Valiant Takahiwai 10 fail to contain City

Takahiwai created club history but it is a feat the team and coach Thomas Murray do not want to see repeated for a while. A depleted Takahiwai contingent headed for Otangarei to play round 13 of the Whangarei and City Rugby League Competition, and kitted up to play with just 11 players against City. This week, it was Takahiwai's turn to fall short of troops, with many of the clubs suffering the same problem throughout the season. Regular players were out for various reasons - injury, sickness and family commitments - and while defaulting to City was contemplated, it was not an option.
"It would have been the first time in the club's history as far as I know if we had defaulted, so we did what we had to do ... City turned up to play and we just used what we had," Murray said.
Player of the day was veteran Takahiwai player and current manager Phil Smith, who donned a jersey to help out. Despite the 26-14 loss to City, Murray was impressed with his diminished troops, who played with grit for the entire 80 minutes, without any substitute players to relieve them.
Towards the end of the match, the team was reduced to 10 players, with Nick Brown sent into the blood bin after breaking his nose.
"The guys created club history on Saturday - the last time Takahiwai played with 10, that I know - was in 1983, in the grand final against Moerewa, when Trevor Chatham, Anthony Murray and Willie Henry were sent off for disobedience," the coach chuckled. Moerewa won 16-14, and the premiership for the record.
Takahiwai are sitting in fifth spot on the table, and there is still plenty of drive left within the team, to do what they can to make semifinals, Murray said.
"I'm not sure what our chances are of making the semis, but if we win the next three rounds and there are a few more upsets, it could happen," he said.
Wet weather made things difficult in other round 13 matches. Portland hung on to clinch their clash in Dargaville, beating Wairoa 22-36, while Marist went down to Hikurangi 16-44 at Jubilee Park, with Marist making huge improvements since their last clash with Hikurangi where they were thrashed 84-16.
Moerewa made a late charge in the competition, defeating Kaikohe 28-34 at Kaikohe, while Otaua performed well to draw with Hokianga 22-22 at Okaihau.
Bay Slayers had the weekend bye.
WCDRL (provisional) points after round 13.
Hikurangi 24, Bay 22, Portland 20, Kaikohe 18, Takahiwai 14, Wairoa 12, Moerewa 14, City 12, Hokianga 10, Otaua 7, Marist 3.