Young Stallions show their paces

The small initial steps of the WaiCoa Bay Stallions concept are beginning to bear fruit for up-and-coming footballers.

Just three years after the Waikato, Coastline and Bay of Plenty district leagues combined for New Zealand Rugby League's national competitions, players from throughout the wider region are starting to spread themselves through the Stallions under-16 and under-18 representative sides.

A total of 14 players from the wider Bay of Plenty/Coastline areas were involved in squads for last weekend's opening matches of the NJC (National Junior Competition).

The numbers have Bay of Plenty Coachforce Rugby League director Len Reid rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the game's future.

"I'm really quite pleased with the numbers. At the start we only used to get about two players in from outside the Waikato," said Reid, who also co-coaches the Stallions Bartercard Cup side with Tawera Nikau.

Reid believes getting so many players exposed to the level of professionalism and commitment required to play and train in the Huntly-based representative sides can only help stock the senior Stallions in future seasons.

"You've got to be very committed to travel to train twice a week, it will be a natural progression into the Bartercard Cup side for some," he said.

The NJC competitions finals are played in early April so it is possible some of the under-18 side could even play their way into the Bartercard Cup squad for 2005.

Over the weekend the Stallions age groupers enjoyed a 42-34 win in the under-18 clash with Northland in Moerewa while the under-16 combination went down to their Northland counterparts 24-12 at the same venue.

This weekend both teams head south to play their Canterbury equivalents.