Wainuiomata hoping to build on momentum says Karawana

Above: Frantic rugby. MSP's Andrew Wells is brought to ground last Saturday while Wainuiomata's John Monu (left), Marvin Karawana (right) and Teru Time (on ground) look on. MSP's Aviaga Silago takes a keen interest in proceedings in the background. Photo courtesy of Holden Brothers Media.

A mighty battle is unraveling for clubs to secure places inside the top eight and make the Jubilee Cup round.

As it stands, with four rounds to play and a maximum of 20 points up for grabs, just two points separate the five teams currently occupying places fifth through to ninth.

Wainuiomata are right in the thick of this tight scrap for Jubilee Cup places. After dropping their first four matches and looking all at sea and disjointed in a couple of their early games, the green and blacks have now won three in a row.

Wainuiomata's three consecutive scalps include a possible season defining win in their most recent match on Saturday against defending Jubilee Cup champions Marist St. Pat's at Evans Bay Park, on MSP's Old Timers' Day no less.

It's also no surprise that Wainuiomata's three consecutive wins since Anzac Day, over Petone (36-29), Rimutaka? (64-0) and MSP (31-24), have coincided with the return to the team at second five-eighth of Marvin Karawana.

Karawana, who missed the first few rounds after having an off-season operation on his calves to stop them cramping up late in games, puts the turnaround down to a slow pre-season for the squad.

"Our pre-season this year was pretty shaky, with several injured players making for a slow start for us before the competition even started," he explained. "Including myself, we didn't have everybody on board early on so we took a bit too long to warm up."

"We are now starting to play better together as? a team and not individuals. Everyone's had a few games under their belt and guys are now starting to find some form."

Karawana says that with a mostly settled squad from that which made the Jubilee Cup semi-finals last year, Wainuiomata should compete well again this year in the Jubilee Cup if they can keep their momentum up over the next few weeks of the Swindale Shield.

"We lost a couple of forwards, such as Greg Lealofi to Counties Manukau and our captain last year, James Saolele, to Petone." Stalwarts have returned, such as Justin Va'a, who "retired last year, but decided to come back" and Samoan Sevens legend Uale Mai at halfback. Plus there's a group of young players coming through the ranks such as Genesis Mamea's younger twin brothers who are making their club debuts last year.

This Saturday Wainuiomata play Upper Hutt on their Old Timers' Day and for the Peter Jones/Dave Ritchie Cup at William Jones Park and Karawana says they'll be tough but it's a match they need to win. "All of our games now are pretty much must-win if we want to play Jubilee Cup rugby."

Former Junior Kiwis and NRL rugby league player Karawana brings a cool head to the Wainuiomata backline, both as a solid defensive player and as a dangerous attacker with vision and a SBW-like offloading game.

He grew up in Wainuiomata and went to school at St Bernard's College in Lower Hutt playing "rugby and rugby league at school", before joining the Canterbury Bulldogs and then the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. He played 33 NRL games in four seasons for the Knights (he was sidelined with an ACL knee injury for 2010) before returning to New Zealand at the start of 2012.

Rep-wise, he played Sevens for rugby for Wellington at the start of 2012 and then joined Hawke's Bay for last year's ITM Cup season. He says that he's got nothing definite for later this year. " There's no guarantees at the moment. I just need to play well for Wainuiomata and hopefully something comes up."

Swindale Shield points table after seven rounds at a glance:

Tawa 29; Hutt Old Boys Marist 28; Oriental-Rongotai 27; Petone 25; Poneke 19; Old Boys University 19; Marist St Pat's 19; Wainuiomata 18; Northern United 17; Upper Hutt 10; Wests Roosters 6; Rimutaka 0

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