Bay’s best again

SIONE Ngatu does not get to keep the Paul Sceats Memorial Trophy for Poverty Bay’s Heartland squad player of the year last night.
But the softly-spoken, yet tough-tackling Tongan has now won the award three times since coming to Gisborne in 2003.
The popular Ngatapa loose forward — as he was in 2004 and 2009 — was reluctant to be interviewed.
“Anyone who plays a team sport knows individual awards are only won with the support of their team-mates,” said the 30-year-old, who has no intentions of retiring . . . .good news for Ngatapa and Bay supporters.
“At the end of the day it’s more important that the team wins than individual performances.”
Not making the Heartland Championship Meads Cup top tier this year was disappointing for Ngatu, who has been in all four Lochore Cup bottom tier-winning Bay sides.
“But to come back and win the Lochore Cup for the fourth time was good, especially for the new players who had never played in a Lochore Cup final.”
Bay coach Grainger Heikell said Ngatu was a breeze to coach.
“He’s one of those players who puts his body on the line for the team week in, week out,” said Heikell. “He regularly tops our stats every week. In the tackling he is in the 90 percent bracket and in one Heartland game this year he made 27 tackles. At any level that’s phenomenal.”
Heikell also spoke glowingly of the other major award winners.
Pirates prop Simon Versteeg won the Peter Brown Memorial Trophy (mana tangata), recognising an all-round team man.
“Simon was in his first year with the team but from the moment he came into camp for the first training session you could see he was committed to the team,” said Heikell. “He’s a first-year doctor at the hospital and does incredibly long shifts but anything we asked him to do he did without complaining.
“You never had to look for him at the back of training, even coming off a shift — he was always up the front.”
Wairoa-based Fijian winger Ratu Vosaki, was rewarded for his efforts with the Best and Fairest award.
“This award is based not just on rep performances but over the club season, and Ratu had one of his best seasons for YMP. He hardly missed a training session and if he did, he let us know he couldn’t make it. But it wasn’t just his attitude to training. I’ve had Ratu in the rep side for a couple of seasons and he has grown immensely over the past 12 months in commitment and skills. He’s become a key player.”
YMP openside flanker Efoti Moimoi took home the most promising trophy.
“He had a fantastic club season, his first in the Bay, and impressed everyone with his tackling, ball carrying and fitness. He’s still only 18 and hopefully we can keep him here for many more seasons.”
Halfback Daniel Harris was named best back, capping a marvellous season in which Pirates won their first Lee Brothers Shield premier club title. Harris was also the Buccaneers player of the year.
“Guys like Daniel make life easier for coaches,” said Heikell. “He may have been the smallest player in the squad but he had the biggest heart. He made the No. 9 jersey his own this year. Like Sione, he had high tackle stats each week.”
OBM lock Murray Hewson was forward of the year.
“His training and work ethic was second to none — fantastic consistency — and he developed in his role as one of the team leaders.”
Poverty Bay Rugby chief executive Mark Weatherall said it was a busy season with the hosting of Namibian world cup team, along with a full representative programme catering for all ages.
“We have some great players within our region and the challenge for the union is to ensure we create every possible opportunity to retain our top players.”