Experience loss offset by new faces
A host of new faces will help offset the big loss of experienced premier players from 2011 as the club heads into the new season.
On the minus side of the ledger, four players each with 100-plus premier games to their credit have moved on. Nick Passi, Apoua Stewart and Joe Wright are now in Australia while veteran prop Jamie Parkinson, who was in fighting form (literally) at the Spillane tournament, is out for the season with an achilles injury.
Fellow prop Sean Cockburn has swapped his playing boots for a coach's clipboard and will take the colts (with Damian Rapira-Davies), and Anthony Bradshaw has also retired. Two of last year's new premiers, Trent Vatselias and Jesse Action, have also left Wellington.
On the plus side, a mix of returning players, new faces and promoted colts will give coaches Clayton McMillan and Murray Tocker plenty to work with as they mould a new premier squad.
First-five Fa'atonu Fili is back at MSP after a stint in Japan, bringing with him clubmate Lua Lokotui, a 118-kg lock who played for Tonga in last year's World Cup.
Other new faces include first-five/fullback Declan McKeefrey, a Wellington under-20 rep who has transferred from Wests; prop Andrew Kaulave, who's been playing league for the past two years; loosie Thomas Veitch from Marist Albion in Christchurch; Brock Price, a loosie from Wairarapa-Bush; lock Leif Johansson, who's played 100-plus games for Hamilton Marist; loosie Albie Hanson from Dunedin Marist; and lock Tom Aspin, a St Pat's Silverstream old boy who last played for Upper Hutt.
Other former 'Stream players to join the club this year include NZ secondary school centre Aviata Silago and winger Ivan Vaisagote, while first-five and Wellington under-18 rep Andrew Wells has arrived from Wellington College.
Expect too to see a number of last year's champion colts side pushing for higher honours, including Paul Churchman, Declan Hay, Jack Taulapapa, Callum Gill, Marcus Sos, Corey Lawrence, Jakob Rikihana and Sean Bridge.
Prop Arden David will captain the premiers in 2012, and halfback Peter Sciascia plans to be back from Northern Ireland in May.
Heading into the season, several 2011 regulars, including Solomona Sakalia, Paul Tuia and Liu Taituave are on the injury list. However, there's intense competition for places in the premier and senior 1 squads, and it will be intriguing to see who runs out onto Evans Bay Park for the first game against OBU at 3pm on 7 April.
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