Big man returns to fill a big gap

Big Northland prop Karl Haitana has signed for the Manawatu Turbos for this season.

The 25-year-old former Palmerston North Boys' High School prop is returning south after playing a full season for the Northland NPC side last year.

Manawatu coach Dave Rennie said Haitana was keen to come to Manawatu for personal reasons, and for his rugby.

"He went really well last year," Rennie said.

Northland had been keen to sign the big tighthead prop again.

When the Turbos recruit, they look for players with Manawatu connections – and Haitana fitted the bill.

Originally from Marton, he played a few games for Feilding Old Boys two seasons ago and got to train with the Turbos squad, but was having back trouble.

Haitana will play for Tony Falloon's Feilding Old Boys-Oroua club side this year.

In Northland, he became the whiskered team pin-up boy with his mullet haircut, and grew a great red beard during the Beards for Blood campaign.

Haitana will fill the void left by David "Big Dog" Te Moana, another prop weighing about 130kg.

Te Moana has been playing in the second echelon in France with Agen but had been eager to return to Manawatu for another season.

Rennie would have loved to have had Te Moana back but advised him to think about his future.

"He is on the cusp of being offered a big contract; a first-division club over there is interested. They were talking about serious money and he was still thinking about it. He could set himself up for the future."

After leaving school, Haitana went to North Harbour and the Silverdale club, from where he was picked for the 2003 New Zealand under-19 team for the world championships in France. He was also part of the 2004 New Zealand under-21 team for the world tournament in Scotland.

He trialled for the New Zealand Schools team in 2001, only to injure his shoulder. At school, he was in the New Zealand under-16 team against Australia in 2000 and represented Hurricanes Schools.

Last season, Northland coach Bryce Woodward persuaded Haitana to try his luck with Northland.

Last weekend Haitana played for Anthony Rehutai's Central Maori team, which beat Northern Maori 15-14 at Hamilton. Reece Robinson captained the team. Other Manawatu players were Mitchell Crosswell, who had a storming game, James Proctor, Lewis Marshall, Sam Stevens, Sam Aupouri and Gareth Watts.

- © Fairfax NZ News