LEAGUE - Maihi eager to step up for Marist

The acid is on the defending champions Whangarei Marist as they face Moerewa Tigers in tomorrow's sudden death play-off at Kaikohe's Lindvart Park.
Morewa beat Marist by just two points in their last encounter four weeks ago and Marist playmaker Woody Maihi remembers the match well - he was watching from the sideline while serving out a controversial suspension.
The penalty was handed down to Maihi after he was unavailable for the Northern Storm some weeks earlier.
The former Kaikohe player still contends it was undeserved but he has put it behind him and is only interested in the match against Moerewa.
"We've been through a few rough times this year with the suspensions and players getting injured and hurt through their work commitments but I think we're beginning to get back together as a team and hopefully we can put that all behind us this weekend," he said.
Lee Wihone, who captained Marist on a number of occasions this year, was zapped by 400 volts while doing repair work for Northpower after the recent flooding in Northland, ending his season. Herbie Smith broke a leg playing Takahiwai two weeks ago, while promising prop Peta Fa'alongo is still rated an outside chance to start the match after sustaining a mid-season injury playing in the Bartercard Cup.
Maihi said despite Marists' tough season they are in with a good chance of coming out on top tomorrow.
"I think if our forwards can dominate then we can beat them because I think our backs will be too strong for them, from what I've seen," he said.
"It's going to be a tight game but for me at least, I'll have home advantage in Kaikohe, this weekend," he laughed, in reference to his transfer from Kaikohe to Marist this season.
The winner of the match, which starts at 1pm, will go on to meet the losing team in the match between the "minor premiers" Takahiwai Warriors and second-placed Hikurangi Stags.
The match between the top two clubs - starting at 2.30pm at Lindvart Park - is also expected to be very close, with Hikurangi having a slight edge after beating Takahiwai comfortably in their most recent encounter.
Northern Storm coach Phil Marsh has released many of the team's players required by their clubs for this weekend's play-off matches.
"We've only got two games left in the competition and we've already done pretty well already and at this stage of the season it's all about the clubs, so we've decided to let them go and give some of the young guys from Dargaville and Kaikohe the opportunity to play at this level," Marsh said.
The Storm will still retain a number of their regular players as well as a sprinkling of enthusiastic youngsters to face second-placed North Harbour at Moerewa on Sunday at 2.30pm.
"In front of a boisterous Moerewa crowd, we're still expecting to give them a good run, it will be an experience for some of the North Harbour boys and we're hoping that by the time they wake up it might be too late," Marsh said.