By PETER JESSUP
The Marist-Richmond Brothers have a stranglehold on the Bartercard Cup after a close win over North Harbour Tigers at the weekend, with Mt Albert and Otahuhu-Ellerslie also sure of a finals spot.
The Lions struggled to a two-point win over Otahuhu-Ellerslie in the curtain-raiser to the Warriors game at Ericsson on Saturday.
Wellington handed the defending champs Canterbury another defeat to make their season very 50/50 and the Tornadoes scraped home over Central Falcons in a lower-table clash.
Wellington, Canterbury, North Harbour and the Tornadoes will fight out the remaining playoff positions before the first round of finals in three weeks.
The rest - the Bears, Counties-Manukau Jetz, WaiCoa Bay and Hibiscus Coast - have no chance.
In the curtainraiser to the junior Kiwis-England under-18 game at North Harbour Stadium yesterday, the Glenora Bears thumped WaiCoa Bay Stallions 24-6 after holding on to a 20-0 halftime lead.
Bears captain Mark Toelau set the tone by barging over near the posts after five minutes.
Good support play produced three more tries and the Bears should have gone out even further, but Konelio Alefesio hung on to the ball and was tackled when he had unmarked players both inside and out.
Bears dummy-half Dean Shepherd looks a player of real promise. WaiCoa's Nicki Kaa was smart but errors spoiled his game, as it did the Stallions' performance.
Mt Albert held a 24-6 halftime lead over Otahuhu-Ellerslie on Saturday but managed only one penalty in the second. It was enough for a 26-24 win as James Leuluai's team picked up four tries to level at 24-all but succumbed to Lions five-eighth Steve Buckingham's perfect five-from-five kicking record.
Lions hooker Lui Talamaivao had first and last points in the first 40, regathering his own chip-kick off a defender a metre from the line early on, then regathering a Buckingham kick to score two minutes from the break.
In between Mt Albert made constructive attacks against a tiring defence and a better completion rate saw them in control at all stages.
Otahuhu-Ellerslie's sole first-half points came from second-rower Siali Tufaeo, who barged over and converted. He scored again just after the break when put in a hole by Thomas Leuluai. The Fisi'iahi brothers combined for the next, Paul putting David in wide after a quick delivery from Leuluai and it was the Warriors half who ran the ball on the last tackle to produce a try for wing Cooper Vuna.
That drew the score, but as rain pelted down Mt Albert held on, Buckingham's sole second-half kick the saviour.
Former Samoan rugby world cup player Earl Va'a scored a try and kicked four goals while steering the Wellington side to a 32-22 win over the Bulls. Chris Newton continued his scoring record for Canterbury with two touchdowns.
The Brothers squeaked home 22-16 on a sodden Grey Lynn Park, North Harbour staying in touch throughout and getting over the line as the hooter sounded but not able to ground the ball.
Rugby League: Brothers tighten grip in close win
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