8.04pm - Rabbitohs win the Nines (KS)
The Rabbitohs are the 2015 Auckland Nines champions, beating the Sharks 18-14 in a thrilling final this evening.
Matt King, who returned from retirement to play in the tournament, scored the winning try in extra time, taking advantage of numbers out wide to spark jubilant scenes.
Bryson Goodwin earlier thought he had won the final, diving over in the corner before beginning his celebrations, but the 'try' was called back due to a blatant forward pass in the build-up.
The Rabbitohs were almost immediately able to pile on more pressure, forcing another line drop-out against a desperate defence.
7.59pm - Scoreless after the first five minutes (KS)
Five further minutes have failed to separate the sides, with the Sharks defending grimly for much of the additional period.
Adam Reynolds' 40/20 saw the Rabbitohs set up camp in the opposition half but, try as the might, the Bunnies were unable to punch a hole in the staunch Sharks rearguard.
7.50pm - Extra time in the decider (KS)
There's nothing like a bit of late drama in a final.
After Jack Bird crossed in the corner to give the Rabbitohs a glimmer of hope, Valentine Holmes nailed an incredibly difficult sideline conversion to lock it up.
To extra time we go.
7.47pm - Rabbitohs closing in (KS)
Brute strength from Cameron McInnes has put the Rabbitohs within touching distance of taking the spoils, increasing the Bunnies' lead to 14-8.
Another simple conversion was missed, however, which could prove costly.
And now we've had the first real biff of the tournament, with Dylan Walker from the Rabbitohs and Blake Ayshford from the Sharks engaging in a bit of push and shove.
7.45pm - Two-point game (KS)
A move that started by gathering their own short line drop-out ended with Valentine Holmes going over in the corner to reduce the deficit to two points.
The conversion from out wide just faded away, leaving the Rabbitohs with a narrow lead to protect in the final five minutes.
7.39pm - Advantage Bunnies (KS)
A charge down try right on the stroke of halftime has lifted the Rabbitohs to a 12-4 halftime lead over the Sharks.
Cronulla looked to be finishing the half the stronger side but Kyle Stanley's attempted chip over the top was charged by Jake Granville who scooped up a favourable bounce and scampered away to score.
7.33pm - A try apiece (KS)
After Bryson Goodwin caught a crossfield bomb to open the scoring, Sosaia Feki dashed brilliantly down the left touchline to open the Sharks' account.
The conversion is missed, though, and it's 6-4 to the Bunnies.
7.30pm - Action (KS)
The final is underway as the Rabbitohs attempt to add the Nines title to their NRL crown and the Sharks attempt to bounce back from last season's wooden spoon.
The Nines will have its second champion in 20 minutes' time.
7.07pm - The final countdown (KS)
We're just over 20 minutes away from the final of the Auckland Nines, with the Sharks set to take on the Rabbitohs.
The crowd has significantly thinned out since the Warriors' early exit, and the drizzle that's currently falling can't be overly pleasant for the fans who remain.
We've just had the third and final match between the New Zealand and Australian women's sides, with the Jillaroos taking a tight contest to earn some consolation after being beaten in the first two games.
The Kiwi Ferns can comfort themselves in the knowledge they dished out some of the biggest hits of the weekend.
6.14pm - Sharks vs Rabbitohs (KS)
The Sharks will meet the Rabbitohs in the final of the Auckland Nines after edging the Roosters 10-4 in the second semifinal.
Blake Ayshford finally opened the scoring early in the second half when he benefitted from a number of offloads to cross in the right corner and continue his impressive tournament.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck then broke the Roosters' duck but, crucially, James Maloney missed the conversion to leave the Sharks with a two-point lead.
And that lead grew to a decisive margin when Sosaia Feki showed great pace to race down the left touchline, sealing the Sharks' spot in the tournament showpiece.
6.01pm - All square at the break (KS)
For those who thought the first semifinal was full of too much action and attack, the second semi has provided just the tonic.
A tight tussle between the Roosters and the Sharks has yet to produce a point, with the two teams locked at 0-0 at halftime.
Both sides had half-chances but defence, for once, was the dominating factor of the opening nine minutes.
