With round seven of 14 coming up this weekend the teams are starting to sort themselves out.
Last year's grand final winners, Hokianga Pioneers have come right back to the pack. The club has been hit hard by defections from last year's side, including their coach. It is a case of
rebuilding for the future.
I am sure we have not seen the last of them.
Marist Brothers, with the influx of Bartercard players, must be warm favourites to be holding the grand final trophy aloft come August 12.
At this stage the most likely club to spoil the party looks like the Takahiwai Warriors who gave Marist a wake-up call on Marist's home patch in round four, going down by just six points in what was quite an arm wrestle.
Don't write off the Moerewa Tigers who still look to lack fitness and will improve as the season progresses.
Bruising encounterWith the closure of council grounds last Saturday the Marist/Moerewa game was moved to Portland which was a little disrupting to the club involved.
The game turned into a bruising encounter.
The first 20 minutes were spiteful and referee Len Phillips had his hands full.
Yellow cards were in abundance and one or two can consider themselves fortunate not to cop the red card. It is to Phillips' credit he managed to keep a lid on a game that threatened to boil over. Once the players had used up that frustrated energy the game settled down and was played as it should be.
Marist did run out the winners 36-20 but the Tigers did show some opposition until their lack of fitness let them down.
Who's the boss?I still have a problem with teams who completely ignore the referee's whistle to start the game, carry on with the pre-match rituals and leave the referee standing like a zombie.
Last Saturday was no exception. Eight minutes lapsed from whistle to kick-off. We don't have a television schedule to meet but this carry-on bonding should be done within the changing shed where they can back slap, cuddle and kiss to their heart's content. But let's get on with the football when the whistle goes!
On the lighter side, I gave the referee a 10 out of 10 for his backward cartwheel through the mud.
He regained his feet and composure, shook the mud out of his whistle and carried on. Top stuff.
Coming up... Our "hot and cold" Vodafone Warriors take on the Brisbane Broncos this Sunday, June 3 at Ericcson Stadium, 2.30pm.
Our Northern Storm are also running "hot and cold". They take on North Harbour on television, Monday June 5, at 8pm at Albany Stadium. Live on Maori Television, Ngati NRL, same time.
Local front, round seven: Hokianga vs Kaikohe at Okaihau, referee J Wharewaka; Dargaville vs Portland at Dargaville, referee L Phillips; Waitangi vs Marist at Waitangi, referee W Maihi; Moerewa vs Takahiwai at Takahiwai, referee D Akuhata.
NB: Delegates meeting, Tuesday June 13, 6pm.
With round seven of 14 coming up this weekend the teams are starting to sort themselves out.
Last year's grand final winners, Hokianga Pioneers have come right back to the pack. The club has been hit hard by defections from last year's side, including their coach. It is a case of
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