The countdown is on for the Tyrepower premier and premier reserve semi finals starting on Friday.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
The countdown is on for the Tyrepower premier and premier reserve semi finals starting on Friday.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Ngāti Hine Moerewa United Kawakawa premier team's qualification into the knockout stages may seem surprising but to rugby followers it is a sign of how good a side they have become in such a short time.
Under the tutelage of Wayne Martin and the backing of countless volunteers and supporters, the team is just two games away from achieving a remarkable feat starting with the Tyrepower premier semi-finals this weekend.
Thanks to the drawn match between Old Boys Marist and Kamo last weekend, Moerewa propelled into the top four and will travel to Hukerenui this Saturday to play Mid Northern while Hora Hora host Waipu on the same day.
Whatever the results of the play-offs, a new prems winner will be crowned this year after defending champions the Western Sharks endured a horror season. They only won three from nine games and finished in the bottom half of the points table.
For Moerewa, it's been one hell of a journey since getting into the prems division in 2020 when they finished last.
But it's what happened since that matters to those that care to follow their upward trajectory. They have become composed and resilient as well as skilled and intelligent.
Last year, the side finished sixth but is on the cusp of winning their first title this season. Martin isn't looking any further south than Hukerenui, knowing full well there's no second chance if they fail to nail the door shut on Saturday.
"Mid Northern have played a lot in the finals, they've got that experience right across the park. We just have to be at that level and give it our total best - that may take us to the big dance," Martin said.
"It will be a very physical battle and will come down to who wants it more."
He attributes his side's success to their whanau-based team culture, community support and home-grown talent.
"We set a goal to make the top four after winning the North Zone and making it into the prems division. The boys have earned the right to be where we are."
Wayne Martin has moulded the Ngāti Hine Moerewa United Kawakawa premier team into a skilled and intelligent side in a short time.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Hora Hora premier coach Marcelle Kaipo is equally excited about his team's prospects of playing in the final after "a long time".
A mixture of veterans and young players has worked wonders this year, and Kaipo is confident about his team's chances this time around.
"We want to create a top-four team for the next three to four years rather than be a one-hit-wonder. We'll stick to our gameplan that got us this far. That's built around our forward pack and defence."
Stand-in Waipū coach Steve Bean said his team would focus on their tactics and work out a game plan rather than worrying about what the opposition would do.
It was going to be a huge battle and a special occasion for Hora Hora as it celebrated its centennial last weekend, he said.
"Our players work hard for each other. There's no standout player in the team. It's going to be a huge battle in the forwards and whoever defends the hardest and the longest will come out on top."
The hosts, he said, would be hurting by the loss to Mid Northern last weekend.
The first semi-final at Hukerenui kicks off at 2.15pm on Saturday while the Hora Hora v Waipū match is at 3.30 pm.
In the premier reserves semis, Wellsford will host Mid Northern at 7pm this Friday while the Western Sharks and Hora Hora play at Kaihu at 11.30am on Saturday.
