Refs favour Canterbury claims Wellington coach

By SAM WORTHINGTON - The Dominion Post

Jamie Joseph is taking it easy on his players ahead of Saturday night's NPC final but has turned up the heat on referee Vinny Munro.

After overseeing a bright and breezy training, in which his forwards worked lineouts and the backs played games of force-back, Wellington Lions coach Joseph claimed yesterday that Canterbury had historically been favoured by referees at the breakdown.

While not pointing the finger at Munro, whom he described the competition's form referee, Joseph's comments are sure to pique the interest of the Canterbury whistle-blower.

"I've found that they've [Canterbury] always had the 50-50 decisions go their way," Joseph said.

"Certainly in the final last year, there were some quite marginal calls with Richie [McCaw]. But he's a professional and he's probably the best in the world at doing it.

"That's always an area of contention and you just seek consistency in that area. If the referee's seen something, as long as he's consistent on both sides, it should be fine."

Joseph was undecided on whether he would seek a pre-match meeting with Munro.

"If I have a concern I'll bring it up with the referee, but he's a good referee. I've got full confidence in his ability. I just hope that if we have dominance in any parts of that game, that we're given that advantage."

Joseph's main headache yesterday was fielding questions about Wellington's propensity to choke in finals, having lost the last three, but his selection process should be relatively straightforward.

Wing David Smith and centre Alapati Leuia sat out training with bruised legs but are expected to be named in the starting side tomorrow, and Joseph is unlikely to tinker with the team that proved too strong for Southland in the semifinal.

Lock Mark Reddish is pushing hard for a start, but Daniel Ramsay appears be at risk rather than captain Jacob Ellison, a prop filling in at lock.

Joseph said he would "most probably" stick with his in-form front row of John Schwalger, Ged Robinson and Anthony Perenise, meaning Ellison would remain at lock rather than pairing together specialists Ramsay and Reddish.

"He's played every game, he's one of my best players," Joseph said of Ellison.

"Massive, massive ticker, huge workrate and we need guys who are going to work on the ball and off the ball if we're going to win this game."

Ellison has some demons to overcome, having been pushed around by Canterbury's scrum while playing at prop in the Ranfurly Shield loss, and knows he needs to lead with intensity.

"To beat Canterbury, you've got to beat them up front and you've got to match their passion," Ellison said.

"It's something that me and Dane Coles have been talking about a lot.

"It's easy to say – we've got to go out there and try and do the business."

Last season Wellington roared into the final in first place. This year they have crept up the table, a point of difference Ellison likes.

"I think our season [last year] got hyped up a lot and Canterbury ended up pipping us in that last game that mattered [a 7-6 loss]. It's good that we've gone under the radar a bit with a few losses mid-season, but now we've picked up a bit of momentum and hopefully this is the year."

Schwalger, another to have his pride dented in last year's final and the shield loss, said a laidback buildup this week would improve Wellington's chances, joking that Joseph had "softened up over a year".

"You don't want to go into a big game like this all huffing and puffing because we need to last the whole game," Schwalger said.

He admitted Wellington had been distracted in the past three years.

"For us, it's just been too much of a moment, the occasion. The hype has distracted us.

"We just have to go in and think it's a normal game. If we can do that, then hopefully the result will come our way. A game like this we have to win, because we don't want to make it four in a row."

It's all new for Reddish, a club stalwart with Oriental-Rongotai who has impressed in his debut NPC season.

He doesn't have any finals ghosts himself, and hasn't noticed any lurking in the Wellington changing rooms.

"Everyone's just really excited to play this game," Reddish said.

"We're really tight as a unit so I think we're going to give them a good run for their money this year.

"I didn't think I'd make the Lions after playing 80-odd games with the club and to get in this environment and get a crack, it's a dream come true."

The TAB has defending champions Canterbury as $1.60 favourites for the final, with Wellington at $2.25.

Wellington last won the NPC in 2000 and have lost seven finals in the past 11 years.