'Nightmare' build-up affects West Coast

A "nightmare" of a build-up means the West Coast line-up which takes the field against Wairarapa-Bush in the Heartland championship rugby opener at Memorial Park, Masterton on Saturday won't even have trained together as a team.
A horror spell of bad weather in the Greymouth, Hokitika and Westport regions has left coach Anthony Lawry, who is based in Christchurch ,with little alternative but to use at least the first two Heartland games as trials for later matches in the competition.
Not only have all but one of the scheduled lead-up games for West Coast been called off because of roads being closed by slips or snow but a number of practise sessions have been affected as well, either not being held at all or being held with several players missing.
In fact, four times has Lawry himself been unable to attend training because of road closures, including tonight.
The one lead-up game against a Nelson XV didn't exactly help in choosing Saturday's team either as such were the number of players unavailable the West Coast side was more of a development squad.
Just a handful of them are likely to be part of the action this weekend although Lawry concedes that number could increase because of travel arrangements.
These have the team booked to fly out tomorrow night, something which could mean as many as "six or seven" first string players making themselves unavailable because of work commitments.
"We've got 30 in the squad at the moment but I wouldn't think there will be much selecting to do for Saturday, it'll be pretty much a case of choosing those who can make the trip," Lawry said. "It's been a bit of a nightmare really but there's no point in complaining, we just have to do the best we can do."
Two players who will definitely be part of the West Coast starting XV this weekend are the two Canterbury "imports" in the squad, lock Cameron Read and wing Jacon Stevens.
Interestingly enough they could find themselves going head to head with Wairarapa-Bush's two "imports" from Wellington, James Measor and Junior Togia, who could also be playing at lock and wing respectively.
For Lawry this will be his second season in charge of West Coast and with former All Black Mark Hammett offering valuable assistance with the forwards he is confident of them becoming a stronger side than that of 2007 when they were beaten semi-finalists in the Lochore Cup section of the Heartland series.
Lawry bases that assessment on the fact that the local talent available for selection has been boosted through West Coast not fielding a provincial rugby league side this season which meant in turn that the usual problem of many players having to choose between the two codes was no longer a worry.
"Once we get out best team on the paddock we should be very competitive but right now& well, quite honestly I'm not sure myself how we will go," he said.
"All we can do is give it our best shot and hope that is good enough."