5.47pm - Rabbitohs into the final (KS)
The Rabbitohs have a real chance of adding the Nines title to their NRL crown after thumping the Eels 37-6 in the first semifinal.
If there were any doubt surrounding the result at halftime, that was vanquished when Angus Crichton crossed for his side's fifth try of the match, running it into the bonus zone for good measure.
Reynolds completed his brace after collecting his own kick, before Isaac Luke darted over from dummy half to make it 37-0.
Tepai Moeroa finally gave the Eels' fans something to cheer about a minute from time but it was far too little and far too late.
Coming right up, the second semifinal between the Roosters and the Sharks.
5.35pm - Bunnies shoot in front (KS)
The Rabbitohs are looking odds-on to progress to this evening's final, having taken an 18-0 halftime lead over the hapless Eeels.
Bryson Goodwin gave the Rabbitohs an early lead after converting a rather orthodox backline move that wouldn't have looked out of place in the 13-man game. The hooker somehow managed to hold off a tackler to dot down in the corner, though replays suggested he might have been bundled into touch before grounding.
Regardless, his try was soon built upon by Adam Reynolds, who stepped off his left to create a hole and give the Bunnies a 10-0 lead. And that lead was soon increased with tries for Goodwin and Matt King, with South Sydney seemingly intent on ending the game as a contest before the break.
5.15pm - Semifinals set to start (KS)
We're 10 minutes away from the first semifinal of the Auckland Nines, with the Eels set to take on the Rabbitohs.
The crowd -what's left of them after the Warriors' exit - have been kept entertained in the interim by the Kiwi Ferns beating the Jillaroos 16-4 to take their three-game series with a game to spare.
One group of well-dressed fans still here are the grocers from Evan's Daily Cherries, one of the more original costume ideas out there.
4.49pm - Streaker cops a huge hit (KS)
We've just had our first streaker for the day, a young man in pink underwear who chose halftime in the Kiwi Ferns v Jillaroos match to make his entrance.
The pitch invader made one security guard slip over and was keen to take another head on, being brought down in a textbook tackle.
New Zealand lead Australia 7-4 at the half.
4.37pm - Semifinal match-ups
Eels v Rabbitohs, 5.25pm
Roosters v Sharks, 5.50pm
4.31pm - Warriors out (KS)
The Warriors have been dumped out of the Auckland Nines at the quarter-final stage, losing 14-12 to the Sharks.
The home crowd was left disappointed after two bonus-zone tries from Cronulla created a vital two-point buffer, with Shaun Johnson unable to convert any of the Warriors' three tries.
The Warriors still had a chance to sneak the victory in the dying second but Bodene Thompson spilled a routine pass from Johnson as time ran out.
4.28pm - Warriors within two (KS)
The Warriors have closed within two points of the Sharks after Ngani Laumape scored his side's second with a couple of minutes to play.
Laumape enjoyed an overlap to cross in the corner but Shaun Johnson missed a tricky conversion that would have tied the game.
4.24pm - Sharks bite back (KS)
Nathan Gardner has given Cronulla another lead, leaving the Warriors to play catch-up in the final five minute.
The fullback exploited too much space in the Warriors' defence and stepped inside Shaun Johnson's despairing dive to reach the bonus zone.
Sharks lead 14-8.
4.20pm - Warriors again in front (KS)
Just when it looked like the Warriors would head into the second half trailing, Solomone Kata put his side back in front with a stunning burst.
Kata busted through the Sharks' defence near halfway and showed more than enough pace to see off the cover defence.
Shaun Johnson, unfortunately, missed both conversions, leaving the Warriors with a one-point lead at halftime.
4.18pm - Sharks seize the lead (KS)
A bonus-zone try from Chris Heighington has seen the Sharks sneak in front of the Warriors late in the first half.
A successful conversion made it 7-4 with little more than a minute remaining before the break.
4.11pm - Warriors strike first (KS)
It didn't take long for the Warriors to get the home fans on their feet, scoring in the second minute to take a 4-0 lead over the Sharks.
