The Counties Manukau rugby league team represents the Counties Manukau zone in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. Previously, teams representing Counties Manukau

Counties Manukau

Counties Manukau may refer to the;*Counties Manukau Rugby Union*Counties Manukau rugby league team...

 have competed in the Lion Red Cup

Lion Red Cup

The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a...

 and Bartercard Cup

Bartercard Cup

The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...

. They are nicknamed the Stingrays.

1994-1996: Heroes

The Counties Manukau Heroes competed in the Lion Red Cup

Lion Red Cup

The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a...

 from 1994 to 1996.

Stan Martin

Stan Martin (rugby league)

Stan Martin is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former player who coached the Cook Islands in the 2000 World Cup.-Playing career:A Richmond Bulldogs player in the Auckland Rugby League competition, Martin won the Rothville Trophy in 1980 as the Premier One player of the year...

 coached them in 1994 and 1995 before accepting a contract with the Whitehaven

Whitehaven RLFC

Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...

. He was replaced by Cameron Bell

Cameron Bell (rugby league)

Cameron Bell is a New Zealand rugby league coach. He is a member of the famous Bell rugby league family that includes George, Ian, Dean and Cathy and Clayton Friend.-Coaching career:...

 for the 1996 season.

Notable players

Notable players included; Duane Mann

Duane Mann

Duane Darrin Mann is a rugby league coach and former professional footballer who represented and captained both the New Zealand Kiwis and Tonga. He currently coaches the Bay Roskill Vikings in the Auckland Rugby League competition.-Personal life:...

, Frank Watene

Frank Watene

Frank Watene is a professional rugby league footballer who at has played for the Auckland Warriors, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Castleford Tigers, Dewsbury Rams, and Halifax RLFC at club level, playing at Prop forward or Second-row forward.-Early years:...

, 1995 captain Dean Clark, Whetu Taewa

Whetu Taewa

Whetu Taewa is a former professional rugby league player who represented his country six times between 1989 and 1996.-New Zealand:...

, Clayton Friend

Clayton Friend

Clayton Ivan Friend is a New Zealander former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s who at representative level has played for New Zealand, and at club level for Carlisle , North Sydney Bears, and Whitehaven, playing at /, i.e...

, Des Maea

Des Maea

Des Maea is a former rugby league player.He played for Sheffield in 1993 and in 1994 returned to New Zealand to play for the Counties Manukau Heroes in the Lion Red Cup where he played in 21 matches, scoring 9 tries for the club...

, Gus Malietoa-Brown, Solomon Kiri

Solomon Kiri

Solomon Kiri is a former professional rugby league player who played in the late 1990s for the Adelaide Rams and the Western Reds.-New Zealand:...

, Jason Temu

Jason Temu

Jason Temu is a former Cook Island rugby league player. His position of preference was at Prop.-Early years:Temu grew up in New Zealand and played for the Marist Saints in the Auckland Rugby League. In 1994 he followed his coach, Stan Martin, to the Counties Manukau Heroes in the new Lion Red Cup...

, Bryan Laumatia, 1994 captain Hitro Okesene

Hitro Okesene

Hitro Okesene is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who represented three countries; Western Samoa, American Samoa and New Zealand...

 and his brother Paul, Esau Mann

Esau Mann

Esau Mann is a Tongan former rugby league player who represented his country at the 2000 World Cup. He is a cousin of fellow internationals Duane and George Mann.-Playing career:...

, Matthew Sturm

Matthew Sturm

Matthew Sturm is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in New Zealand and in the English Super League. In 2010 and 2011 he was part of the Mount Albert Lions.-Early years:Sturm was a Glenora Bears junior...

, Mark Faumuina

Mark Faumuina

Mark Faumuina is a New Zealand former rugby league player who represented Western Samoa.-Playing career:An Otahuhu Leopards junior, Faumuina represented Auckland, playing for the Under 17's in 1987 and the under 18's in 1991....

, Leroy Joe

Leroy Joe

Leroy Joe is a rugby league footballer who previously played half back for Whitehaven in England, National League One League Division. He is of Cook Island Heritage...

, Jerry Seuseu and Willie Wolfgramm

Willie Wolfgramm

Willie Wolfgramm is a Tongan rugby league player who represented his country at two World Cups. He is the cousin of fellow Tongan international Greg Wolfgramm.-Playing career:Wolfgramm played for Tonga in the 1992 Pacific Cup....

.

Season Results

Season	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Position	Finals
1994	22	16	2	4	563	332	231	34	Minor Premiers	Lost Grand Final
1995	22	14	1	7	573	413	160	29	Second	Lost Preliminary Final
1996	22	18	0	4	766	399	367	36	Second	Champions

2004-2008: Jetz

The Counties Manukau Jetz were a franchise in the Bartercard Cup

Bartercard Cup

The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...

