Andrew Goodman is calling it the “year of the broken bone”, such is the state of Tasman’s bulging casualty ward.
A shattered ankle, a busted foot, a fractured arm – that’s just a sample of the season-ending injuries the Mako have had to deal with.
Yet here the reigning champions are, a win against Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday night away from winning a third-straight NPC title.
Should the Mako get it done, it ought to go down as their grittiest triumph yet, predominantly given the number of players they’ve lost to injury, but also to overseas commitments, and the All Blacks.
“Just random injuries,” head coach Goodman said. “It just seems to be the year of the broken bone for us, year of the surgery.
“But I know we’re not the only team hit. Most squads have had big injury tolls. It’s not something we really talk about at all. It’s just gutting for the guys that have worked hard to prepare for a season, and had that taken away from them.”
Midfielder Fetulia Paea (broken arm), flanker Sione Havili-Talitui (broken foot) and prop Ryan Coxon (broken ankle) are just three players the Mako have lost.
They also lost powerhouse lock Pari Pari Parkinson to a serious knee injury this month, while prop Atu Moli, wing Mark Telea, loose forward Taina Fox-Matamua and prop Kershawl Sykes-Martin also had their seasons ruined by injury.
Add Tom Marshall’s and Tim O’Malley’s recent departures for Japan and Italy respectively, and the Mako have been forced to dig deep in a year the addition of Finlay Christie, Ethan Blackadder and David Havili boosted the number of Mako All Blacks to six.
“That’s a good question,” Goodman said when asked what it was about his team’s ability to overcome the loss of so many key players.
“There’s a lot of young leaders in the group. We lost Dave [Havili], Red [Christie] and Ethan [Blackadder], and Quinten [Strange] and Mitch [Hunt] stepped in as co-captains and have done an amazing job, both running the leadership group, and driving the team standards.”
Goodman summed up his team’s culture as “connected”, pointing out much of the squad lived together in Nelson, and regularly went fishing or golfing together in their downtime.
“So, it’s a tight group, and that always helps on the field when the going gets tough. It makes it easier as a coach when you know the lads are coming in and enjoying what they are doing, when they are giving it everything.
“You never have to question the effort. Even in some of those tough losses we’ve had last year and this year, the effort has always been there. It’s a great place to be in as a squad.”
Tasman’s upset win against Hawke’s Bay in Napier last weekend not only sealed their spot in a third straight final, it ensured the Mako have made six of eight finals since gaining promotion to the premiership in 2013.
While they lost to Taranaki in the 2014 decider, and to Canterbury in Christchurch in the 2016 and 2017 finals, those defeats are now a distant memory for the side founded ahead of the 2006 season.
Goodman has essentially been around the Mako since the team was formed, notching 55 matches across three stints between 2007 and 2015, before joining the coaching staff as an assistant in 2016.
“I love this role and I love this team. The boys are the same,” Goodman said, having taken over as head coach this year after Clarke Dermody didn’t return as co-coach.
One of the aforementioned tough losses this year was their 39-22 defeat to Waikato in September, when the Mooloos rolled into Blenheim and recorded their first away win against the Mako in 14 years.
Goodman called them a difficult team to preview due to their numerous weapons, stressing his team needed to be disciplined if they were to make hooker Quentin MacDonald’s 100th game for the team memorable.
“We’ve had a few messages rolling in from the older Mako boys this week with his 100th game…the [Mako All Blacks in France] also chip away, they’re active on our chat, sending through some good advice.”
Premiership final
Waikato v Tasman
Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Kickoff: 7.05pm, Saturday
TAB odds: Tasman $1.50 Waikato $2.45
Waikato: Ryan Tongia, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Bailyn Sullivan, Gideon Wrampling, Mosese Dawai, D’Angelo Leuila, Cortez Ratima, Jack Lam, Mitch Jacobson, Samipeni Finau, Hamilton Burr, James Tucker, George Dyer, Rhys Marshall, Ayden Johnstone (c). Reserves: Steven Misa, Ollie Norris, Sefo Kautai, Rupeni Tamani, Liam Messam, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Fletcher Smith, Beaudein Waaka.
Tasman: Andrew Knewstubb, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Alex Nankivell, Regan Ware, Mitchell Hunt (cc), Louie Chapman, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, Anton Segner, Jacob Norris, Quinten Strange (cc), Antonio Shalfoon, Sam Matenga, Andrew Makalio, Isi Tuungafasi. Reserves: Quentin MacDonald, Luca Inch, Isaac Salmon, Max Hicks, Hugh Renton, Noah Hotham, Macca Springer, Levi Aumua.
