Oarsome legacy to uphold in Tokyo Storm warning for Warriors
It may not contain the same star pulling power as previous Olympic squads but the New Zealand rowing team should again be a major provider of medals in Tokyo.
There will be nine Kiwi boats in action at the Olympics starting next month, and six of those entries could be considered genuine medal contenders.
New Zealand won three rowing medals (two gold and a silver) at the 2016 Rio Olympics after collecting five (three gold and two bronze) four years previously in London.
Rowing shares top spot with athletics as New Zealand’s most prolific Olympics medal-winning sport with 24 apiece, just ahead of sailing (22).
The team for the postponed 2020 Olympics won’t feature retired three-time men’s single scull medallist Mahe Drysdale, but does include two-time men’s pair champion Hamish Bond, who is part of the Kiwi eight.
Among the leading medal contenders will be the women’s pair and women’s eight, with Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast joining forces in the pair and they’ve also been included in the eight.
Prendergast told Stuff yesterday at Lake Karapiro that the duo were confident they could be at their best in both events and wanted to be part of the eight, for which a squad of 10 rowers was named.
The duo were part of the eight which won gold at the 2019 world championships and pulled off the double triumph at that regatta with
NZ rowing team for the Tokyo Olympics: Women’s single scull, Emma Twigg; women’s double sculls, Brooke Donoghue, Hannah Osborne; women’s pair, Grace Prendergast, Kerri Gowler; women’s quad, Eve Macfarlane, Olivia Loe, Georgia Nugent-o’leary, Ruby Tew; women’s eight squad, Ella Greenslade, Emma Dyke, Kelsey Bevan, Kirstyn Goodger, Beth Ross, Phoebe Spoors, Lucy Spoors, Jackie Gowler, Grace Prendergast, Kerri Gowler, coxswain Caleb Shepherd; men’s single scull, Jordan Parry; men’s double sculls, Chris Harris, Jack Lopas; men’s pair, Stephen Jones, Brook Robertson; men’s eight, Shaun Kirkham, Tom Mackintosh, Michael Brake, Matt Macdonald, Tom Murray, Phillip Wilson, Hamish Bond, Danielwilliamson, coxswain Sam Bosworth.
a win in the pair also.
They were also world champions in the pair in 2017 and silver medallists in 2018, and part of the world championship-winning four in 2014. The selectors did make a
notable change to the women’s double sculls combination which had won two golds and a silver at the past three world championships. Hannah Osborne will join Brooke Donoghue in the new combination, with Olivia Loe swapping to the quad despite her string of successes alongside Donoghue since Rio.
Osborne stepped into the void in the single scull left temporarily by Emma Twigg in 2017 and 2018 and was part of the quad which qualified for Tokyo.
Jordan Parry has replaced Drysdale in the men’s single scull, while Jack Lopas will also make his Olympics debut in the men’s double with Chris Harris.
At 21, Dan Williamson is the youngest squad member and is part of the men’s eight. The boat gained a spot in Tokyo at the final Olympic qualification regatta this month at Lucerne.
Second rower Tohu Harris believes the Warriors can live with the Storm when they go up against them tomorrow but the big question is how long for?
When the two teams met earlier this season, the Storm won 42-20 to give the Warriors their heaviest loss this year.
Aside from that defeat, the only other time the Warriors have been convincingly beaten was against the Eels in round 10.
What’s been the issue over the first 12 games isn’t that they’re a bad team, but that they have costly poor patches and Harris knows they can’t afford one of these tomorrow.
‘‘Throughout the first half of the season, there were times during the games where we had a lapse,’’ Harris said.
‘‘Where we let in too many points and we were really disappointed with our efforts in those times.
‘‘We struggled to stop momentum early enough, so if we can limit those lapses we can compete a lot more with the top teams.’’
Harris has officially been shifted to lock for tomorrow’s game, with Josh Curran given the No13 jersey, while Bayley Sironen also comes into the second row, replacing the suspended Eliesa Katoa.
However, Addin Fonua-blake should make his long awaited return to the team following his leg injury against the Roosters in round four.
Even though it’s been something of a revolving door at times, Harris believes the Warriors do have a
What: NRL, round 14, Warriors v Storm
When, where: Tomorrow 4pm; Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Warriors: Roger Tuivasa-sheck, Marcelo Montoya, Euan Aitken, Rocco Berry, Edward Kosi, Kodi Nikorima, Chanel Harris-tavita, Jamayne Taunoa-brown, Wayde Egan, Leeson Ah Mau, Bayley Sironen, Tohu Harris, Josh Curran. Interchange (from): Jack Murchie, Kane Evans, Bunty Afoa, Ben MurdochMasila, Jazz Tevaga, Sean O’sullivan, Ken Maumalo, Addin Fonua-blake.
Storm: Nicho Hynes, George Jennings, Reimis Smith, Justin Olam, Josh Addo-carr, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Jesse Bromwich, Brandon Smith, Nelson Asofa-solomona, Kenneath Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi, Dale Finucane. Interchange (from): Harry Grant, Tui Kamikamica, Christian Welch, Aaron Pene, Dean Ieremia, Tom Eisenhuth, Marion Seve, Chris Lewis, Trent Loiero, Cooper Johns.
quality forward pack this season.
‘‘We’re confident in our ability and we love the players we have,’’ he said.
‘‘We’re definitely a team with ability, we just need to limit those lapses we have, to give us those chances against teams like the Storm, who rarely have lapses.
‘‘They’re a team that can show up for the full 80 minutes and that’s going to be the challenge for us, they’ll just keep coming. I know we have the ability to do that, we just haven’t done it consistently yet.’’
As for having Fonua-blake back, Harris said it would give everyone in the team a lift.
‘‘He brings a lot of experience and he’s a strong runner of the ball,’’ he said. ‘‘He’s a bigger body in the middle of the field and he brings a lot to our team.
‘‘It’s going to be really good to have him back on the field once he steps out there.
‘‘I think our training staff are going to be more relieved, because he’s a bit of a pest,’’ Harris laughed.
‘‘The medical staff will be glad to have him out of their hair.’’ For the Storm, they have lost their Kiwis international Nelson Asofa-solomona through suspension. Someone like AsofaSolomona isn’t easily replaced, but Harris said it was in the Storm’s DNA to fill the void of anyone who’s missing.
‘‘He’s obviously a world-class front rower,’’ Harris said of AsofaSolomona.
‘‘But the thing about the Storm is that it’s next man up for them and they’ve got a lot of quality players right through their 17.
‘‘The train doesn’t stop moving if one man is down and the challenge isn’t going to be any easier. They’re the defending premiers for a reason and they’re a quality side and it’s going to be a real test for us.’’