.

Notable players

New Zealand Warriors

New Zealand Warriors

The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...

 who were assigned to the club included: Sonny Fai

Sonny Fai

Sonny Fai was a professional rugby league player who played for the New Zealand Warriors.-Early years:...

, Nathan Fien & George Gatis

George Gatis

George Gatis is a professional rugby league player who has played in the National Rugby League and Super League competitions. His position of choice is at hooker.-North Queensland:...

History

The Jetz entered the competition in 2004 in the place of the Manurewa Marlins

Manurewa Marlins

The Manurewa Marlins are a rugby league club based in Manurewa, New Zealand. The Marlins compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. Between 2000 and 2003 they competed in the national Bartercard Cup competition.-Notable players:...

. They finished a disappointing seventh and missed out on the playoffs. 2005 however was a better year with the team performing well, losing to eventual winners Mt Albert

Mt Albert Lions

The Mount Albert Lions are a rugby league club based in Mount Albert, New Zealand. The Lions home ground is at Fowlds Park. Their patron is the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark. In 2008 and 2009 the Lions won the Fox Memorial....

 in the Preliminary Final. In 2006 they again made the playoffs but were eliminated by Tamaki

Tamaki Leopards

The Tamaki Titans were a franchise in the now defunct New Zealand rugby league Bartercard Cup competition. They represented Eastern Auckland, this area was previously represented by the Otahuhu Ellerslie Leopards and the Eastern Tornadoes...

 in the first week. Before the 2007 season long serving head coach Gary Kemble

Gary Kemble

Gary Edward Kemble is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. He has both played and coached the New Zealand Kiwis. He is the current head coach of the Papakura Sea Eagles in the Auckland Rugby League.-Playing career:...

 announced his retirement to concentrate on business interests so former Northern Storm

Northern Storm

The Northland rugby league team are a rugby league team that represents the Northland Region in New Zealand Rugby League competitions. They are based in Whangarei. They currently compete in the Albert Baskerville Trophy as the Northern Swords....

 coach Geoff Morton was appointed for the season. The teams final season was its worst with it coming second to last.

Season	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Position (Teams)	Finals
2004	16	7	1	8	448	441	7	15	Seventh (Twelve)	N/A
2005	16	11	0	5	445	379	66	22	Third (Twelve)	Lost Preliminary Final
2006	18	9	1	8	522	458	64	19	Fifth (Ten)	Lost Elimination Play-off
2007	18	3	0	15	344	704
6	Ninth (Tenth)	N/A

2010: Zone

Following the Sparc

SPARC

SPARC is a RISC instruction set architecture developed by Sun Microsystems and introduced in mid-1987....

 review of the New Zealand Rugby League

New Zealand Rugby League

The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....

 the new zonal competition was launched in 2010. Counties Manukau became a stand alone zone with a team that was separate from Auckland

Auckland rugby league team

The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. The Auckland Rugby League team has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand domestic rugby league...

.

Counties Manukau draws players from Managere East

Mangere East Hawks

The Mangere East Hawks are a rugby league based in Mangere, New Zealand. The Hawks compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition.-History:The club was founded in 1964, before this teams from the area had been attached to the Otahuhu club...

, Howick

Howick Hornets

The Howick Hornets are a rugby league club based in Howick, New Zealand. The premier team competes in Auckland Rugby League's senior competitions. The club currently competes in the top division, the Fox Memorial Trophy...

, Pakuranga, Papakura

Papakura Sea Eagles

The Papakura Sea Eagles are an Auckland rugby league club based in Papakura. The Sea Eagles currently compete in the Fox Memorial competition run by the Auckland Rugby League.-Kiwi Representatives:...

, Franklin, Tuakau, Waiuku, Pukekohe, Papatoetoe, Otara, Manukau

Manukau Magpies

The Manukau Magpies are a rugby league football club based in Manukau, New Zealand who compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. The club was established in 1910.-History:...

 and Otahuhu

Otahuhu Leopards

The Otahuhu Leopards are a rugby league club based in Otahuhu, New Zealand. The club competes in the Fox Memorial competition run by the Auckland Rugby League. They are coached by Peter Caccioppoli. Between 2000 and 2003 they also competed in the Bartercard Cup.The team are the current holders of...

.

In the 2010 season

2010 New Zealand rugby league season

The New Zealand rugby league season 2010 was the one hundred and third season of rugby league that was played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the new National Zonal competition run by the New Zealand Rugby League...

, Counties Manukau won the Under 15 and Under 17 tournaments but lost the final of the senior competition, being defeated by Auckland 14 - 6.