Stingerz still potent
By Jared Smith
If the last four seasons of Tasman Tanning Senior rugby has taught us anything, it’s never doubt that JJ Walters Asphalt Marton has it in them to make a late run.
A team that has built in confidence in recent years with Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield victories and just missing out on last year’s Division 1 semifinals on count-back by a solitary try, Marton currently finds themselves in very unfamiliar position of 10th spot in what has been an ultra-competitive 2023 grade.
But unlike their neighbours in the points table cellar, even a cursory glance over the side’s results suggests they are far better outfit than their 2-6 record suggests.
Handed a tough draw, although that was not clear initially, Marton will not play the winless Castlecliff Club Mustangs and the sole-victory Border Seniors until their last two games.
They came up short against semifinal contenders Tāmata Hauhā Rātana (30-22) in the Pa, Black Bull Liquor Pirates (25-15) at Spriggens, and Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau (22-17) at home – the latter particularly galling as they had led 14-0 early.
Mid-season they were good enough to defeat Bennett’s Taihape 13-10, just two weeks before Taihape upset Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic to lift the Challenge Shield.
Marton appear they may at last be putting it back together with a 29-0 shutout of McCrea Scanning Counties last Saturday at Marton Park, which was a great hit-out to prepare them for this weekend’s tough task of travelling for the derby with Kelso Hunterville.
Should Marton overcome Hunterville, which would put a massive dent in the home side’s semifinal hopes, they would be odds on for an end-of-season sweep – very similar to what they accomplished in the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.
“Hoping it’s that way, if we get our win this weekend we should clean out our last couple of games,” said new coach Glenn Weitenburg, who took over from Dennis Tucker, now coaching the Marton Queen Bee’s.
“Ratana, Pirates, we walked off thinking, ‘how the hell did we lose that?’
“Kaierau and Ratana, worked really good in patches, but not putting the icing on the cake.
“We’ll look to Hunterville to definitely prove something.”
Using over 30 players this campaign, Weitenburg still found his resources stretched to the limit as his side went through a near crippling-injury toll right from the season kickoff.
Until the past two games, Marton have never fielded the same halfback to second-five combination, missing some leading on-field communicators.
“Any ‘B’ side losing three or four guys would be hard,” said Weitenburg.
“It seemed for three weeks we lost three to five guys each game.
“Kent Stembridge has been helping out this year, and that was well over his job description.”
Stembridge is the respected physiotherapist who served Steelform Whanganui for over 100 first class matches – and he worked overtime to get players back on the pitch as early as possible.
But a handful of players were still lost for the entire campaign, and it is only in the last couple of weeks that a few others have returned.
“It’s quite a new squad, but not, in a way,” said Weitenburg.
Players who were in fact part of the last Marton team to play in Tasman Tanning Premier in 2014 have returned this year, now in their early 30’s, after focusing on work and young family commitments in the interim.
“There’s some positive work happening around the club,” said Weitenburg.
“Everything’s sort of there, just needed a few more W’s.”
The Senior draw is
June 10th, 1pm kickoffs unless noted (times subject to change):
Hunterville vs Marton, Hunterville Park; Counties vs Ratana, MacNab Domain (2pm); Celtic vs Border, Racecourse; Mustangs vs Knights, Spriggens Park; Kaierau vs Pirates, Country Club; Utiku Old Boys vs Taihape, Memorial Park.
