LEAGUE - Takahiwai's second default likely to be their last

Defaulting a game doesn't come easily to the Takahiwai Warriors league club and, after tomorrow, the Ruakaka side will be happier if they never hear the word mentioned again.
Takahiwai coach Mark Freeman said their second default of the season to Ngawha Saints was likely to be their last.
The decision by the Takahiwai board to repeat the first round default from April was once again made on political grounds - to protest at the prison team joining the league.
The Takahiwai players were tight-lipped about the first default and, like their coach, are now keen to concentrate on the rest of the season. Freeman said if they come up against the prison team in the playoffs, it will be game on.
"Once the playoffs come around and, if Ngawha are still in contention and we're still in the running, then we'll play them all right ... at this stage I have no idea what's planned for the semifinals, but as far as I'm aware it's played on a neutral ground," Freeman said.
Takahiwai's board have never officially outlined their opposition other than to loosely condemn the "conditions and compromises" that have to be made to allow the Saints to play in the competition.
The Corrections Department vetting to enter the prison to play has been unpopular at the clubs, while essentially playing two away games, without a home game, is also considered to be unfair.
The Saints are currently in third place, with the top four to meet in the playoffs, but Freeman says the going gets tougher in the second round.
"It's really going to start bunching up, we're going to go behind Portland if they win (tomorrow) and, with us playing them the following week everybody else is going to bunch up at the top of the table even more. It makes the competition very interesting," he said.
The loss of two points from this weekend's default should see Takahiwai knocked off the top spot on the league table with Portland expected to overtake them when they take on a struggling Marist tomorrow.
Marist defaulted to Northern Wairoa Bulls last weekend, but have decided to play on after briefly considering pulling the plug on their season.
"We decided to keep going at a team meeting last week," the club's John Komene said.
The side has struggled with a horrendous injury toll since the beginning of the year, but Komene said the club would keep on playing to rebuild for next year.
In the other matches, Moerewa host the Bay Slayers with Dean Johnson the referee at Simson Park, while John Wharewaka has the whistle in the Kaikohe match with the Lions hosting the Bulls, who have the rare chance to make it three in a row this weekend.