Shaun Johnson was once again the supplier and Manu Vatuvei was once again the finisher, with the Beast scooping up the halfback's crossfield kick before showing enough pace to cross.
4.06pm - Roosters await winner of Warriors game (KS)
Another one-sided quarter-final has seen the Roosters waltz their way into the semifinals, dispatching the Tigers 22-6.
The Roosters' reward for that win will be a meeting with whoever triumphs in the final quarter-final between the Warriors and the Sharks.
The Tigers took an early lead through Kevin Naiqama but the elusive Mitchell Pearce then gave the Roosters a lead they would never relinquish.
Pearce scored a second before halftime and the game was put out of reach by tries from Nathan Stapleton and James Maloney.
Now it's time for the Warriors.
3.26pm - Can the Bunnies do the double (KS)
The reigning NRL Premiers look like they could add the Nines title to their collection after thumping the Knights in their quarter-final.
The Rabbitohs ran in five tries to win 30-6 and set up a semifinal clash with the Eels. South Sydney have won all four matches and their points differential of +34 was second only to the Sharks in pool play.
Newcastle actually lead early in the game after Jack Mamo ran in the fastest try of the tournament, crossing inside the opening minute, but tries from Chris McQueen on Matt King saw the Rabbitohs take a 13-6 lead to the break.
And it was all one-way traffic in the second spell as the Bunnies ran in a further three tries to turn the game into a rout.
We've got a wee bit of a break now before the third quarter-final between the Tigers and the Roosters.
2.56pm - Defending champions depart (KS)
There will be a new winner of the Auckland Nines after the defending champion Cowboys were knocked out by the Eels in the opening quarter-final.
Parramatta became the first side to advance to the semifinals, with Corey Norman's last minute try giving the Eels a 17-11 win.
The Cowboys had taken the lead through Jake Granville's bonus-point try but Norman hit back before the break to leave the match level at 7-all.
Tries from Michael Morgan and Bureta Faraimo failed to separate the sides, leaving Norman to win the match after stepping nicely off his left peg.
2.36pm - Quarter-final match-ups
Eels v Cowboys
Rabbitohs v Knights
Tigers v Roosters
Sharks v Warriors
2.30pm - Pool play wrapped (KS)
Pool play has come to an end at the Auckland Nines, with the first quarter-final between the Eels and the defending champion Cowboys about to begin.
The final group matches were dead rubbers in the Piha pool, with the seeing the Sharks emerge unbeaten from the pool after beating the second-placed Rooster 20-14.
The second, between two winless teams, saw the Broncos beat the Bulldogs 13-0 to at least earn some consolation from their weekend.
1.50pm - Cowboys and Rabbitohs advance (DS)
Reigning champions the North Queensland Cowboys enjoyed a 14-8 win over the Panthers to secure second spot in the Waiheke pool.
They advance through to the quarter-finals to take on the Eels, along with the top-ranked Rabbitohs who will face off against the Knights.
Both Melbourne and Penrith can now start thinking about the NRL premiership after finishing third and fourth respectively.
Waiheke final pool standings: SOU 6 (+34) NQL 4 (+8) MEL 2 (-13) PEN 0 (-29)
1.35pm -Titans smash Raiders (DS)
The Titans ravaged the Raiders 38-13 to secure the Warriors passage through to the quarter-finals.
The home side claim second spot on the final Hunua pool standings, with the Tigers edging ahead into first place by one point in their for-and-against, while the Titans and Raiders bow out.
1.13pm - Big win for the Warriors (KS)
The Warriors have all but sealed safe passage to the quarter-finals, smashing the Tigers 22-8 in a must-win match.
Five tries were more than enough for the home side to recover from yesterday's shock loss to the Raiders, leaving the Warriors with two wins from pool play.
Only a 20-point win for the Raiders over the Titans will deny the Warriors a spot in the knockout rounds. That match is imminent.
1.09pm - Kata at the double (KS)
Solomone Kata had grabbed his second of the game to stake the Warriors to a 22-8 lead.
Shaun Johnson sent the interchange through down the right sideline, fending off one and racing away from the cover defence.
1.07pm - The tries keep coming (KS)
Ben Henry has grabbed the Warriors' fourth try, fending past one tackler and dragging three more with him to plant the ball down.
