Tawa Premiers hoping to build on 2012 season

No longer the dark horse.

After a solid 2012 season, in which they finished comfortably inside the top eight in the Swindale Shield and competed credibly in the Jubilee Cup, can Tawa challenge the big guns this year and push for major title success?

Tawa Club Coaching Coordinator Dion Waller certainly hopes so. “2012 was an excellent year for the Tawa club, which saw us rewarded with 12 players making Wellington representative teams,” Waller explained.

Playing a positive brand of physical, direct rugby, Tawa’s Premiers impressed throughout 2012. The ground shook when they hosted neighbours and rivals Northern United in one memorable Jubilee Cup encounter in June, their fired up pack coming out of the Lyndhurst Park sheds and taking the contest to Norths. They led this match 17-3 at halftime, which could have been greater, and went on to win 20-13. There were other notable wins over Petone (twice), OBU and Poneke.

Post-season the Fijian Warriors, representing the Tawa club, jointly won the American Ambassador? Sevens series, so there’s good cause for optimism heading into the new season.

“We are going to be competitive again this year, said Waller. “The boys are fitter, their skill level is higher and the belief is there now. But it’s hard to rub that crystal ball and say where we are going to end up. We just want what we planned last year to roll on and let’s see where we end up again."

Waller says a change in culture contributed to last season’s better showing after an inconsistent last several years of them being in and out of the top eight for the second half of the season and losing many games they could have won.

"We made a concerted effort last season to change the culture of the club.

“Our main goal in 2012 was to win back standards and values, which are all about respecting the club and the team culture, knowing the club’s history and being proud of our colours.”

Tawa have always been a threatening side, particularly at home. They’ve always been capable of knocking over the best teams on any given day. Just ask Petone supporters, who have been on the wrong side of a complete Tawa performance on several occasions in recent times.

Injuries to key players in recent seasons have also been a big factor in their inconsistencies. With a smaller playing base than the big city clubs, losing star players of the calibre of playmaking back Willie Lafaele for long periods affects them harder.

So has ill-discipline. As Waller explained: “A big part of changing our culture has been working to improve our discipline.”

“At the end of the day it is the scoreboard that matters and Tawa’s history is littered with too many lost games through ill-discipline.

“This comes down to attitude. So [player-coach] Steve So’oialo and I thought that changing the culture of the club and ingraining discipline on and off the field would go a long to changing this. And that gave us sixth position in the Jubilee Cup by doing just that.”

Waller says this mantra is being installed throughout the club, not just in the Premiers. Last year Tawa’s Second XV struggled in the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield but they are hoping to turn that around as well.

“You pick out one of the big clubs like MSP, as an example, and it is a numbers game. If you’ve got a club that holds a lot of trophies and has a good history of success you are going to attract more players.

“We have turned around that attitude, and I tell kids that want to become future rugby players to go to a club where the facilities and the coaching staff and the culture is right to promote yourself to be a Wellington Lion.

“In the past we have had fewer numbers in those lower grades because I think the influence of Jubilee Cup-winning history attracts players. Where as guys are coming to us now because of our facilities, our coaching staff and our culture. It’s all about becoming the better player.”

Waller says that player-wise there’s a good balance of up and coming and experienced players in the Premier squad. They’ve only lost one player from last year, midfield back Luke Harvey to Old Boys-University, and picked up a few new guys, mainly school leavers.

He says that two key players are undoubtedly halfback Steve So’oialo and five-eighth Willie Lafaele.

“Steve So’oialo is a massive influence in the Tawa club. He’s a Porirua boy that grew up here and he’s traveled the world and played international rugby. Like me, his passion is finding the next generation of rugby players, who, with hard work and discipline, can enjoy the journey we have had."

“Willie Lafaele is a great player. I remember playing with him years ago and he was on a par with Alama Ieremia. He gets a lot of injuries because he is very committed, but he’s looking fit and is really passionate about the club”.

Lock/flanker Filisione Koloamatangi will captain the Premiers again this year. Flanker Pati Gaualofa was a Wellington Lion in 2012. Other players to look out for include prop Taniela Koroi, openside flanker Ephraim Reynolds, up and coming hooker Lotu Nuku, midfielder Jeff Makapelu and goal kicking fullback Randall Bishop.

A young player to watch? Jordan Mellers. Out of Tawa College, he’s a New Zealand wrestler and sprinter and potentially a New Zealand Sevens representative says Waller.

Tawa open their 2013 Swindale Shield campaign on Easter Monday at home at Lyndhurst Park against Upper Hutt, putting the Mexted Motors Cup on the line.