Former New Zealand Heartland Player of the Year, lock Jon Smyth, will help bolster Wanganui’s lineout strength for the Heartland campaign this season.
Smyth, who repped 63 times for Steelform Wanganui between 2007 and 2012, was NZ Heartland Player of the Year in 2011, a NZ Heartland rep in 2010 and 2011, was in champion Wanganui Meads Cup teams in 2008-09-11 and in runner-up sides in 2007-10-12.
The 1.96 metre and 105 kg 30-year-old, who has been playing for the Southern club in Taranaki and comes in as a loan player for the 2015 Pink Batts Heartland season, will greatly improve Wanganui’s tight forward strength. Flanker Daniel FitzGerald, the main lineout jumper in last Saturday’s close win over Horowhenua-Kapiti and scorer of two tries, is out injured for at least another fortnight.
Latest statistics of the 2015 Wanganui squad are :
| Steel Form Wanganui Player Stats 2015 | |||||
| Coach: | Jason Caskey |  |
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| Asst Coach: | Jason Hamlin | ||||
| Technical Advisor: | Shane Ratima | ||||
| Selector: | Marty McGrath | ||||
| Manager: | Chris Back | ||||
| Physiotherapist: | Kent Stembridge | ||||
| Backs | |||||
| Name | Club | Position | Ht | Wt | Games |
| Troy Brown | Ruapehu | Mid Field | 1.84 | 95 | 1 |
| Simon Dibben | Marist | Winger | 1.81 | 96 | 28 |
| Zyon Hekenui | Ruapehu | Fullback | 1.79 | 80 | 14 |
| Lindsay Horrocks | Border | Halfback | 1.75 | 86 | 20 |
| Samu Kubunavanua | Utiku OB | Wing | 1.86 | 90 | 8 |
| Areta Lama | Kaierau | First Five | 1.88 | 91 | 25 |
| Ace Malo | Kaierau | Fullback | 1.68 | 89 | 64 |
| Michael Nabuliwaqa | Utiku OB | Mid Field | 1.74 | 91 | 1 |
| Stephen Perofeta | Collegiate | Wing/Fullback | 1.75 | 85 | 1 |
| William Short | Ruapehu | Halfback | 1.78 | 84 | 9 |
| + Trinity Spooner-Neera | Napier Tech | Fullback | l.88 | 95 | 0 |
| Kane Tamou | Ratana | Halfback | 1.77 | 81 | 1 |
| *Poasa Waqanibau | Border | Mid Field | 1.87 | 100 | 1 |
| Forwards | |||||
| Cole Baldwin | Border | Hooker | 1.85 | 102 | 74 |
| Daniel FitzGerald | Marist | Loose | 1.92 | 95 | 9 |
| Tawhio Gupwell | Ruapehu | Prop | 1.87 | 123 | 0 |
| Fraser Hammond | Ruapehu | Lock | 1.91 | 108 | 50 |
| Bryn Hudson | Ngamatapouri | No 8 | 1.90 | 113 | 6 |
| Kieran Hussey | Border | Loose | 1.87 | 97 | 6 |
| Kamipeli Latu | Border | Prop | 1.78 | 116 | 10 |
| Sam Madams | Border | Lock | 1.95 | 102 | 14 |
| Peter Rowe | Ruapehu | Loose | 1.83 | 103 | 100 |
| + Jon Smyth | Southern | Lock | 1.96 | 105 | 63 |
| Ranato Tikoilosomone | Border | Loose | 1.82 | 113 | 1 |
| Viki Tofa | Marist | Prop | 1.73 | 110 | 9 |
| Brett Turner | Pirates | Prop | 1.81 | 106 | 17 |
| Roman Tutauha | Ruapehu | Hooker | 1.71 | 98 | 28 |
| Malakai Volau | Utiku OB | No 8 | 1.85 | 103 | 1 |
| + Loan Player | * Overseas Player | ||||
