Rugby League: Eels too slippery for Old Boys

The prognostics didn't look good for College Old Boys from the get-go - they got lost on their way to the ground and, just five minutes before kickoff, had only started their warm-up drills.
Some 90 minutes later and Old Boys might have been wishing they'd never found the ground, with the Hamilton side tonked 54-10 by the Otumoetai Eels in the opening round of the highly-anticipated Waicoa Bay club rugby league premiership.
The Eels ran in 10 tries-to-two in a satisfying first-round hitout, leading just 14-4 at the break but scoring at a rate of a point a minute in a razzle-dazzle second half probably made to look better than it was by a woefully unfit Old Boys.
There was good news too for Tauranga Whalers, the Coastline region's other club, who look to have ditched the "whipping boys" tag with a sharp 38-8 away win over Hukanui.
The Eels switched their game to Bethlehem's stunningly-situated Petihautawaho Reserve, perhaps adding to Old Boys' confusion, and worked some early rust out of their game to run in three first-half tries - the first to second rower Sam Graham and a double to new skipper Mikaere October.
Old Boys' starch dissolved in the second 40, with centre Josh Moore's 60m solo effort typifying the Hamilton's side's limp resistance, with the Eels' other tries scored by Johnny Lovell (2), Matt Mason, October, Owen Rhind and another solo effort, this time to workhorse forward Adam Bungard.
Seven of the 10 tries were converted by new signing Josh Weedon - he would have had an eighth but spent the last 10 minutes sinbinned. If Old Boys' aren't the Waikato region's worst side they won't be far away, although three-try hero October, a New Zealand Maori rep two years ago, said it was far from a complete performance despite cracking the half-ton.
"We dropped a bit of ball in the first half but that was addressed at the break and we sorted it out and managed to pour on a few points in the second half."
Having lost some of their big bangers - Wiremu Kurupo (Melbourne), Brendon Anderson (Whalers) and Jock Nicholson (retired) - October said they'd be looking to employ a less confrontational style this season.
"We're not the biggest team but what we're lacking in size this season we make up for in mobility, and people who read the game well and are fit. We've slotted a few new boys in this year, including a few who've come up from the reserves, and there's still a bit to work on."
Wins to the Eels and Whalers capped off a weekend of lop-sided results, with Ngongotaha, beaten last year by Eels in the Coastline-Bay of Plenty grand final, thrashing Central 54-16, Pacific 62-8 winners over Forestland and Taniwharau beating Hamilton Hornets 48-18.
In the round's closest games, Waikato champions Hamilton City Tigers downed Pikiao 32-20 and Turangawaewae got home 32-24 over Taupo Phoenix.
Waicoa Bay premier round one:
Otumoetai Eels 54 (Mikaere October 3, Johnny Lovell 2, Sam Graham, Josh Moore, Matt Mason, Owen Rhind, Adam Bungard tries; Josh Weedon 7 cons) College Old Boys 10 (Rawiri King, Raha Elkington tries; Arawa Elkington con) Halftime: 16-4.
Central 16 Ngongotaha 54, Forestland 8 Pacific 62, Hamilton City Tigers 32 Pikiao 20, Hamilton Hornets 18 Taniwharau 48, Hukanui 8 Tauranga Whalers 38, (Huntly), Turangawaewae 32 Taupo Phoenix 24, Ngaruawahia bye.