Chris Noakes grew up within sight of the Sky Tower and has both parents and a brother still living in Auckland’s eastern suburbs.

Yet the former Kings College student will happily help try and further Auckland’s relegation worries in the ITM Cup Premiership on Saturday.

That’s because his Bay of Plenty side are equally desperate to turn around a three-match losing streak and get back to the form that had the Steamers leading the competition after four rounds.

“We’ve made it pretty hard on ourselves by losing the last three games,” the first-five said.  “We were in a really good position after four games but now we’re in a big fight with five teams for those top-two spots. No-one is safe at the other end too so this is definitely the only game we’re focused on.  We’re treating it as a final – if we win, we’re still in the mix to make it through.”

The 26-year-old lawyer has experience playing on Eden Park, though his two previous forays with Otago were unsuccessful.  He moved to Bay of Plenty this season after the departure of Mike Delany and has featured in every match so far, though he’s shared the No 10 jersey with Dan Waenga.

Waenga is one of three players nursing head-knocks after last Saturday’s 32-13 loss to Hawke’s Bay, with skipper Colin Bourke and second-five Steve Kefu also needing to pass concussion tests this week.

Coupled with lock Culum Retallick’s sore back, it’s left coach Sean Horan with a flurry of bracketed players for the all-important trip to the City of Sails – if Kefu isn’t fit, Jason Hona will shift from wing to second-five, while veteran Luke Andrews will start if Retallick can’t recover in time.

Noakes - who spent seven years in Otago studying and playing close to 30 provincial matches for the province – has put pressure back on himself to help get the Steamers back on track.

“Everyone in the team was playing well for those first four games but I need to take a bit more ownership and really start attacking the line, which I didn’t need to do as much at the start because the team was just naturally rolling forward.”

Wing Lelia Masaga, who has already scored 15 tries for Bay of Plenty in his 19 games since switching from Counties-Manukau, is the only player to have started every match for the Steamers this season.
 
Bay of Plenty:
Toby Arnold, Lelia Masaga, Phil Burleigh, Steve Kefu/Jason Hona, Hona/Ben Smith, Chris Noakes, Jamie Nutbrown, Colin Bourke (capt), Luke Braid, Tanerau Latimer, Culum Retallick/Luke Andrews, Leon Power, Bronson Murray, John Pareanga, Tristan Moran.
Reserves: Dan Perrin, Greg Pleasants Tate, Luke Andrews/Leighton Price, Sam Cane, Josh Hall, Dan Waenga/Nick McCashin, Ben Smith/Lance MacDonald, Josh Hohneck.