Te Hiku Mavericks celebrate winning the Taitokerau Rugby League Premiership Cup grand final on Saturday against Kaikohe Lionz, in Kaikohe. Photo / Denise Piper
Te Hiku Mavericks celebrate winning the Taitokerau Rugby League Premiership Cup grand final on Saturday against Kaikohe Lionz, in Kaikohe. Photo / Denise Piper
The Taitokerau Rugby League Premiership Cup grand final between minor premiers Te Hiku Mavericks and the evergreen Kaikohe Lionz was in stark contrast to the Championship Cup, and more hotly contested, a lack of discipline playing a crucial role in how the game unfolded.
Kaikohe came out firing on allcylinders, and took only five minutes to get on the ledger with a try out wide. The conversion missed, 4-0 Kaikohe.
David Wikaira and Te Puhi Rudolph hongi at the end of the game: while the competition was fierce there was a kinship between the teams at the end. Photo / Denise Piper
But the Mavericks were just warming up, and opened their own account with a try under the posts for an easy conversion for Te Puhi Rudolph in the 15th minute, 6-4 Mavericks.
The next five minutes were feisty and tempers were stretched, but the Mavericks were playing a more structured game, their forwards paving the way for their backs to run freely as Kaikohe's defence and discipline came under serious scrutiny. Eventually that discipline snapped, when a Kaikohe player punched one of the Mavericks in the face after he was tackled, with both teams rushing in and a mini-brawl erupting.
Once the dust had settled the instigator was sent off and the Mavericks' Conor O'Sullivan sin-binned for retaliation. Apart from that one blow-up the match officials did a great job of controlling the game, taking charge and stamping out any further indiscretions.
Te Puhi Rudolph scored under the posts from the ensuing penalty, and added the conversion to push their lead out to 12-4 in the 31st minute.
Te Hiku Mavericks' Josh Mane-Akulu scores a try in the corner in the final against Kaikohe Lionz. Photo / Denise Piper
Kaikohe, although a man down for the rest of the game, weren't ready to roll over, and kept their hopes alive with a converted try three minutes before half time, to trail 10-12 at the break.
But the second half was one-way traffic for the Mavericks, as they quickly got into their work, tries coming in the 52nd minute then again in the 53rd, both converted for a handsome lead of 24-10.
Kaikohe needed to get back into the game, and in the 60th minute they were rewarded with an unconverted try to trail 14-24, but the Mavericks dominated the next 10 minutes, scoring two tries in quick succession, and adding a penalty in the 70th minute, for a lopsided scoreline of 38-14.
Still the Lionz refused to give it away, and although the game seemed beyond rescue they never gave up, scoring again in the 74th minute to trail 20-38.
With time nearly up the Mavericks scored another converted try before the final whistle, to end their season by taking out the grand final 44-20.
Lionz 20: Pouri Hohaia, Owen Paraha, Boyd Davis and Tama Stevens tries; Shontain Tau 2 goals. Mavericks 44: Josh Davis, Haze Lasike, Sean Windleborn-Rawiri (2) Te Puhi Rudolph, Haden Lloyd and Xavier Lasike tries; Te Puhi Rudolph 8 goals. Half-time: Mavericks 12-10.
