Boston Kake dives under the posts for a try for the Ōtangarei Knights in their premier final win over the Northern Wairoa Bulls.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Boston Kake dives under the posts for a try for the Ōtangarei Knights in their premier final win over the Northern Wairoa Bulls.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
The Rugby League Northland premier grand final was nothing short of entertainment extraordinaire. A high-scoring match, on-field drama, three send-offs in quick succession, a packed grandstand, and the sun out for much of the game.
The Ōtangarei Knights had the measure of the Northern Wairoa Bulls at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei on Saturday and knew if they could put the visitors on the ropes for extended periods of play, the Bulls would have little wriggle room.
The 46-24 win was a long time coming for Knights’ skipper Chris Nahi, 49, who earlier indicated he’d hang up his boots following Saturday’s grand final.
“It’s a good send-off, winning the grand final. It’s been a long time coming. Covid stole playing in our first grand final. We felt hard done last year with a draw, so this one is special,” the jubilant skipper said.
Despite the big scoreline, Nahi took his hats off to the Bulls for the way they kept hammering away especially when the hosts were three players down in the second half.
“It was a close, tough game. They gave it to us all the way to the end. They played really well. Our guys dug deep when it was really needed and we came away with the win.”
Rico Cook scores for the Northern Wairoa Bulls but it wasn't enough to beat the Ōtangarei Knights. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Second rower James Viau was sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle, lock Samuel Henry followed suit minutes later, and then Purdy Mahanga got his marching orders with the Bulls trailing 36-18.
Bulls centre Rico Cook scored soon after Mahanga’s sin bin and it was game on. The game was Bulls for the taking but for a lack of urgency and poor option-taking. When they needed to utilise the flanks and stretch the Knight’s defence given their huge numerical advantage, they opted to keep it tight in their own half and unforced errors crept in.
Jackson Dick’s failure to hang on to a pass deep in the Knight’s half with the try line begging summed up the afternoon for the Bulls.
In spite of the huge momentum shift in the Bulls’ favour, it was the Knights that adapted better and were masters at winding the clock down. Nahi and prop Cyris Edwards-Herlihy put in man-of-the-match performances in front of a raucous Knights crowd in the stands.
Ōtangarei Knights skipper Chris Nahi on the charge despite a Bulls player desperately clinging on to him in the premier final. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Nahi said the boys had to re-group after losing three players to the bin and tightening up their defence was one of the ways to stop the Bulls.
“I had to talk to the guys and settle them down, and tell them that we need to find solutions and not to look for excuses on what’s going wrong in the game.”
Bulls’ skipper Kevin McFarlane was gracious in defeat.
“I am proud of my boys, where we came from. We come from a team that had been out of the comp a couple of years and we’ve always been the underdogs through this comp, but to put on a performance like that and to actually come back and make the final, I can’t be more proud of my boys.
“We couldn’t get the fairytale finish but our club’s changed in the last year and we’re trying to get better.”
Two tries down in the second half, he said his team just had to get their heads in the game but couldn’t capitalise on the opportunities.
“We’re a team that just got together this season. Hopefully, we can come back next season and win it. We’ve got to do it for our kids.”
It was a nail-biter in the U18 final that preceded the Premier final. Takahiwai won on golden points 24-20 over Moerewa. In the third/fourth playoffs, Moerewa Tigers thumped Portland Panthers 56-4.
