The biggest crowd for a Magpies competition game in the past 50 years was the estimated 15,000 for a Division 2 final against East Coast in 2001. The Magpies captain in that match, Mutu Ngarimu, says the turnout was the players' reward for the work they put in during the year, and the current team should expect no less.
"There are no bonus points, and it doesn't matter whether you win by one point or a hundred points," said Ngarimu, whose side staved off a mammoth Coast comeback to win the game 30-27.
"Grand final rugby is different and you've got to take your opportunities. If you don't nail it, it could be the difference between winning and losing."
In a warning to the Magpies against the Lions playing for the pride of Wellington, Ngarimu said: "This is all about grassroots rugby and East Coast showed you can't take the foot off the throttle." If the team had the belief in themselves, anything was possible.
In the 23 seasons of grand finals across the divisions of NPC rugby, Hawke's Bay Magpies teams have played nine finals, for five wins and four losses, including the last two.
Meanwhile, the TAB was last night unable to separate the two sides in early betting and had not listed either side the favourite to win.
In head-to-head betting, Hawke's Bay and Wellington were each paying $1.87 to win, and in win-margin betting each side was paying $3 to win by 1-12pts and $4.25 to win by 13 or more. A draw at the end of ordinary time (80 minutes) was quoted at $21. If it is a draw, 10 minutes each way of extra time will be played and if there is still no winner it will be decided on a sequence of rules, starting with which side got the most tries.
