Doug Laing
Work and babysitting almost deprived Napier side Maraenui Ford Phoenix of the player who became man-of-the match as his team beat Tamatea Arikinui to win Hawke's Bay rugby league's premier final 14-12 in Napier on Saturday.
Unlike most of his teammates, 30-year-old Russell Brown, father of two young twins, stayed away from football during the rugby union season, but got a leave pass for the nine weeks of league.
But he missed at least one training session every week because of family duties, and was also at work with Price Engineering until at least midday on the day of each game. The work ethic and commitment was carried on to the game as Phoenix avenged a loss to Tamatea in last year's final.
The big, hairy, second-row forward never wilted, his work rate being an outstanding feature of the match.
Consequently, it produced the lowest-scoring game in the competition, and a result even more genuine than when Phoenix beat Tamatea 24-14 in the last round of the preliminary series a fortrnight earlier.
Finishing about 5.15pm, the crowd of more than 1000 was spared the spectre of extra time only when Tamatea centre Martin Wepa's conversion of his side's third try less than 10 minutes from the end suddenly veered off what seemed a sure path between the posts and hit an upright.
Wepa, already on his way back to halfway confident the crucial points were in the bag, would have been mortified, for, having taken over the kicking from points-centurion and standoff Kelly Graham, who was on the field less than 20 minutes before succumbing to a pre-existing hamstring injury, his first kick, a conversion of Tamatea's second try, skewed across the field from almost in front of the posts.
That try, scored by loose forward Justin Matheson, who finished with a least one try in every game and a total of 18 for the season, gave Tamatea an 8-4 lead from three minutes before halftime until when front-rower Mark Huata scored 18 minutes into the second half, after the first of two full-field Phoenix attacks which which turned the game.
The move included a classic run by speedy teenager Ricky Slade, up his left wing before crossing infield, taking the tackle and setting up the phase from which Huata crashed through the Tamatea defence.
Centre Fabian Siania, whose first half sin-binning was forgotten as Phoenix scored their first try in his absence, quickly landed a penalty to give them the lead for the first time, and centre Asa Ene burst through a gap in a tiring but on-attack defensive line and sprinted away for what became the match-winning try.
Brown had huge support from fellow Phoenix stalwarts Mark Huata, 39-year-old second-rower Patrick Le Geyt and scrumhalf Boss Forster and newer club member Mark Malasea, particularly in their defensive roles.
Tamatea had the greater share of ball and territory, as forwards such as Matheson, second-rowers Shane Mataira and Rik Kirikiri, and hooker Jamie Craig did much of what was expected of the Tamatea forwards after rain created much softer conditions than what would have been expected in October. But Tamatea played only as well as allowed, and most left the ground feeling it may have been the greatest final since the Leo Woods Trophy was first presented in 1974.
The second-division final next Saturday will feature two first-season teams.
Clive scored five second-half tries to beat MAC 40-28 in one semi-final, after being down 24-22 at halftime and struggling, particularly, against the magic of MAC scrumhalf BJ Hokianga, who had scored three times, but Waipawa Ruataniwha, based around a team which won Hawke's Bay rugby union's third division three months, were always in control against new Hastings club Manawhenua o Heretaunga, ahead 26-6 at halftime and winning 38-10, with three tries scored by wing Israel Sciascia.
Rugby league: Brown fires up Phoenix
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