LEAGUE - Saints given playoff get-out-of-jail-free card

In Monopoly terms, the Ngawha Saints have been issued a get-out-of-jail-free card to compete in the playoffs of the Whangarei and Districts Rugby League.
Delegates at the league's management committee were told on Tuesday that the Corrections Department have cleared the team's players to apply to leave Ngawha Prison to compete in the playoffs at Jubilee Park on August 23.
The Saints have played all their competition matches on prison grounds this season and have made the most of their home advantage to lead the table by one point with just two rounds of round-robin left.
Saints coach Joe Henare said the decision to let the team compete for the title has thrilled him and his side.
"You couldn't dampen my day yesterday when I found out about it - I had a smile from ear to ear and so did all of the boys," he said.
For Henare and the team, the decision will allow them to stake their claim for the title after a lot of hard work and dedication in their first year in the competition.
"We've still got to go through the application process (to leave the unit) but approval has been given for us to go ahead and start, and that's a very good sign."
Assistant regional manager (northern) Jeanette Burns said the Department of Corrections has given approval in principle for the Saints to play outside of the Northern Region Corrections Facility.
"We are currently looking at all of the operational considerations for the team to play outside of the prison, and a final decision has not yet been reached," she said.
Burns said security arrangements needed to be planned for the prisoners and added that the decision to let the team play outside had been made easier because of a precedent already set by the Auckland Prison league team, which had played several away games over the course of their existence.
The Saints will be out of the limelight this weekend - they have the bye. Instead, the replay of the 2007 grand final between Moerewa Tigers and the Hikurangi Stags will take centre-stage.
The match at Simson Park is a vital one for the Tigers. The defending champions trail fourth-placed Portland Panthers by a point on the table and, if they win the match, they'll put all the pressure back on the Panthers, who have looked shaky in recent weeks.
The tight nature of the competition for the final playoff spot means the league had no choice but to reschedule the postponed round 16 for next weekend, pushing back the first round of playoff games until August 23.
Third-placed Kaikohe Lions face off against Portland tomorrow at home and the winner will gain some breathing space in the race for the four playoff spots.
Second-placed Takahiwai must win their match against Bay Slayers in Ohaeawai to retain the chance of beating the Saints to the title of minor premiers at the end of round robin play.
In another match, Marist and Northern Wairoa play at Otaika Park.