Aspiring Turbos’ big chance
A quick count reveals no more than nine contracted Manawatu¯ Turbos players will be running around as Evergreens against Hawke’s Bay’s Saracens on Wednesday evening. It is the annual frigid midwinter trial that’s important for aspiring NPC players and this time it’s at Massey University’s Sport and Rugby Institute, from 6pm, instead of Waipukurau. Coaches Jeremy Cotter and Aaron Good have managed to exhume 23 fit players and have had to bypass almost the same number of crocked or concussed. On the plus side, there are nine Super Rugby men to return closer to the real deal in August including possibly overflow All Blacks Ngani Laumape and Nehe Milner-skudder, as well as the newly-signed Lifeimi Mafi from Perpignan. There are still vacancies, notably in the wing-fullback area, a third halfback, possibly a prop, with no sign of Tuki Raimona, and a hooker. Feilding’s Valentine Meachen might have been that man, but he has taken up a full contract with Bay of Plenty when Manawatu¯ ’s finances didn’t stretch far enough. Also, as a bonus, Nick Crosswell is back after getting a medical clearance on his neck and will be a lock this year. Liam Mitchell has signed with the Hurricanes and the Turbos also fancy him as a blindside flanker-cumlock. Many of the players in action on Wednesday are viewed as talent for the future, including Varsity lock Mickey Woolliams and halfback Griffin Culver, not long out of Feilding High School. Prop Sione Asi comes back after his stand-down from the New Zealand Under-20s. As for the casualties, start counting. Turbos lock Liam Hallam-eames and prop Sean Paranihi have had concussion, flanker George Macpherson has torn medial ligaments, as has his Feilding Old Boys-o¯ roua clubmate, midfielder Junior Laloifi and Turbos-contracted Varsity fullback Te Rangatira Waitokia. Also sidelined are Varsity centre Ueta Tufuga (ankle), Kia Toa centre Jono Ihaka (groin) and Old Boys-marist wing Ben Werthmuller (finger). To cap it off, loose forward Brice Henderson is suspended for six weeks and injured No 8 Brayden Iose is out for the season. An interesting selection for Wednesday is a strapping 1.91-metre former Manukura forward, Taumutu Afemuinohotima, who has been a reserve Kia Toa prop in recent weeks, but has the build of a loose forward. He was in the Canberra Raiders under-20s rugby league side before being contracted to the Melbourne Storm under-20s, based with Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Falcons.