Leaving is last resort, says Rabo

Wairarapa United fans can breath a sigh of relief.
Contrary to rumours former Fiji football international and current Wairarapa United star Pita Rabo doesn't intend to leave Wairarapa any time soon.
Certainly not before he does his best to help the club's premier side complete the most notable of doubles this year, success in both the Chatham Cup national knockout competition and the central league.
Talk that a lack of job opportunities could see Rabo leave the province as early as the end of this week were dismissed by the 32-year-old yesterday.
Yes, he is looking for permanent employment and, yes, his circumstances may, in the end, force him to move elsewhere with his wife and three children but with some part-time work available to him it's not part of his present thinking.
"Staying in the Wairarapa is the dream, we all love it here," Rabo told the Times-Age yesterday.
"Leaving will always be a last resort."
Now in his seventh season with Wairarapa United, Rabo considers their present squad to be the best he has played with and while he concedes the Chatham Cup-central league double is a longshot he is convinced they are capable of beating the odds.
Their 1-0 extra time win over Wellington United on Saturday meant Wairarapa United had reached the Cup quarter-finals for the first time in that competition's 89- year history while they sit third on the central league points table, 10 points behind leaders Miramar Rangers but with two games in hand.
Rabo, who shares the Wairarapa United captaincy duties with Adam Cowan, hasn't lost any sleep over who they might strike in the next round of the Chatham Cup series.
"You get to that stage and you know you are in for a tough game no matter who you draw," he said. "The focus for us has to be on playing well and everything else will take care of itself. Three more wins is all we need, it's as simple as that."
The central league title is, if anything, a tougher task with Wairarapa United probably requiring to win all six of their remaining matches and relying on both Miramar Rangers and second-placed Western Suburbs to lose a couple of their last four.
"It's not out of reach, that's the big thing," Rabo said. "The incentive is there to keep winning and that's what we've got to do.".
Asked what makes the 2011 Wairarapa United squad so competitive in the best of company Rabo believes it boils down to a mix of their high skill levels, both individually and collectively, and the excellent team spirit engendered by longtime coach Phil Keinzley.
"We want to win for each other as much as for ourselves".