Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times / Sport

League: Slippery Eels get away from Chiefs

By Lisa Adlam
Bay of Plenty Times·
20 Aug, 2012 10:38 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It was the clash of the Titans in the Bay of Plenty district rugby league under-15 final at the weekend.

Played in front of a vocal crowd at Puketawhero Park, Otumoetai Eels used their size and strength to out-muscle Ngongotaha Chiefs to win the title 28-24.

While Ngongotaha had home ground advantage to go with their speed and agility, their opponents were a much larger and stronger team and they took advantage of this at every opportunity.

Otumoetai Eels coach Stan Nicholas said despite the fact Ngongotaha were fast, the Eels had the upper hand by playing a "forwards game" - something they have done all season.

With the Eels ahead by two points at halftime, the pressure came on Ngongotaha to up the ante. But despite some fast ball play and excellent defence to hold the opposition off their tryline for several sets, the Eels outmuscled the Chiefs to score a final unconverted try in the last minutes of the game.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

An elated Nicholas said it was the hardest game of the season.

"We were happy we got the win, it could of gone either way. Ngongotaha gave us a good go, but I'm proud of how we played."

Ngongotaha coach Paul Nahu agreed it was a hard but even match.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This was always going to be our hardest game as the Eels have been the top team all season."

Nahu was equally impressed with his young side but conceded size did matter in the end. "Making the finals was a big achievement, we were the smallest team in the competition and the Eels were simply too big up front and difficult to contain," he said.

Although feeling the hurt of losing the final, Nahu said he was pleased with his team.

"I am extremely proud of Ngongotaha's commitment and desire to take it to [Eels]. The team played above their weight, yet played with a great deal of tenacity and skill but unfortunately the bigger team won," he said.

Nahu commended the Eels, adding he believed that between the teams there were sure to be more than a few "bright stars" of the future.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Bay of Plenty Times

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

Bay of Plenty Times

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes

Sport

Sam Ruthe breaks NZ records in LA

Watch

Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought
Bay of Plenty Times

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

Whakarewarewa beat Greerton Marist 25-17 to reach the Baywide final.

14 Jul 05:17 AM
Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes
Bay of Plenty Times

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes

14 Jul 04:28 AM
Sam Ruthe breaks NZ records in LA
Sport

Sam Ruthe breaks NZ records in LA

Watch
13 Jul 05:05 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP