Stars Men’s coach Junior Manapori has assembled an exciting and experienced 12 player squad for the upcoming three-game series with the Mystics men in July.
Nine players return from the 2023 squad and Manapori feels grateful to have continuity.
“Trials we saw a high standard of netball being played, it was very tough selecting the squad in terms of what we were looking for in this years team. We wanted to make sure we had a team that had experience and the competitive edge with a focus to put out a great performance and ultimately attempt to win the 3-game series. We’re really excited about this squad including our training partners who will play a crucial role in keeping our team honest and working hard for the next month.” Manapori said.
Two brand new additions to the squad are midcourter/goal attack Tyrah Lauagiagi and specialist Te Manawa Moorehead.
A big inclusion sees the return of shooter Maru Delamare, who captained the Stars Men in their first series with the Mystics in 2022.
Manapori says Delamare will be a leader at the attacking end and his experience is invaluable.
“Maru offers a beautiful shot, is an astute reader of the game and brings a sense of calmness to the court and our attacking end. We’re excited to have Maru back because we know the strength he brings.” Manapori explained.
The men’s series will showcase the thrilling innovation of a two-point shot, something Manpori is keen to exploit.
“I’m looking into strategies and how we’ll set up opportunities for shooters to go for the two-point shot. At the same time we will be working on our defensive end and what they’ll need to do to guard that. It’s exciting because both teams are going to be challenged in terms of how they handle to two-point play.” Manapori adds.
With a trophy on the line, Manapori’s focused on ensuring the players working towards building those connections and continue to challenge themselves to be better each time they take to the court. Most importantly, representing our community of South Auckland.
“The men’s game is athletic with natural ability and we want them to continue to have that identity in their game, but it’s also important to be disciplined and working together every training and each game as a team to get the desired outcome of winning the series.”
2024 STARS MENS INVITATIONAL SQUAD
Maru Delamare
Manase Vaka
Stan Smith
William Te Tomo
Stefan Mateariki
Tyrah-Wineera Lauagiagi
Benny Matthews
Tayne Springer
Dan Rich
Timothy Apisai
Oceon Grady
Te Manawapa Moorehead
Training Partners:
Jakob Mahutariki-Fakalelu
Ryan Grima
Lucas Thrower
Logan Assink
Matthew Davis
