By PETER JESSUP
The Canterbury Bulls were left rueing spilled ball and turnovers in the tackle that cost them the possession they needed to put improving Glenora Bears out of the national rugby league playoffs yesterday.
Home team Glenora started slowly but went on to build a convincing 36-16 win that should worry the three other sides vying for the last places in the top-five playoffs.
The mainlanders were in the match, which the Glen Eden ground announcer termed "the South Island versus Glenora," for only the opening exchanges, with half their points coming fast and early as they spread the ball from the first tackle and took advantage of some sloppy defence.
But once the Bears' line started moving up and hitting marks, the visitors ran out of attacking options, and only fullback Lusi Sione looked likely to spark something with some great kick-returns and good timing into the backline. However, the defensive pressure forced errors and handed over territory that told.
The penultimate round of the Bartercard Cup did little to sort out the last two playoff places, with Wainuiomata thrashing Porirua in the cross-town derby in Wellington to leave them equal with the Bears in fifth spot.
Mt Albert are only a point ahead after the 54-16 hiding they handed out to neighbours Marist/Richmond and can still miss out if they lose next weekend's match of the round against Manurewa, who could still make the finals if they can ride the home-ground advantage to take that game, but who also need other results to go their way.
Definitely in are minor premiers Otahuhu, who are four points ahead of the improving Eastern Tornadoes. They put on nine tries in a 40-18 romp over Northcote on Saturday to leapfrog the Bulls into second.
The Bulls cannot be pushed out of third place, with 28 points, while Mt Albert on 25, Wainui and the Bears on 24 and Manurewa on 22 will scrap for the last places.
The Bears should win in Northcote next Sunday, but Wainuiomata have the harder assignment when they host the Tornadoes.
The Bears halves, Aaron Tucker and captain Steve Buckingham, had a big hand in steering their side to victory yesterday, running play up the middle of the park and using smart kicks at the right times to produce three of their six tries.
The run of play throughout the cup has sorted out the argument over the number of teams that should be in this competition, and how big Auckland's contribution should be. There was plenty of talk pre-season that the country could support only 10 sides at the top level and that the Big Smoke should provide no more than six. The New Zealand Rugby League did its best to satisfy everyone with a 12-team competition, including seven from Auckland.
There is now plenty of evidence to suggest that Wellington can supply only one side, with the Porirua Pumas having only three wins and a draw from 21 games. And you can bet on the Ngongotaha Chiefs not being around next season, with internal and interclub strife robbing what was a talented squad of any chance of being competitive.
Logic would suggest a Hamilton-based Waikato-Bay of Plenty team for next season.
Northcote are last-placed of the Auckland sides, with seven wins and a draw, Marist-Richmond's eight wins create an almost identical points differential, while Hibiscus Coast will be wishing they had a field goal expert who could have overcome four draws to add to their seven wins.
The outcome of a review is likely to see either Marist/Richmond merge with Mt Albert or Hibiscus Coast and Northcote pushed together.
Auckland is still clearly the hub of the game in this country and deserves seven out of 10 teams.
Rugby League: Bears maul Bulls to keep playoff chances alive
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