"We’ve definitely got the cattle this year, just a good mix of young and old and all sorts," says Tom Ria, who’s co-captain for the first time this season.
Having left school in Tokoroa, the 28-year-old — nicknamed the ‘South Waikato Steam Train’— first played for Wakatipu in 2016 when they finished a disappointing seventh in the Central Otago competition.
Under coach Justin Pewhairangi, however, they won the next year.
Ria then brought up his 50th game in 2019.
A wrist injury took him out the following two years, but he was back in the team, under Brett ‘Big Show’ Anderson, for their next comp win in 2022, and is now chasing his third.
Somewhat of a tackling machine, the veteran of 80-plus games for Wakatipu says he’s blessed this season with "big fellas around me so I don’t have to carry the ball".
However, he was delighted to dot down twice against Cromwell in the Queenstown Rec Ground mud last Saturday.
"I just stand on the wing so I just catch the ball and fall over the line.
"I probably ran five metres for both combined, and then Anton [Huisman], he got two tries as well and he probably ran 100m for his."
He’s full of praise for coaches Jordan Manihera and Kapa Te Rangi Moeke.
"They’re a bit of yin and yang, like Jordan obviously talks a lot, he just keeps the boys ticking over, and Kapa doesn’t really talk much — when he does, it’s going to be pretty important what he says."
As for co-captaining the team, Ria says it’s "super-easy" sharing the load with Rube ‘Smokey’ Peina.
"When your best player is also the captain, it makes everybody’s job pretty easy."
He also praises the selflessness of the club’s Wanderers coach, Tom Cunningham.
"If we’re ever short, he’ll just offer up their best players straight away."
Ria’s certainly got no plans to retire any time soon.
"I’ll just keep going until I can’t any more.
"When you see some of the players still playing, and they’ve got 10, 11 years on me, it’s no real excuse not to keep going."
Table-topping the main aim
Beating Upper Clutha in Wanaka to top the table’s even more important than reclaiming the coveted White Horse Cup, Wakatipu co-coach Kapa Te Rangi Moeke says.
Wakatipu’s three points behind leaders Upper Clutha ahead of Saturday’s final round-robin fixture, so, should they win, they’d play fourth-placed Maniototo at home in the semis next Saturday.
Upper Clutha would only still stay ahead if they lose by less than seven points and score four tries.
Moeke says his team’s "grown a lot" since losing 17-10 to Upper Clutha on May 10, and in addition to their attacking threat "it’s been our defence that’s been doing it for us for the last sort of three weeks".
Meanwhile, Arrowtown will be aiming for their third win of the year when they wrap up their season with a home game against Maniototo this Saturday.
- Saturday, 2.30pm, Wakatipu v Upper Clutha, Wanaka; Arrowtown v Maniototo, Jack Reid Park, Arrowtown
