The ha'a will return this coming University of Hawai'i football season, and if head coach Greg McMackin has his way, it will expand to include the fans.

"We're working to get the band and cheerleaders involved," said McMackin, UH's first-year head coach. "We want to get a chant for the fans to do. We want to get as many people involved."

In 2006 the Warriors began performing the haka, a Maori chant, at the end of pre-game warm-ups. Last year, defensive tackle Keala Watson, linebacker Brad Kalilimoku and nickelback Guyton Galdeira created their version of the ha'a, which is chanted in Hawaiian.

McMackin, who was hired as June Jones' successor in January, decided the ha'a was a practice he wanted to continue.

"There's no reason to change something that's known all over the country," McMackin said. "It's a cultural thing. It shows passion. It shows togetherness. And it gets (the players) jacked up for the game. It's the culture of our state."

At the end of yesterday's final practice before the intrasquad Warrior Bowl tomorrow, the Black and Green teams dueled in a chant-off.

The Black team, led by Watson, performed the ha'a, concluding with several players leaping toward the Green team.

The Green team then tried to perform the haka, but they were repeatedly heckled. Members of the Black team yelled that the Green players did not know the words to the haka.

"He's Filipino!" they yelled at defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea, who served as the Green team's conductor. Savaiigaea is of Samoan, Filipino, Chinese, Spanish and German ancestry.

"They were making up their own words," said Black team safety Keao Monteilh. "The guy leading the haka wasn't even Maori. He's Samoan/Filipino. That doesn't make Maori, not even if you blend it a little. I'm not going to say No. 92's name."

"That's Rocky," cornerback Ryan Mouton said, laughing. "I'll say his name."

Savaiigaea said: "They tried to mess us up. We've got something for them on Saturday."

The Warriors will perform the ha'a and haka during tomorrow's 'Ohana Festival at Aloha Stadium. McMackin said the team also will do the ha'a before the season-opening game against Florida.

"Absolutely," McMackin said. "No doubt."

Last year, Kalilimoku and Galdeira led the ha'a. But Kalilimoku has completed his UH eligibility, and Galdeira signed as an entertainer in a Waikiki show.

Monteilh turned down the nomination.

"My voice cracks when I try to call the defense," he said.

Watson said three players from the Mainland — wideouts Greg Salas and Royce Pollard and running back Leon Wright — have asked to be considered.

"We have a lot of guys who are excited about trying to lead it," Watson said. "One of the main objectives of doing the ha'a is to spread the language. I can say everybody who does the ha'a can speak the Hawaiian language. We want to spread the culture and to honor those who have passed away, and bring back the aloha spirit."

QBS DISPLAY SKILL IN THROW-AWAY SHOWING

Leading to tomorrow's Warrior Bowl, there has been a lot of trash-talking. Yesterday, the Black team proved it was superior in trash-throwing.

Quarterback coach Nick Rolovich created a competition in which the quarterbacks had to throw a football into a trash can from various distances and under various conditions.

The Black team (Inoke Funaki, Shane Austin and Kiran Kepo'o) outpointed the Green (Tyler Graunke, Jake Santos and Bryce Kalauokaaea), 19-13.

"It was a good workout," Funaki said.

The drill reminded Funaki of his hanabata days, when he used to have to work on the family farm in Sunset.

"My father tried to instill in us the importance of hard work," Funaki recalled. "He took us to the farm to dig holes and plant taro and yams. Being a kid, it wasn't the most fun thing to do on a Saturday. I'd rather be at the beach with my friends. Being a kid, I'd slip away. I would look for rocks or make mud balls, and entertain myself by throwing at coconut trees or any target I could find. I liked throwing at objects."

And while he grew to excel throwing the pigskin, when it came to a real-life pigskin, Funaki lacked the killer instinct.

"We had pigs (on the farm)," Funaki said. "I've been told a couple of times to (kill a pig), but I couldn't do it. I held the back legs, maybe. If I grew up in (Tonga), I definitely would do it. My cousins were like, 'Noke, do it.' I'm like, 'No, not yet.' That takes a little more courage for me to do. I can't kill a pig yet. But I'm there to help the others."

Visit Tsai's blog at http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.