LEAGUE: Sturdy Stags topple Takahiwai

The Hikurangi Stags proved at the weekend they are championship contenders by knocking Takahiwai off the top of the Whangarei and Districts rugby league table with an emphatic 62-28 victory at Tikipunga.
The Stags had too much firepower for the relatively inexperienced Takahiwai side in the match on Saturday. The visitors fought back bravely from an 18-0 deficit to level the scores after the Stags' Ken Palmer was sinbinned in the first spell.
Takahiwai were handed a further numerical advantage at the beginning of the second half when Stags' captain Joe Rau was dismissed for a high tackle, but this time they were unable to make it count and the Stags simply closed ranks and played for each other.
"The guys really got my back today, you don't get to the top of the table without guys really wanting to dig deep for each other," Rau said after the match.
The Stags built their game on good metres gained up the middle from their powerful forwards but scored two of their first three tries by finding gaps out wide.
Tries to Patrick Paki, Johneen Fagavao and Kahu Henare had them comfortably ahead until Palmer was sinbinned for a professional foul and Takahiwai came surging back.
The Takahiwai revival was led by Anthony Clyde's boot, with two tries from chip kicks to George Hammon and Clyde himself, before Kyle Hool scored with an individual effort and Deane Tuhoro locked up the match with a conversion at 18-all.
Fagavao struck back with five minutes to go and Hikurangi took a deserved 22-18 lead into the break.
If Takahiwai needed further encouragement in the match they got it five minutes into the second half when Rau was sent from the field.
Rau's tackle looked worse than it was but referee Davis Akuhata had already warned the Stags for repeated high tackles and Rau was forced to watch the remainder of the match from the sideline.
He must have been pleased with what he saw.
Two minutes later Palmer crashed over for the first try of the half, with Rau's brother Steve adding another shortly afterward, before Henare made the Stags' lead 40-18 at the three-quarter mark.
Takahiwai seemed out of ideas but when Craig Heta touched down in the 60th minute they may have sensed another comeback - but it wasn't to be.
Sean O'Callaghan's long range try 10 minutes later finished the match off although Takahiwai still didn't realise it and replied through Daniel Erceg.
It was all one-way traffic from then on with Paki and Buddy Grey touching down and and Fagavao scoring his hat-trick try to blow out the final score to 62-28.
At Blue Goose, Marist overcame a spirited challenge from Portland 34-22 to keep a playoff spot in their sights.
Marist were able to use their formerly suspended players Woody Maihi and James Harris in the match and they needed them against a fired-up Portland, who played like their season was on the line.
It was a good team effort by Marist who seem to have put their recent troubles behind them with the win.
Portland's Henry Lawrence and Finlay Penitoa both grabbed two tries apiece while Justin Paniona was excellent at hooker.
A young Northern Wairoa team impressed in the first half against Moerewa Tigers at Simson Park to trail 12-14 in their encounter on Saturday. Slowly but surely however, the Tigers took control in the second spell and ended up 44-12 winners to virtually assure themselves of a playoff berth.