LEAGUE - Hauraki in line for Raiders contract

While doubt still surrounds the inclusion of Adam Blair in the Melbourne Storm's squad to play in tomorrow's NRL Premiership Grand Final, another Northland footballer Iwi Hauraki has already had a week to focus on his grandfinal role.
Hauraki will play what could be his last game for the Parramatta Eels in the VB Premier League Final, which will act as the curtain raiser for the Storm-Manly clash later in the day.
The 20-year-old knows his side will be up against it when they take on the Bears, because the North Sydney team will be using their Rabbitohs players in the match.
"They've got a lot of good players and with David Peachy, Shannon Heggarty and Daniel Irvine, so it's not going to be easy playing against so many first graders but I still hope we can win," the former Kamo High School student said.
The Eels have already pulled off a few upsets in the competition play-offs to get to the grand final, after they finished seventh in the regular season.
"Everyone stepped up when we got to the finals and though we surprised others, we didn't really surprise ourselves by making the final," he said.
They beat Penrith in the first week of finals before eliminating Newcastle and then they edged out the Bulldogs in a 28-24 thriller to earn their grand final berth.
It has been a real roller coaster ride this season for Hauraki.
"I started the year out injured with both knees (recovering from surgery) and started training in the Jersey Flegg side at about round 8 and after that one of the boys got suspended and I got my chance to play there for about four weeks before I went up into the premier grade and I went on to play 12 games."
And it seems likely that Hauraki's grand final day - win or lose - will be eclipsed by the news he will play first grade league next year for the Canberra Raiders.
"I'm just hoping they still want me - they wanted me to sign on before but my manager is holding out until the grand final is over," Hauraki said.
He admits he is nervous awaiting further news but for now he is focussed on Sunday's grand final.
If Adam Blair does miss out on the premiership grand final - he is currently named in the squad as cover for injured Storm prop Ben Cross - it will be the only final of the day not featuring a Northlander.
Dargaville's Sam McKendrie will line up for Penrith against Parramatta in the Jersey Flegg final - the first game underway on grand final day.
McKendrie has been another success story since arriving in Australia earlier in the year to play SG grade football. He was promoted into the Jersey Flegg side in time to help them on their successful run into the final.
There were almost three Northland players on show in the match but the Bulldogs - featuring 2006 Northern Storm regulars Mason Pure and Brendan Hikaka - were knocked out by Parramatta in the preliminary final last week.