Soccer clubs rejig

South Auckland's two premier grade football teams, Papatoetoe and Manurewa, head into the new and expanded Northern Region Football League with new coaches and a stack of players missing from last year's line-up.

Papatoetoe have replaced last year's coach Billy Harris with Paul Hillis, who began his coaching at Papatoetoe in 1992, and at Manurewa Craig Ashton has taken over from Mark Armstrong who stood down this year.

Both clubs have lost key personnel from last season and that doesn't augur well for their chances of retaining their premier status.

Papatoetoe have lost Daniel Koprivcic, John Chisholm, Robbie Graham, Iwa Shaker and Reece Day, players who were instrumental in getting Papatoetoe into sixth place last season.

They've picked up Jason Mann from Waitakere City, Daniel Franks form Central and Jamie Higson from Fencibles.

Manurewa have lost James Davidson, Brad Armstrong, Aaron Lawrence, Simon Moore 9

and Toma Kuyama. They have two new signings in Kieran Nevey fromChristchurch and Jesse Beasley (from Metro FC.

Papatoetoe's first match tomorrow is against premier division newcomers Ngaruawahia at Centennial Park in Ngaruawahia while Manurewa are away to Forrest Hill Milford at Becroft Park on the North Shore.

Among the second division clubs Mangere United have also lost their player-coach of last year Stu Bola and five other players.

Bola has transferred to East Coast Bays. He, Kindness Agwu who went to Metro FC, Aeron Yakub to Metro FC, Masi Toetu to Australia, Waisea Nabenu and William Osborne were instrumental in Mangere finishing their season with eight wins from nine matches.

This year they'll be coached by Steve Yates who is back at Mangere after taking personal time out.

Aeron Singh from Central United FC and Shiraz Ali are the new signings.

Mangere host new club the Matamata Swifts at Centre Park in Mangere tomorrow.

Onehunga Mangere remains largely intact from last season. They've lost Steven May to Warkworth and Kyosuke Kitano to Eastern Suburbs AFC and signed on Michael Loftus and Joel Facon from Ellerslie AFC.

Geoff Cooper, a co-coach at the club last year, has left to coach Papakura City and has been replaced by player-coaches Murray Saunders and Michael Loftus.

Ron Warbrick, who coached last year's team with Cooper, remains involved with the team.

Onehunga Mangere open their season against Ellerslie at Michaels Ave tomorrow. Matches kicks off at 2.45pm

- © Fairfax NZ News