better for them in the longer term."
Three Wairarapa-Bush players come quickly to mind when assessing just who of the current squad could make the grade at a higher level - No.8 Sylvanus Iro, hooker Rob Foreman and centre Simanu Simanu.
Iro has been an absolute revelation at both club and representative level this season There has been no more dynamic runner in broken play situations and he has been equally punishing on defence.It suits Wairarapa-Bush to play him in the back row but he also has the speed and the strength to make a very effective openside flanker.
Foreman has already attracted attention from people in higher places at age group levels and playing on the first division scene would hold no qualms for him. His lineout throwing is sound, he scrummages well and he is both robust and mobile about the paddock.
Big and strong midfield backs are the "in thing" these days and Simanu fits the bill perfectly. He revels in a one-on-one confrontation, both on attack and defence, and combines his aggression with a good measure of speed and flair.
You also have to wonder how long Wairarapa-Bush will be able to retain their latest acquisitions from overseas too, Fijian lock Tomasi Kedarabuka and Dutch utility back Bart Viguurs.
Kedarabuka could hardly have made a better first impression than he did against the Manawatu XV on Wednesday, taking down clean two-handed lineout ball and displaying plenty of energy in other phases of the forward game as well.
Viguurs has been playing most his club rugby at first-five , and making a good fist of it too, but he was tried at fullback in the Manawatu game and grabbed his opportunity with both hands. His positional play was almost without fault, his punting had length and accuracy and he was quick and decisive enough to always be a danger on the counter attack.
Coach Russell was pleased with the improvement shown by his team in Wednesday's game and concedes the competition for the NPC third division squad is now so keen that some players are going to be unlucky to miss out.
"It's always better to be worrying about who to leave out rather than who to select," he said. "And it puts the pressure on players to keep performing well at club level, and that's a good thing too."
The form book suggests the results of senior first division club games in Wairarapa-Bush tomorrow should be easy to predict but appearances can sometimes be deceiving in that respect and there are at least a couple of matches where upsets can't be completely discounted
EKETAHUNA v CARTERTON
Eketahuna at 2.30pm
Carterton are making no secret of their determination to put up a good showing against the defending champions and their narrow but deserved win over Greytown-Tuhirangi last weekend would have been a timely boost to confidence. The arrival of Kedarabuka has been a hiuge boost to their forwards and they will be fancying their chances of at least gaining parity in the battle for possession. The trouble for Carterton though is that Eketahuna struggled to win against East Coast last weekend and you can wager coach Cheetham will have them all fired up for this one. It is their backs who could be the key to victory here. Hamish McKenzie and Simanu Simanu will be the main playmakers and Carterton will need to keep them in check to pull this one off. An intriguing contest is in prospect but Eketahuna should sneak home.
GLADSTONE V MASTERTON RED STAR
Gladstone at 2.30pm
Gladstone will accept nothing less than maximum points here and they should get them comfortably enough against a Stars side which has been doing well lately just to get a team on the paddock. At full strength they would be a nuisance but Gladstone should have a clear edge all over the paddock and a 30-point plus win is on the cards.
MARIST V PUKETOI, Memorial Park at 2.30pm
Puketoi simply don't have the depth of talent to beat a team like Marist which is now sitting second on the competition table but they will relish the chance to show their wares at headquarters. Expect them to get stuck in up front and make life difficult for the Marist forwards but when it comes to back play the experienced Marist rearguard will call the tune. Mind you, Nathan Couch did leave the field injured in the rep game on Wednesday and if he doesn't play here their try scoring potential will lessened to some degree.
GREYTOWN-TUHIRANGI
V MARTINBOROUGH, Greytown at 2.30pm
Greytown-Tuhirangi will be the warm favourites but they will be wary of a Martinborough side who have shown the ability this season to trouble most of the higher-rated sides with their bustling style of play. The combined side will be aiming to dominate the forward exchanges and if they can maintain possession through three or four phases on a regular basis the foundations for a comfortable win will have been laid.
PIONEER V EAST COAST, Jean street at 2.30pm
The Coasters gave Eketahuna a fright last weekend and if they can produce the same spirited performance against Pioneer this game could a close-fought affair. Pioneer have scored close to 160 points in their last two matches so won't have any difficulty finding the tryline but their attacking opportunities are sure to be more limited here At the same time though they do seem likely to have the ":wood" on East Coast in most departments and they should be able to convert that into a win.