LEAGUE - Portland not alone in hope to send Tigers packing

Early-season frontrunners the Portland Panthers will be looking to snuff out the challenge of reigning champions the Moerewa Tigers and claim a place in the playoffs with a win tomorrow.
The Simson Park match is the most important of the four games in the Whangarei and Districts League, with a Moerewa win tomorrow likely to prolong the regular season by a further week.
With last weekend's dramatic weather washing out Round 16, the competition organisers will also be hoping Portland win against the Tigers. Only if Portland lose tomorrow will the postponed round be completed to select the final four for the playoffs.
Moerewa trail the Panthers and Kaikohe by three points, meaning that if they lose tomorrow their hopes of defending their title will be gone.
W&DL; chairwoman Sharon Bird said the club grand final was lined up for August 30, but if round 16 had to be replayed that would mean moving everything back a week, something the league would prefer not to do.
Fourth-placed Kaikohe Lions are level on points with Portland and also need to win to keep their momentum. They face another tough game tomorrow, against the Hikurangi Stags at Tikipunga Park.
Meanwhile the Ngawha Saints will be under pressure from Takahiwai this weekend even though the Warriors have the weekend off. Takahiwai have the bye and a certain two points that will point them back on top of the table unless the Saints can beat Northern Wairoa.
Back at the end of May the Bulls caused the upset of the round by beating the Saints 16-14, but the prison side will be better prepared this time, says coach Joe Henare. "We won't make the same mistake twice, we owe them big time for the last game and we want to make sure we stay on top of the ladder," he said.
The Saints and their management are still waiting for Department of Corrections approval to leave the prison to play in the semifinals.
"We also want to win tomorrow because if don't get out [to play in the playoffs] then there will be all those "what if" questions asked so it's best to be on top just in case," Henare said.
Bird said the league was also awaiting the decision regarding the Saints. "No we still don't have that confirmed but hopefully the confirmation of that will come via our next delegate's meeting on Tuesday night."
The final match of the round features Marist and the Bay Slayers at Otaika Park.