LEAGUE - New-look Takahiwai side gets serious from the start

Takahiwai bucked the trend by starting hard and fast on Saturday in a traditionally slow first round of the Whangarei and Districts Rugby League Competition.
Last year's premiers were right on target on their home ground, defeating Portland comfortably 62-14 with a new-look team, coach Mark Freeman said.
"It looks like we will be competitive again," he said despite having lost some key players offshore, including centre Dean Tuhoro and standoff Kane Freeman who had gone to Coffs Harbour and Brisbane North Clubs respectively.
Takahiwai had also lost Kopu Duvall and Damien Murray, while about eight or so new faces had come into the team, Freeman said.
"There's still a good hub of the side from last year though and we are happy with the recruiting we have done."
Stepping up from the under-16 grade was Jessie Hepiha, named best forward on Saturday in his seniors debut. while the best back was Hori Tuhoro.
Nick Godfrey was player of the day.
"We played well for our first hitout - considering we had no pre-season games," Freeman said.
It is only early days yet for the competition which has undergone a makeover this year with the exclusion of Ngawha Saints, and the addition of the newly formed Kensington City Knights.
City Rugby Club and the Kamo Knights amalgamated to form the City Knights due to a community-based initiative to get youths of Otangarei off the streets.
It was not an ideal start for the new team, however, when Hikurangi racked up a tonne, smashing the debutants 118-6 at Otangarei.
Among Hikurangi's scorers was Sintel Causer who crossed the line five times from the wing, while opposing winger Hone Karena, making his first appearance for the team, and halfback Bevan Hati ran in hat-tricks.
Hikurangi manager Jim Lees said he expected his youthful side would prove competitive this season, and would see how they went in their first real test against Takahiwai next week.
Meanwhile, at Moerewa there was a slight hiccup when the referee failed to show for the game.
A replacement referee was found and the game commenced, with a final score of 34-32.
While there was no disagreement about the final score, there was a discrepancy about who actually won the game.
The Kaikohe points scorer attributed the win to Kaikohe, while the Moerewa points scorer had the home side as the victors.
The issue is likely to go to league officials to be resolved.
In the final match of the weekend, a fierce battle went on between Bay Slayers and Dargaville, at Dargaville.
It was anyone's game at half-time with Dargaville in the lead 28-24.
However, Bay Slayers charged home to a stylish first-round 60-34 win.