Sure, Te Puke have 47 points and lead the division, but they take on Greerton Marist on their home turf and as Opotiki will attest, they don't look to do anyone favours at Greerton Park. They are even more dangerous after being taught a lesson by Whaka last weekend, going down 32-10 with Greerton kept scoreless in the second half.
Greerton coach Kane Parker said his side struggled to lift themselves up after the Opotiki match and have taken a lot from the loss to Whaka.
It will be the battle of the bridge, with Mt Maunganui hosting Tauranga Sports at Blake Park. It's fair to say the Mount have struggled recently but showed signs last week in their 22-36 loss to Te Puna they are finding their way back.
Tauranga are flying high but, as they know better than anyone, drop off now and you're left reading the Sunday papers instead of making them come finals time.
The game of the round could be the match up between Rotoiti and Te Puna in Rotoiti. The lakesiders have been a breath of fresh air this season, stacked full of youngsters who are keen to impress their coach Wayne Ormond. This could be a turning point for Rotoiti - beat Te Puna who have been the most consistent team of the competition and it could build the momentum and belief this young side is the real deal.
Whaka will be hoping to build some momentum of their own when they play their local derby, a match against Waikite on their home soil. Waikite are struggling this season and are staring relegation in the face. However, the black and yellow always lift against Whaka, especially at home.
Rangataua have a huge battle on their hands this weekend when they host Opotiki, who are charging through the bottom half of the premier table like a freight train with no brakes.
Division One is equally exciting with Rangiuru leading the competition but with two charging bulls hard on their tails. Paroa had a comfortable win over Ruatoki last weekend but come up against stiffer competition in the form of Marist St Michael's. The Rotorua side travel to the outskirts of Whakatane confident after beating their neighbours Ngongotaha 22-19.
Kahukura are seven wins on the trot and should be too strong for Te Teko. Whakatane Marist will be looking to get their winning ways back on track when they host Poroporo at Rugby Park, Ngongotaha should be too strong for Reporoa, while Ruatoki will be cannon fodder for division one leaders Rangiuru in Te Puke. All premier and division one games kick off at 2.45pm.
PGG Wrightson Baywide Club Rugby
Draw for June 9
Premier (2.45pm): Rotoiti v Te Puna, Emery Park; Waikite v Whakarewarewa, Bellevue Rd; Mt Maunganui v Tauranga, Blake Park; Greerton Marist v Te Puke, Greerton Park; Rangataua v Opotiki, Te Ariki Park.
Division One (2.45pm): Rangiuru v Ruatoki, Te Puke; Paroa v Marist St Michael's, Lawson Park; Kahukura v Te Teko, Kuirau Park; Whakatane Marist v Poroporo, Rugby Park Whakatane; Ngongotaha v Reporoa, Ngongotaha Park.
Colts (1pm);: Greerton Marist *bye*, Kahukura v Te Puna, Kuirau Park; Mt Maunganui v Whakarewarewa, Blake Park; Rotoiti v Marist St Michael's, Emery Park; Tauranga Sports v Opotiki Tauranga Domain; Te Puke Sports v Ruatoki, Murray Salt Stadium; Waikite v Rangataua, Bellevue Rd.
Points
Premier: Te Puke Sports 47, Tauranga Sports 42, Te Puna 37, Rotoiti 35, Sports Opotiki 33, Whakarewarewa 28, Mt Maunganui 24, Greerton Marist 11, Rangataua 11, Waikite 7.
Division One: Rangiuru 49, Paroa 44, Kahukura 42, Te Teko 37, Whakatane Marist 28, Ngongotaha 26, Poroporo 21, Marist St Michael's 20, Reporoa 8, Ruatoki 2.
Colts: Mt Maunganui 49, Greerton Marist 42, Tauranga Sports 39, Te Puna 37, Te Puke Sports 33, Sports Opotiki 24, Ruatoki 23, Marist St Michael's 22, Waikite 21, Rangataua 19, Whakarewarewa 14, Rotoiti 6, Kahukura 1.Greg Taipari
Football
There will be plenty of tension at Neil Hunt Park when bottom-of-the-table Rotorua United take on Old Blues for the second consecutive week.
A dubious late penalty cost United a deserved win at Waipuna Park last week but they would have taken some positives from their performance.
Otorohanga, who have been advertising for players, look like a team destined for relegation and while United could overtake them tomorrow they badly need to get some wins on the board. Otorohanga are away to Waikato Unicol.
Taupo and Tauranga Boys' College also do battle for the second consecutive week, this time at Southey Park. The students put in a gutsy effort before losing 3-0 at Crown Park but Taupo will start favourites to make it two from two tomorrow.
