League final worth the wait

By Spy on the Bank
The Grand Final does not get any better than this and "that's gold" was never more appropriate.
Yes, I admit I got it wrong again. The underdogs let me down. I well recall last year I spoke to our chief sports editor, Tim Eves, about his poor picks of the NPC rugby. He just brushed me aside, telling me to pick the opposite team. I should have listened to him as he also picked the Queensland Cowboys.
There is no doubt this NRL competition is the best thing that has happened to our code and long may it last. The exposure we enjoy in New Zealand is unbelievable.
My concern is the Kiwis stealing all the headlines, eg Benji Marshall, Sonny Bill Williams etc. Will the day come when enough is enough, no more Kiwis in the NRL! Nothing would surprise me, how can we ever forget the underarm.
And to hear Phil Gould, the well-renowned commentator, referring to the Grand Final medal as being the ultimate in a rugby league player's career, makes you wonder about the international game.
Standard impressesI must say I was impressed by the standard of football played by our Northland Under 15s and 17s last weekend against their Australian counterparts. Although we lost both games narrowly the boys can hold their heads high. The pre-match haka must have put the fear of hell into the opposition. Unless you can carry that passion into the game it does leave the haka a little hollow.
But the poor old Aussies were no match haka-wise. They went into a huddle, screamed out Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi, three times and that was it.
At the after-match gathering, Kaumatua Te Ihi Tito offered all our possums back to the Aussies in exchange for our overstayers, such as Benji Marshall, Sonny Bill Williams.
While on hakas, there will be plenty going down this weekend at Jubilee Park when the inaugural Tai Tokerau Maori tournament gets underway with the preliminaries on Saturday and the semifinals and grand final on Sunday. Powhiri 8am Saturday, kick-off at 9am. After match prizegiving at the Heaven nightclub.
Referee seminar I have been advised by the referees appointee Colin Love, that the NZRL referees CEO Ian McIntosh will be in Whangarei to hold a rules and interpretation seminar on Sunday October 30.
The 2005 season was a big problem finding enough referees to take all the games, but for some unknown reason there was an influx of referees which augers well for next season and I hear tell we have one from the opposition code who has NPC experience. Welcome aboard.
And the big news ... Great news! It's all a go at last with the Bartercard Cup. We should hear before too long who the new sponsor will be. At last the teenage crops of players have something to aim for in 2006.
* Coming events
Events still to come: Tri Nations - first match-up NZ v Australia, October 15 in Sydney; NZ v Australia, October 21 at Ericcson Stadium, Auckland; then off to the UK for the Great Britain match-up.
Signing off ... That's all for 2005. Catch you all in 2006. S.o.t.B.