Knights put table toppers to the sword

There was a role reversal at Otangarei when last year's wooden spoon side City Knights ran riot over last year's runners-up and this year's top of the table Moerewa Tigers, to  thump them 58-16.
Player-coach for the Knights Clay Williams said at the outset of only their second season in the competition, the team's goal was to win a game, after winning no matches at all in 2009.
With three wins and three losses in the Whangarei City and Districts Rugby League Competition, the new-look side are on track, giving the old favourites a run for their money.
"We've achieved our initial goal and whatever else happens is a bonus. The boys are well-centred and playing for the same thing - together for the club," Williams said from the sideline. Williams has been out for a month already with an ankle injury from a previous game, and still has two weeks to go until he should be fit to play.
Last week's 46-18 thrashing by Portland was a wake-up call for the Knights, which they listened to. They started strongly and finished even stronger, running in tries against a flattened Moerewa side until the final whistle.
"We didn't go out to play last week - we just went out to hurt them [Portland], it's a rivalry thing. But there was none of that this week, we played as a team unit and we played league," Williams added.
Moerewa Tigers put the first points on the board when Henry Tana dotted the ball down for a try, converted by Rick Mackey early in the game, but it was pretty much all City Knights after that.
Williams' co-coach and Knights teammate Reagan Edmunds was inspirational for his side, running in four quality tries while Willie Waa nabbed a double as did Herewini Edmunds, who also converted nine of the tries with his on-target goal kicking. Kairen Baker, Jason Livingstone and former Portland Panther Michael Salase added one each.
Moerewa's Bernie Proctor and Alan Tripp crossed the line, chasing a more respectable score margin but it was too late - Knights supporters had already begun celebrating the memorable win on the sidelines.
Despite the thrashing, Moerewa held onto their top of the table status, and are joined by Takahiwai and Kaikohe, who both had wins on the weekend. The three leaders have dropped only one game each from six rounds.
Takahiwai are travelling well under new coach Manu Tuhoro, and were too strong for their visitors Otaua on Saturday, defeating them by a massive 42-4. Tuhoro, last year's skipper of Takahiwai, took on the role of acting coach early in the season when no other suitable coach could be found. Tuhoro then decided to swap his playing boots for the full-time coaching hat instead this season, and said so far he was enjoying
the challenge.
Kaikohe added another notch to their belts when they put in a fine team performance at home to beat Wairoa, 44-26, despite a late charge from the Bulls in the final 20 minutes of the game.
After being hit hard with injuries, the replenished Hokianga Pioneers looked strong against Bay Slayers and defeated their hosts 26-40, while Portland and Hikurangi battled out a close game, at Portland. The Panthers sealed a 30-26 victory when Robert Judd crossed the line in the final two minutes of the match, which could have gone either way.