"The Tigers were on top of the Northland competition at the time, so when Dave rang me out of the blue, I was really buzzed."
"I must have been mad putting my hand up for this," said Bristow, inaugural chairman of the TRL.
"It didn't do nothing for my health, and it got me in a lot of grief with my club, the Moerewa Tigers, but I knew that if we wanted to rebuild league in the Far North, we had to step up. When I look back over the season, I couldn't be happier with how it's all gone.
"The comp has been bloody awesome. Everybody has given their all and we've had to deal with heaps of challenges along the way, but we're here, and we're looking forward to a big day."
Harawira said the Pawarenga Broncos had gone to another level under new coach Eileen Rankin and were playing a game that made best use of their natural talent.
"And the Kaikohe Lions came roaring out of their cage at the start of the year, then tripped over themselves a couple of times before getting back on track and squeezing out a good win in an excellent preliminary final over the Ngati Kahu Sharks."
"Kids are free and it's only $5 entry for two top games, a programme and a mix and mingle at prizegiving afterwards," Bristow said.
"It'll be the best deal in town - come along and enjoy a day out."
