Otangarei Knights earn first championship win over Portland Panthers

Otangarei Knights player Sua Sosopo makes a crunching tackle on Portland Panthers' Phoenix Renata (green) at Fishbone Park on Saturday. Photo / Tania Whyte

The Otangarei Knights are back to winning ways in Northland's premier rugby league competition with a 44-14 win over the Portland Panthers on Saturday.

The win, played at Whangārei's Fishbone Park, is the first for the Knights in the championship round after a bye last weekend and a 70-12 loss to league front-runners, Takahiwai, in round one.

"It was an awesome game, we had the bare minimum of 13 players so the guys really dug deep," Knights coach Des Nordstrand said.

"We might have had a slow start to the season but we are starting to get there now."

Otangarei Knights' Cyris Edwards was strong in attack and defence on the weekend. Photo / Tania Whyte

The Panthers, who had to default last weekend's game against Takahiwai due to low player numbers, had a full squad at the game which proved tough in the later stages for a Knights side without reserves.

"We scored first, really early, which is different to other weeks, then they scored and they took the lead," Nordstrand said.

"We managed to stop them in their tracks because our defence worked really well and we had a few guys who really stood up and led the way."

Portland Panthers player Tesimoni Uiloi looks for a pass in his side's loss in Otangarei at Fishbone Park. Photo / Tania Whyte

Nordstrand highlighted Sua Sosopo and Andrew Davison, who both scored two tries, as players who stood up when the team needed inspiration against a full Panthers squad.

"Right from the start, they were leading the way, hitting it in hard, taking it up and doing a lot of work around the field."

Like most of the teams in the league, Nordstrand said his side's biggest obstacle was getting all players to training, but he hoped things would improve enough to hit the same form which won last year's competition title for the Knights.

"Hopefully, we'll find the form we had last year and be up and running before the semifinals and finals."

In the round's other game, Takahiwai beat the Northern Wairoa Bulls, 55-6. The Horahora Broncos had the bye.