Ngongotaha have shown the potential to be amongst the front runners but they have dropped vital points and find themselves tied with Unicol in ninth place. The Villagers travel to Gower Park where they meet Melville United who are eight points ahead of them on the table.
Otumoetai and Whakatane Town are tied on 10 points and it wouldn't be a surprise if their game at Fergusson Park finished in a draw, while second-placed Claudelands Rovers host AFC Fury who lost to Tauranga Boys' College in their last game.
In Division two, it has become a two-horse race between Tauranga City and Cambridge for the division two title. Tomorrow Tauranga travel north to meet Katikati and Cambridge are at home against Tokoroa with both the title contenders likely to register wins.
West Hamilton host Clube Alegria with the visitors favoured to win while Te Awamutu are at home against bottom of the table Matamata.
Division One points: Taupo played 8 points 24, Claudelands (9) 21, Fury (11) 18, Melville (10) 17, Tauranga Boys' (10) 13, Old Blues, Whakatane, Otumoetai, (8) 10, Unicol, Ngongotaha (8) 9, Otorohanga (10) 5, Rotorua (8) 3.
Division Two points: Tauranga (9) 24, Cambridge (8) 21, Clube Alegria (9) 17, Katikati (9) 14, Te Awamutu (8), Tokoroa (9) 9, West Hamilton, Rotorua United (9) 7, Matamata (8) 3.Brian Smith
League One of New Zealand's fastest-growing rugby league regions has been forced into a hasty backtrack over its premier club competition kicking off this weekend after the failure of one of its sides to meet strict entry criteria.
The combined Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Coastline (Waicoa Bays) club rugby league premiership is now an 11-team competition split into two pools after Rotorua's Central was ousted last week for failing to front up on three occasions with sufficient players in its 15s side in the Bay of Plenty district championship.
Central's elimination less than two weeks before the Waicoa Bays competition kicked off follows another Rotorua side, Ngongotaha, withdrawing its premier team soon after the season began because it had insufficient numbers.
The Waicoa Bays competition was to have been the four finishers from each of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty premierships competing in the regional premier grade, with the remaining clubs forming a second-tier division known as the Waicoa Bays championship. The two-tier competition was supposed to have eliminated mismatches in a zone which experienced a 56 per cent boost in player numbers in 2011.
But Marcus Reynolds, general manager of the NZRL's Upper Central Zone until he leaves on June 13 to take up a senior advisory role for Sport NZ, said they had little choice when Central's 15s side defaulted on three occasions.
"That meant they didn't meet the criteria set out to play in Waicoa Bays. Our 15s is one of the most important development grades and it's a real shame because we [aim] to be as inclusive as possible, but it's got to be level playing field for everyone."
That left the proposed championship division with just three teams, making it untenable as a competition.
"It was left a bit light so we decided to run everyone together in two pools, that way allowing clubs to still play the majority of opposition from Waikato, but obviously not all teams. It was the fairest way of finding the best premier side in the zone. Clubs would have liked a bit more notice but Central was such a recent thing and most of them are only interested in playing and not the stuff that goes on behind the scenes."
Taniwharau, Pacific, Hamilton City Tigers, Taupo Phoenix and Hukanui will play in the Black pool while Otumoetai Eels, Ngaruawahia, Pikiao Warriors, Turangawaewae, Tauranga Whalers and Hamilton Hornets are in the Blue pool.
Whalers player/coach Paul Pou's team, Bay of Plenty district champions last year, have won just once this season and the new competition changed a lot for them, pitting the Whalers against Waikato's best sides instead of the expected lesser-lights.
"We've got the toughest draw and have lost 10 players from last season but it gives our guys an opportunity to contest for the premier title."
The new competition will feature five weeks of round-robin and five weeks of playoffs featuring the top five teams from each pool.
Club seedings
(Based on district competition round-robin placings)
Waikato: Taniwharau 1, Ngaruawahia 2, Hamilton City Tigers 3, Turangawaewae 4, Hukanui 5, Hamilton Hornets 6. Coastline: Otumoetai Eels 1, Tauranga Whalers 5. Bay of Plenty: Pacific 2, Pikiao 3, Taupo 4.
Waicoa Bays Premier pools
Black: Taniwharau, Pacific, Hamilton City Tigers, Taupo Phoenix, Hukanui. Blue: Otumoetai Eels, Ngaruawahia, Pikiao Warriors, Turangawaewae, Tauranga Whalers, Hamilton Hornets.
Week One games
(Saturday)
Black pool: Hukanui v Taniwharau (Resthills Park), Pacific v Taupo (Memorial Park), Hamilton City Tigers bye. Blue pool: Pikiao v Tauranga Whalers (Puketawhero), Otumoetai Eels v Hamilton Hornets (Mitchell Park), Turangawaewae v Ngaruawahia (Paterson Park).Kelly Exelby
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