“It was Lisa who told us it was time to knock off ‘go and win some money’,” said the 36-year-old, adding that he played rugby to keep fit for his job with Blackstump Logging.
“I’m the foreman and run the crew, so the other guys do the hard work.
“Playing rugby and working in the forestry industry helps me stay fit.
“As long as the body holds out, I’ll be back for another season next year.”
Dixon, who played 13 of the 15 round-robin games, admitted he did not take much notice of the MVP points table until the last few matches.
In with a chance of winning“It was the boys who told me I was in with a chance of winning and that I had better play well.
“But, like I said, without them making me look good I wouldn’t have won it.
“We’ve got some experienced players in the group but we’ve also got real unsung heroes — Neal Rutherford, Toru Noanoa and TK Tane.
“Neal is a real soldier in the tight, working hard every game without sometimes getting the recognition he deserves.”
That might have something to do with his working at The Gisborne Herald and telling the rugby reporter not to mention him in the paper.
“Toru and TK have also had good seasons.
“Toru is a real workhorse in the front row and I think TK missed only one game all season.
“We’re not the biggest pack but we never got pushed around and the forwards got good go-forward ball . . . they made me look good.”
Dixon played for Matawai, Whatatutu and Rangitira before the three clubs amalgamated to form Waikohu in 2001.
Another gold leaf for the clubWaikohu coach Tahi Hiroki said Dixon’s win was “another gold leaf to the club’s history books”.
“Saturday’s win against Pirates (106-20) was the first time in the club’s history we’d scored 100 points,” Hiroki said.
“Tapu fully deserves this accolade.
“He’s been a club stalwart ever since the clubs amalgamated and sets a great example to the young players.
“He works hard and would play anywhere I asked him.”
Dixon, who added goalkicking to his repertoire this season, went into the final game of the round-robin on 21 points, one more than Tamatea.
But a man-of-the-match display against Pirates earned Dixon the maximum three points.
Tamatea, who surprisingly did not collect any points in a 32-22 win against Ngatapa, won the $300 cheque for being runner-up.
OBM first five-eighth Ethine Reeves and Pirates midfielder Devonte Martin went into the final round level on 16 points.
Reeves’s failure to pick up any points in a 24-14 loss to High School Old Boys proved costly, as Devonte Martin banked three points to give him $200.
YMP coach Reihana Wyllie said Tamatea had had a fantastic season “and it’s not over with the playoffs to come”.
“Willis has led from the front all season, on and off the field.
“When he’s injured, he’s there on the sidelines supporting the boys.”
Pirates coach Steve Smith was “stoked” for Martin.
“He’s come a long way in his first season in the Poverty Bay premier division,” said Smith, a previous MVP winner.
“It’s a lot easier to stand out in a winning team, so to get third in a team who came bottom of the competition speaks volumes for his consistency.”
Saturday was also a memorable day for Waikohu when 47-year-old Hiroki came on to replace Rutherford early in the second half.
“I’ve been training with the boys and they all said I should play,” said Hiroki, a former Rangatira and Whatatutu openside flanker in the mid-1990s.
“Before that I spent 10 years in Australia doing an assortment of jobs and a bit of coaching, but I missed New Zealand and the family.
“I started coaching Waikohu in 2011 and I love the involvement. Moving to the premier division this year was always going to be a challenge but I’m proud of the way the boys responded.
“We’re not finished yet. We have a memorial game for Joe Higgins in two weeks against Ruatoria City at Te Karaka.
“Joe passed away a couple of years ago in a car accident. He played for both clubs.
“Joe’s family live at Te Karaka. When he came to Waikohu he built the big deck at the back of the clubrooms.”