Shaun Johnson converted to make it 18-4 and give the Warriors a seemingly unassailable margin. However, the Tigers hit back quickly with Manaia Cherrington ducking over from dummy-half.
1.05pm - Warriors increase their lead (KS)
The Warriors started the second half in the same fashion as the first, grabbing a third try to take a 12-4 lead.
Big Ben Matulino offloaded to Nathan Friend near the line and the hooker found Tui Lolohea, who barged through to score next to the sticks.
1.02pm - Nervy half ahead (KS)
The Warriors face a nervous nine minutes in their bid to progress to the quarter-finals of their hometown tournament, leading the Tigers 8-4 at the halftime break.
Ken Maumalo almost gave the Warriors an increased level of comfort but he barely missed the grounding on a potential try after the hooter.
The Warriors will be hoping to hang on to their lead in the second spell, with a win leaving them odds-on to make the finals.
12.58pm - Warriors back in front (KS)
A stunning solo burst from Solomone Kata has put the Warriors back in front, with a combination of pace and poise bringing a second try.
Shaun Johnson narrowly failed to add the extras from a difficult angle, leaving the Warriors ahead 8-4 late in the first half.
12.56pm - All square at Eden Park (KS)
The Tigers have hit back midway through the first half, with Chris Lawrence diving over in the right corner to level the scores.
This game is all about for and against for the Warriors and the home fans will be hoping their side score as many as they can to avoid an early exit.
12.52pm - Big finish from the Beast (KS)
Manu Vatuvei has given the Warriors the perfect start to their must-win match against the Tigers, charging down the sideline and holding off a couple of tacklers to cross in the corner.
It was a fast start from the Warriors - straight onto attack and exploiting space down the right - and they will need more of the same if they are to advance to the quarter-finals.
12.35pm - Newcastle and South Sydney enjoy victories (DS)
Apologies for the delays in our coverage - we're battling some technical difficulties but hope to be back on top of things soon.
The last hour has seen Newcastle edge out Manly 20-17, and the Rabbitohs made it three from three when they walloped the Storm 24-4.
Despite starting the day with a loss the Eels have topped the Rangitoto Pool standings and together with the second-placed Knights advance through to the quarter-finals, while the Dragons and Sea Eagles' campaigns have come to an end.
Rangitoto final pool standings: PAR 4 (+9) NEW 4 (+8) SGI 4 (-5) MAN 0 (-12)
11.30am - Marshall magic gets the Dragons home (DS)
Some more Benji Marshall magic helped the Dragons claim a come-from-behind 12-10 win over the Eels in the first match of day.
The opening exchanges were evenly shared before Dragons winger Kiti Glymin opened the scoring when he won the race to ground Marshall's grubber to the ingoal.
The Eels struck back just before the break through crowd favourite Semi Radradra and captain Chris Sandow converted from near touch for a 6-4 halftime lead.
Parramatta extended their lead shortly after the break with one of the best tries of the weekend so far, when forward Tepai Moeroa offloaded to Sandow who passed on for Reece Robinson to run in.
But then Marshall turned the tables when he laid on another try for Shannon Crook, and then started and finished another long-range stunner to give his side the winning lead.
Next up we have Manly taking on the Knights.
11.05am - Here we go again! (DS)
Good morning from Eden Park!
Light showers are greeting the fans early on day two and there's a bit of a breeze which will assist sides running towards the western end of the ground. Despite the elements, ground conditions are again good, with the Eden Park pitch looking in good nick ahead of today's opening game between the Parramatta Eels and St George Illawarra Dragons.
Of course the majority of local fans have come hoping the Warriors can beat the Tigers in their must-win clash at 12.50pm. They'll also hope the Raiders don't win their final pool match (against the Titans) by a large margin, as points differential could decide the final placing in the Hunua Pool.
Outside the Warriors group, the Eels, Rabbitohs, Sharks and Roosters look the form teams while the Bulldogs and Broncos have already been knocked out and the Panthers and Sea Eagles are all-but gone.
Strap yourselves in for another big day of nine-on-nine footy action.
