Stars could be 'dark horses' of competition

Masterton Red Star could be the "dark horses" in this season's Wairarapa-Bush senior first division rugby competition which kicks off on Saturday.
Returning to the premier grade after a shortage of players sidelined them last year Masterton Red Star have won "friendlies" with Eketahuna and Takapau (Hawke's Bay) already this season and coach Corie Karaitiana is understandably upbeat about their potential.
"Things are looking good but it's early days yet, no one is looking too far ahead," Karaitiana said.
Wairarapa-Bush representatives Jordan Watene and Hemi Tupaea, both of whom have transferred back to the club from Gladstone will give Masterton Red Start attacking brilliance in the midfield while other notable transferees in the backs are halfback Trevell Rimene and wing Ronald Mita from Pioneer and utility player Bryon Karaitiana from Marist.
In the forwards Masterton Red Star will have a couple of well-performed loosies in Jacob Bubb and Chris Senior, a former Wairarapa-Bush lock in Tyrone McTavish and hard-nosed front rowers in Nathan Haglund, Justin Karaitiana and Tim Hintz.
Defending champions East Coast have lost the services of skipper Dion Mitchell through injury and big-kicking midfielder Te Mika Mason, who is overseas, but they have picked up a couple of talented sorts in hooker Willie Leota from Wellington and centre Sam Mitchell from Palmerston North.
Joining Leota up front will be some of the stars from last season in Darren Walker, Craig Stuart, TK Karaitiana and Joe Feast while Luke McKenna, Zeb Aporo, Luke Shanks and Nick Olson will again be expected to shine in the backs.
John Periera is again head coach for East Coast with former All Black Mark Donaldson and Dion Mitchell as his assistants.
Martinborough were one of the big improvers last year and they will be fielding a young and largely inexperienced side under the coaching of Trevor Hawkins.
Fullback Greg Wilson, Eli Telford, Rob Atkinson and Wairarapa-Bush rep James Bruce, who has transferred from Gladstone, will be part of the backline although Bruce is currently recovering from a knee injury and is likely to miss the first few rounds.
Livewire flanker Jared Hawkins is a key figure in the Martinborough pack along with another couple of handy loosies in Scott Gudsell and Kirwan Namana and gritty front rowers Daniel George, Adam Marshall and Scotty Madden.
Pioneer have a new coach in Wairarapa College teacher Dan Grace and is he pleased with the enthusiasm shown at training. As usual Nathan Rolls will be a commanding figure up front with support from brother Isaac Rolls, Cliff Graham and the promising duo Lee Ewe and Ihe Namana.
Kako Te Whare and Tipi Rimene give Pioneer a strong hand at halfback with Tommy Harmon and Joe Papaali a formidable combination in midfield.
Greytown coach Stacey Grant has lost seven of last year's squad including the experienced trio of lock Norm Henricksen and utility backs Richard Tosswill and Lawrence Matthews.
Also gone is rep halfback Mike Hollis.
Wairarapa-Bush prop Brett Rudman will skipper the side and be the cornerstone of a pack in which Johnny Avatea, Tony Adams and a couple of Kuranui College first XV players from last season in Gareth van Dalan and Ryan Pope should also make a positive impact.
Halfback Fraser King, first-five Joseph Sop and the Isaac brothers, Tavita and Senoa, will do likewise in the backs.
The Steve Thompson-coached Gladstone have lost five backs from last year in Watene, Tupaea, Dean Grant, James Bruce and Mike Shaw but they will still field a useful rearguard, comprising as it does of players of the calibre of Sean Bicknell, Jason Kjestrup, Paul Bracewell, Russell Thompson and Baden Stevenson.
The big names missing from the Gladstone pack are loosies Mike Spence and Steve Wilkinson but they have gained a prop from South Africa in David Giffin. Back from last year in the pack are Wairarapa-Bush reps Kurt Simmonds, Richard Puddy and Andrew McLean plus John Stevenson and Tim Fleming.
The loss of Wairarapa-Bush hooker and captain Joe Harwood is a huge blow for a Carterton squad being coached by Mark Rutene but they still have some rugged forwards in the form of Tomasi Kedrabuka, Mike Wakefield, Brodie Duffin, Brock Price and prop Robbie Brown who has arrived from England.
The inside combination of Justin Lett and Jono Hurley will serve Carterton well in the backs where Lance Stevenson, Jason Scott and a couple of youngsters in Nathan Namana and Keiran Sullivan should also take some stopping.
Graeme Cheetham is back coaching Eketahuna but he will have to do without the services of two of his star forwards in recent seasons, Steve Olds and Dan Griffin.
A former New Zealand under-19 trialist in Jared Shelvock will be at prop along with Brendon Walker while big things can also be anticipated from lock Dan Udy and loosies Solly Alsop and Peter Tua-Davidson.
Wairarapa-Bush midfielder Jon Guillard will be the mainstay of an Eketahuna backline also including Corey Broughton, Chris Terry and Grant Crmen, a first-five who has transferred from Featherston.
Puketoi had the misfortune to have two Argentinian front rowers planning to play for them only for both players to suffer injuries one a broken ankle and the other a snapped achilles which will keep them at home.
Coach Paul Wootton expects Evan Small, Brendon Power and the Bamby brothers, Jared and Leighton, to lead the way up front while Jason Liverton and Simon Finnie will again be backs to watch.
Marist are being coached by Nathan Couch and the Wairarapa-Bush utility back has no plans to play this season. Rather he will rely on Joe Nuku, Ben Couch, Geroie Waldron, James Goddger and Terry Norman to make a big impression in the forward exchanges and for old hands Daryl Pollock and Patrick Rimene to guide a backline in which Murray Gleeson, Adam Wichman and Murray Gleeson should also be prominent figures.
SATURDAY'S DRAW: Puketoi v East Coast at Pongaroa, Martinborough v Masterton Red Star at Martinborough, Marist v Pioneer at Memorial Park, Greytown v Carterton at Greytown, Gladstone v Eketahuna at Gladstone.