By MARK CASHMAN

What’s not to like about a prop who answers to the nickname of ‘Doom’ – meet Lewis Ponini the Kiwi prop who last year’s grand finalists Eastwood will be unveiling when the 2021 Shute Shield season kicks off.

Ponini comes to the Woods after making his Mitre 10 Cup debut for Canterbury last year in a game against the Manawatu Turbos when he came off the bench.

A head knock to the starting loose head prop after only 10 minutes saw ‘Doom’ play 70 minutes and in that time he impressed many good judges with his scrummaging work and “violent” ball running.

Newspaper reports in New Zealand at the time said that Ponini, out of Rangiora High School, “carried violently and held up well at scum-time for the youthful visitors, whose side included six players from last year’s Canterbury Under 19 national champions”.

The trip across the Tasman to link up with the Woodies is all about banking up some game time in the Shute Shield and seeing where that leads to.

“Coming over here is all about getting noticed and playing some good footy in a different rugby environment,” Ponini told Rugby News.

The nickname, he said, came about from his time in junior footy in the Cook Islands when his size and growth spurts meant that he had to play up the age groups.

“Yeah I was that big kid in the under age sides, I think I played in the Under 16s from the time I was 12, and the nickname ‘Doom’ came along and just stuck,” he added.

Ponini headed to Christchurch to finish his schooling at Rangiora High through until the end of 2017 and he had three years of club footy in the Canterbury region, finishing at Lincoln University who were last year’s club premiers.

Eastwood coach Ben Batger added: “It’s just about the best nickname in the Shute Shield I reckon, but there’s a bit more to this kid than just the moniker.

“He’s a big and powerful loose head, still only 21 years old, who can carry the ball well and we’re hoping that we will get plenty of value out of his time with us.”

The stats tell an impressive story with ‘Doom’ weighing in at 130kg, the last time he jumped on a set of scales, and 180m tall.

His partner in crime is likely to be Willie Leoso how settled in well at the Woods after coming down from the Central Coast to play Shute Shield footy.

Batger has spent much of the off season bedding down a new spine for the grand finalists after farewelling five players to opportunities with Super Rugby franchises.

These included flyhalf Tane Edmed getting picked up by the Waratahs, hooker Ed Craig now with the Melbourne Rebels and Tim Anstee who is over in Perth with the Western Force and named in the first Wallabies squad of the year.

Mark Nawanqanitwaswe is also at the Tahs while Lachie Anderson is with Craig at the Rebels and has just re-signed for a few more years.

Chris Bell, who played fullback in last year’s grand final, is a natural to step in the No.10 jersey while Harry Wilson, the son of former Wallaby great David, will be part of the Woods’ back three.

Matt Stewart, who led the Woods reserve grade side last year, will get first crack at hooker while Batger has high hopes for Charlie Cale who is coming off two injury interrupted seasons to take on the role Anstee did for the team.

“The spot is there for the taking and I’d like to think that Charlie is ready to grab it,” Batger said.

“His rugby’s been interrupted by injuries over the past couple of seasons but he’s six foot five in the old language and there’s a lot to like about the way he goes about things.”

Backrower Michael Iceley and winger Lachlan Shelly are also back to full fitness and will add to the cards that Batger is able to play with as the season rolls on.

Shelley led the stats for tackle breaks and line breaks in the Shute Shield when injury stopped his run late in the 2020 season.

“You can’t fret about losing players to opportunities because I have been there and done that,” Batger added.

“It’s all about succession planning and we had a pretty solid road map in place and that is what we have been concentrating on through the pre-season and the trials.

“The bitter taste from losing that grand final to Gordon will always be there and in many ways it will drive us at different times of the season that is fast approaching.

“This could be our last year at TG Millner which I reckon is the best home ground in the Shute Shield and it will be sad when we move to our new home in the north west of Sydney.

“It’s a big chance for our supporter base to experience the pure joy that TG can be on a Saturday afternoon for one last time.”

IMAGE: SUPPLIED