Mere 85-point win will do job for Mustangs
Beating the Wellington Orcas is a daunting task for the Manawatu Mustangs on a good day.
But add in the fact the Mustangs need to win by 85 points to qualify for the next round of the national rugby league championships almost makes it an impossible task.
Just to make things harder, the Mustangs will be depleted.
Manawatu play Wellington in Wainuiomata today in the last game of qualifying for the next round of the national championship and Wellington are in the box seat.
Wellington beat Hawke’s Bay 86-6 in the first game of qualifying and then Hawke’s Bay pulled out.
Mustangs coach Matthew Cole said Wellington’s points differential wasn’t reset even though Hawke’s Bay pulled out and Manawatu and Taranaki were given +30 points differential for automatic wins over Hawke’s Bay.
So that means Wellington’s points differential is +110 and Manawatu’s is +26, after their 26-22 loss to the Taranaki Sharks in New Plymouth last weekend.
Taranaki pulled out of their game against Wellington.
So Manawatu face the unlikely proposition of beating a strong Wellington team by 85 points to go the regional finals of the national championship.
Even though it is unlikely to happen, Manawatu are keen to give Wellington a crack.
Manawatu have had to make a couple of changes to the team that
lost to Taranaki.
Fullback Awatere Kiwara and hooker Hitaua Butler are away with Manukura at the national secondary schools championships in Auckland, which starts next week, and strike centres Tevita Faukafa and Nikolao Ioane are both injured, as is wing Neihana Johnson.
Also unavailable due to other commitments are props Wesley Veikoso and Pita Marshall, and second rowers Pou Takarua and Coby Devery.
Losing Marshall and Veikoso in particular is a big loss, taking away a lot of Manawatu’s punch in the forward pack.
Matthew Malama will step into the starting front row and captain Johnny Kerrisk will move from the second row to prop.
Kia Ora Warriors captain Zane Warbrick-marshall and playmaker Corey Governor have been called in as cover.
Governor will play at fullback and will play alongside his son, halfback Jahlon, which must be a first in the Manawatu side.
Hayden Lovie shifts from halfback to hooker and Taylor Haimona shifts from lock to his preferred position at five-eighth.
Whanganui Boxon workhorse Woody Martin comes in to start in the second row and Ohakea Magpies forward Malu Faalogo will start at lock.
There are still two players to be added to the squad.