Wairoa win has side bullish about playoff chances

Wairoa Bulls have found momentum late in the Whangarei City and Districts Rugby League season, trampling Moerewa 28-20 at Memorial Park.
Last weekend the Bulls drew with frontrunner's Takahiwai and bolstered by a new confidence about the side, they lifted for the home game against the second-placed Moerewa outfit and dominated from start to finish.
A proud Bulls' skipper Trident Ratu said it was a huge win for Wairoa, two games out from the August 1 playoffs.
"We led throughout the whole game and never looked like losing," Ratu said.
"We let them come back towards the end but we stayed on top of them," he said.
Centre BJ Marsden and forward Jackson Dick shone in the dismal and windy conditions, but it was a real team effort, the skipper said.
The Bulls have nine points following the win and while it would be a huge ask to get past several teams to make the playoffs from their current seventh spot on the table, Ratu said Wairoa were on a roll and were feeling confident after the shock upset.
Next week, Wairoa play Portland for the Billy Salise Shield at Memorial Park, and in round 14 they take on Hikurangi, and the Bulls will need to summon plenty of conviction for both matches.
Conviction was the key element for Hikurangi on Saturday, who travelled to Portland for a battle in the mud.
Hikurangi scored first with Portland scoring a converted try in reply giving them a 6-4 advantage at the half way mark.
However, Hikurangi's player of the day came out charging and crossed the line to take the Stags into the lead early in the second stanza.
Hikurangi managed to hold onto their lead despite solid Portland defence and the visitors came away with a narrow but hard-fought 8-6 victory which put them within two points of Portland in third spot behind Moerewa and Takahiwai.
Bay Slayers inched closer to a play-off spot,  beating Kaikohe at Oheawai Park 26-24.
Kaikohe scored some late tries to close in on the Slayers, but the hosts' defence stopped the Lions' charge, and they settled into fourth equal with Hikurangi, while Kaikohe are sixth.
The game between Takahiwai and City Knights was abandoned on Saturday due to poor weather and field conditions at Otangarei.