WLLLLLLW
Its not an obscure code, it’s the
QBE
Insurance
North
Harbour win-loss record for the 2009 season to date. Two wins from eight games does not show a great return, yet. With the win against
Auckland during the weekend, many fans are rightly feeling excited again. The next game at 7.35pm on Friday night at Albany Stadium is against Counties-Manukau and gives all fans more reason to be excited.
The Steelers are in a similar position to
North
Harbour and are showing steady signs of improvement. Their defence has been tightening and their attacking prowess is shown by their 8th place for points scored. The willingness of the Steelers to attack from anywhere on the park has caught most teams napping.
One of the staggering facts about the 2009 edition of the competition is that a record of four wins from eight games is good enough to get a team into the top four. The cautionary tale is in the code: our last win was followed by six losses. That being said, a run of wins now would quickly elevate
QBE
Insurance
North
Harbour into the top half of the competition ladder.
QBE
Insurance
North
Harbour have earned their experience the hard way, and are beginning to show some fruit from their hard work. The forward control and backline flair are beginning to show, and the long held promise has earned an opportunity to shine in the second half of the Air New Zealand Cup season.
Head Coach
Craig Dowd has some of the pressure eased off the team this week. “The mood with the boys is good. They had to dig pretty deep and show some real character. Mark Anscombe said earlier in the week that one game can change a season, and how right he was. The boys have earned themselves the opportunity to turn this season right around.”
“It has been a matter of sticking with the systems so this week’s training will be more of the same progression. The boys will have taken more belief from this game. The squad has the players, they have the talent. With the right attitude they’ve proved they can take on anyone in this competition.”
“Unfortunately we’ve lost James Parsons for the remainder of the season when he broke his arm again at
Eden
Park, and Malakai Ravulo broke his leg playing for the 2nd XV. Apart from these guys the squad should all be fit and raring to go on Friday night for Counties-Manukau. The key for us will be our intensity – we must pick up where we left off.”
The remaining Air New Zealand Cup games include home games against Counties Manukau (this week) and Bay of Plenty (10 Oct), and three away, travelling to Hamilton (1 Oct) and Wellington (17 Oct) before finishing the season in Palmerston North (24 Oct). Each of these games is an opportunity for the squad to drag
QBE
Insurance
North
Harbour up the ladder.
