Path to semis tough under fresh format

New Wairarapa-Bush rugby coach Mark Rutene intends to name his first training squad next week.
Just how many players will be involved is still to be confirmed, but Rutene expects "about 35". They will mainly be players who were involved with either the Heartland championship or senior B teams from last season.
Initially, the emphasis will be on providing a programme to build fitness, strength and speed and the squad will come together regularly, so Rutene and assistant coach Steve Thompson can judge their improvement in each of those areas.
Rutene is aware, though, that for Wairarapa-Bush to improve on last year's effort, when they won the Heartland championship second tier competition, the Lochore Cup, his players will need to be more than just physically well prepared.
"Attitude is very important, you'll never achieve your goals if you aren't switched on," he said.
"So we need to get the mental side of things right too."
Rutene isn't making any wild statements as to his ambitions for Wairarapa-Bush in 2011, a wise move when the draw for the newly formatted competition is scrutinised.
Instead of two pools of six with the top three teams in each playing off for the Meads Cup and the rest contesting the Lochore Cup, this year will see a round robin format with eight rounds of qualifying games.
After the round robin, the top four teams on the points table will go through to the Meads Cup semifinals and the next four to the Lochore Cup semifinals.
Wairarapa-Bush have not fared well in the round robin draw as they will come up against four of last season's better-performed sides - Wanganui, North Otago, Poverty Bay and Mid-Canterbury, a situation that guarantees qualifying for the Meads Cup playoffs won't be easily achieved.
"Obviously, we'd like to think we can be contenders for the Meads Cup and there is no reason why that shouldn't happen," Rutene said. "But, yes, the draw is a tough one so we certainly won't be taking anything for granted."
Adding to the magnitude of the task for Wairarapa-Bush is that with the championship starting on August 6 and Rutene and Thompson reluctant to interfere too much - if at all - with a club season which won't end until late July they are likely to have just two warm-up games before their opening match against Thames Valley at Memorial Park.
These will see them play what have become annual "friendlies" against Horowhenua-Kapiti at home and Poverty Bay in Gisborne and Rutene and Thompson want to have their Heartland squad finalised before the first of them. "The tightness of the rep season means club form is going to be very important in the selection process and I guess that is no bad thing," Rutene said.
Meanwhile, the appointment of Rutene as head coach of Wairarapa-Bush means he won't be guiding Carterton's fortunes again on the club scene in 2011. His replacement as coach of the defending champions is Steve Hurley, who had that role when the maroons won the premier title in 2006.