Whanganui senior club rugby: Marton currently finds themselves in the very unfamiliar position

Handed a tough draw, although that was not clear initially, Marton will not play the winless Mustangs and the sole-victory Border Seniors until their last two games. Photo / File

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If the last four seasons of Tasman Tanning Senior rugby has taught us anything, it’s never doubt that JJ Walters Asphalt Marton have it in them to make a late run.

They have built in confidence in recent years with Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield victories and just missing out on last year’s Division 1 semifinals on count-back by a solitary try, Marton currently find themselves in the very unfamiliar position of 10th spot in what has been an ultra-competitive 2023 grade.

But unlike their neighbours in the points table cellar, even a cursory glance over the side’s results suggests they are far better outfit than their 2-6 record suggests.

Handed a tough draw, although that was not clear initially, Marton will not play the winless Castlecliff Club Mustangs and the sole-victory Border Seniors until their last two games.

They came up short against semifinal contenders Tāmata Hauhā Rātana (30-22) in the Pa, Black Bull Liquor Pirates (25-15) at Spriggens, and Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau (22-17) at home – the latter particularly galling as they had led 14-0 early.

Mid-season they were good enough to defeat Bennett’s Taihape 13-10, just two weeks before Taihape upset Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic to lift the Challenge Shield.

Marton appear they may at last be putting it back together with a 29-0 shutout of McCrea Scanning Counties last Saturday at Marton Park, which was a great hit-out to prepare them for this weekend’s tough task of travelling for the derby with Kelso Hunterville.

Should Marton overcome Hunterville, which would put a massive dent in the home side’s semifinals hopes, they would be odds on for an end-of-season sweep - very similar to what they accomplished in the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.

“Hoping it’s that way, if we get our win this weekend we should clean out our last couple of games,” said new coach Glenn Weitenburg, who took over from Dennis Tucker, now coaching the Marton Queen Bees.

“Ratana, Pirates, we walked off thinking, ‘how the hell did we lose that?’

“Kaierau and Ratana, worked really good in patches, but not putting the icing on the cake.

“We’ll look to Hunterville to definitely prove something.”

Using more than 30 players this campaign, Weitenburg still found his resources stretched to the limit as his side went through a near crippling-injury toll right from the season kickoff.

Until the past two games, Marton have never fielded the same halfback to second five-eighths combination, missing some leading on-field communicators.

“Any B side losing three or four guys would be hard,” said Weitenburg.

“It seemed for three weeks we lost three to five guys each game.

“Kent Stembridge has been helping out this year, and that was well over his job description.”

Stembridge is a respected physiotherapist who served Steelform Whanganui for more than 100 first class matches – and he worked overtime to get players back on the pitch as early as possible.

But a handful of players were still lost for the entire campaign, and it is only in the last couple of weeks that a few others have returned.

“It’s quite a new squad, but not, in a way,” said Weitenburg.

Players who were in fact part of the last Marton team to play in Tasman Tanning Premier in 2014 have returned this year, now in their early 30′s, after focusing on work and young family commitments in the interim.

“There’s some positive work happening around the club,” said Weitenburg.

“Everything’s sort of there, just needed a few more W’s.”

Senior draw

June 10 (1pm kickoff unless noted - times subject to change):

Hunterville v Marton, Hunterville Park; Counties v Ratana, MacNab Domain (2pm); Celtic v Border, Racecourse; Mustangs v Knights, Spriggens Park; Kaierau v Pirates, Country Club; Utiku Old Boys v Taihape, Memorial Park.

Women’s Club Rugby

The final of the WRFU Women’s Club Rugby championship will be at Cooks Gardens on Friday with a 6pm kickoff. Kaierau and Marist have qualified after comfortable semifinal victories over Marton Queen Bees and Taihape respectively. It is just the two side’s second meeting this season after Kaierau defaulted for illness in the first round. In the second round, Kaierau won 17-12 with a try near fulltime.

Happenings

COLLEGIATE: The Whanganui Collegiate First XV extended their lead on top of the CNI points table with a 37-14 win in wet conditions against Rathkeale College First XV in Masterton on Tuesday. The visitors outscored their hosts seven tries to two, but could only add one conversion.

UNDER 20S: Two former Collegiate old boys have been named in the New Zealand Under 20 squad to attend the World Championships in South Africa. Now in the Hawke’s Bay, Harry Godfrey made his Hurricanes Super Rugby Pacific debut this season. Hunter Morrison moved from Whanganui to Palmerston North and is now also in the Hawke’s Bay. He was part of last season’s undefeated tour of South Africa by the New Zealand Under 19s. Two more Collegiate alumni, Judah Saumaisue and Waqaicece, have been named in the Fijian U20 squad.