Elated Stags run over puffed out Panthers

After dominating all season, Hikurangi Stags put the icing on the cake when they defeated Portland Panthers, 36-16 in a fiery grand final at Jubilee Park.
The Whangarei City and Districts Rugby League minor premiership winning side could not be stopped, despite losing a man in the second half.
Steven Rau was sent off early into the second spell for retaliation following a head high tackle, leaving the Stags to battle out the remaining half with 12 men.
Fighting for their first premiership win since 1996, Portland Panthers came out all guns blazing in front of a packed grandstand.
It was the first time this season Jubilee Park was used as the WCDRL board had wanted to preserve the ground specifically for this event.
The Panthers threw all they had at the Stags early, and gained an advantage when Jason Hita notched up a double, with his tries converted by Charles Shelford.
But the Stags, who lost the grand final last year to Kaikohe Lions, were not going to let this premiership slip from their grasp, and they fought their way back into the game. Jack Walker converted his own try and a try each to Sean O'Callaghan and Shannon Neho put the Stags into the lead, 14-12, at halfttime.
After Steven Rau was sent off, player/coach Joe Rau (Steven's brother) said the guys had to look deep inside themselves to nail the win.
The younger and less experienced Portland side started to run out of puff after after a physical first half and they struggled to stick with the Stags, who added a couple of tries, including one from Joe Rau and Issa Nawaqa, to extend their lead.
Linn Hunapo tried to put his side back in the game with a try for Portland, but the Stags proved why they had led the competition all year.
Following the rousing final, Rau credited the young Portland side, saying they had plenty of up and coming talent who had kept Hikurangi on their toes for 80 minutes.
"We were the better team on the day ... we have x-factor players all over the park and that is what wins you grand finals. We're proud to finish off this year by winning the title. We worked hard to get here and we just needed to work to our potential, which we did," the Stags stalwart said.
Portland coach Craig Bird could only commend his side, who left all they had on the paddock.
"We stuck with them for 50 minutes of the game and then we started to taper off. I'm really rapt with how the boys played. Boo Nathan led the guys around the field well, while Jason Hita showed his experience," Bird said.
The beauty of guiding a young side to a grandfinal, said the coach, was that most of the players were keen to return next year to extend on this season, and try to get the title which they had come so close to securing this year.