“You’re all invited back to our place tonight for a party,” said the hooker, who fought his way back from a serious leg injury that ruled him out of the first round and some of the second.
Beaming fullback Ethine Reeves said it was one of the happiest days of his life.
“I couldn’t be prouder and this makes up for losing the past two finals,” he said.
“Lynden (Manuel), James (Rutene) and I lost with Waikohu last year and we all lost the year before with OBM. We said we wouldn’t lose three in a row.”
The pain and tears that followed last year’s defeat were replaced by smiles, hugs and singing after a final that had everything, including a sensational 18-minute second-half spell when Waikohu scored four tries and a penalty to go from 13-9 in front to 40-9.
YMP, staring down the barrel of a hiding, added respectability to the score with tries to No.8 Mekepio Brown, winger Jayden Milner and centre Whaimotu Craft-Chemis, the try of the match, a magnificent solo effort two minutes from fulltime.
But it was all too little, too late.
The spectators, who packed the grandstand and filled the banks, were treated to two stirring pre-match haka.
GT Shearing Waikohu, led by Pari, were first as they had been in last week’s semifinal against OBM. On that occasion there was no response, but East Coast Farm Vets YMP were never going to let that happen.
Following the emotionally charged Waikohu haka, YMP responded. They went into a huddle while Waikohu waited, and waited, and waited as the men from Manutuke prepared.
When YMP had finished their haka, both sides refused to budge until referee Damian Macpherson told them to get ready for kick-off.
YMP had the better of the first 20 minutes but all they had to show for their effort was a penalty to fullback Brian Whaitiri-White in the seventh minute.
The YMP pack were winning the battle up front, with lock Eru Wharerau, blindside flanker Willis Tamatea, hooker Shayde Skudder and Brown leading the charges.
But Waikohu gave a hint of what was to come with two tries in two minutes.
The first, to powerhouse loosehead prop Jarryd Broughton, came after 24 minutes, on the back of good play from lock Te Miini Kohere-Smiler and No.8 Ken Houkamau, following a lineout.
Four-try blitz in second half sets up victoryBroughton was driven over the line in the corner. The try was unconverted.
Two minutes later, Houkamau finished off a classic Waikohu counter-attack. Reeves started it, then first five-eighth Kelvin Smith put the foot down and split the defence before offloading inside to Houkamau.
Back came YMP through another Whaitiri penalty in the 33rd minute.
Smith replied after YMP were penalised for holding on to the ball, and the teams headed to the halftime break with Waikohu 13-6 ahead.
Shortly after the restart, Whaitiri-White closed the gap with his third penalty, and at that stage it was anybody’s game.
The turning point came in the 49th minute when Waikohu were awarded a kickable penalty but Smith kicked for touch. When lock Richard Green won the lineout, the drive was on, through Broughton, Houkamau and Pari. The ball was spun wide to second five-eighth Jesse Fleming, who passed to Smith to score a try, which Reeves converted for 20-9.
Two minutes later, Waikohu were awarded another kickable penalty but before Smith could kick for touch, Pari and Houkamau pulled rank and signalled for a shot at goal, which stretched the lead to 23-9 and there was no coming back, as Waikohu added tries to replacement prop Sandy Hohipa-Campbell, (unconverted), blindside flanker James Rutene (Reeves adding the conversion) and right wing Tawhao Stewart.
