Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

'We want to be great': Magpies trying to rewrite history in final Shield hurdle

By Thomas Airey
Hawkes Bay Today·
21 Oct, 2021 07:01 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Solomone Funaki says the Magpies are chasing greatness. Photo / NZME

Solomone Funaki says the Magpies are chasing greatness. Photo / NZME

After historic wins over Tasman and Canterbury, the Hawke's Bay Magpies want to prevent an unwanted piece of history from repeating itself in Waikato's Ranfurly Shield challenge on Saturday night.

The Mooloos ended Hawke's Bay's previous reign of 11 successful defences in the final regular-season game of 2015, with then-Waikato halfback Brad Weber grabbing a hat-trick in a 36-30 win for the visitors.

Hawke's Bay rebounded to win the NPC Championship that season; however, loose forward Solomone Funaki said the squad have talked about going one better than their 2015 counterparts and securing the Shield for another summer this week.

"That team was good, but we want to be great," Funaki said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We want to finish the season strong with the Shield and hopefully the Premiership."

The Hawke's Bay Magpies win over Tasman kept the Shield in the Bay for another fortnight. Photo / NZME
The Hawke's Bay Magpies win over Tasman kept the Shield in the Bay for another fortnight. Photo / NZME

A Magpies win would all but secure the top seed and home-field advantage for the finals. with an away trip to Manawatu next week being Hawke's Bay's only remaining competitive fixture.

Waikato are second on the Premiership ladder heading into round eight – five points behind the Magpies in first.

They started the season strongly with wins over North Harbour, Wellington and Tasman but have lost three of their past four games.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

That form sees the visitors at $3 outsiders to win at McLean Park according to the TAB, with Hawke's Bay $1.35 favourites.

Funaki said his teammates had prepared well for the game, with a lighter workload early in the week allowing them time to rest up after two massive games in the preceding fortnight.

He said they are highly motivated by the chance to play in front of their fans and maintain an unbeaten home record that stretches back two years:

"The boys just wanna try their best to keep the Shield here for another summer."

Funaki has missed out on a spot in the playing 23 due to the return of Marino Mikaele-Tu'u to blindside flanker, pushing Josh Kaifa onto the bench.

Namatahi Waa's injury last week means Joe 'Apikotoa is back starting at tighthead prop, with Joel Hintz covering him.

The only other change has Caleb Makene named among the substitutes instead of Tiaan Falcon.

Hawke's Bay Magpies team to play Waikato on Saturday, kickoff 7.05pm

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

1. Pouri Rakete-Stones, 2. Jacob Devery, 3. Joe 'Apikotoa, 4. Geoff Cridge, 5. Tom Parsons (captain), 6. Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, 7. Brendon O'Connor, 8. Devan Flanders, 9. Ereatara Enari, 10. Lincoln McClutchie, 11. Jonah Lowe, 12. Danny Toala, 13. Stacey Ili, 14. Neria Foma'i, 15. Lolagi Visinia

Reserves: 16. Kianu Kereru-Symes, 17. Jason Long, 18. Joel Hintz, 19. Josh Kaifa, 20. Gareth Evans, 21. Danny Tusitala, 22. Caleb Makene, 23. Ollie Sapsford

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Taradale scupper Pirates to continue club rugby reign

13 Jul 12:44 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

New Four Square and shops planned for Taradale town centre

12 Jul 06:00 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

‘Still there’: Removal of logging machine sent tumbling over cliff proving tricky

12 Jul 05:59 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Taradale scupper Pirates to continue club rugby reign

Taradale scupper Pirates to continue club rugby reign

13 Jul 12:44 AM

The Mighty Maroons send 'Red' off in style.

New Four Square and shops planned for Taradale town centre

New Four Square and shops planned for Taradale town centre

12 Jul 06:00 PM
‘Still there’: Removal of logging machine sent tumbling over cliff proving tricky

‘Still there’: Removal of logging machine sent tumbling over cliff proving tricky

12 Jul 05:59 PM
Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP