Expect stocks of green and black face paint to be in high demand in Kaitaia shops this weeks as supporters and players from the top two teams in Mangonui senior club rugby go head to head in the Battle for the Bell Shield at Arnold Rae Park this Saturday.
The top four final between champions Awanui and Eastern is a replay of last year's championship decider which the Men in Black won 23-10, a scoreline which was, perhaps, flattering to Eastern on that day.
Awanui go in to this year's final once again as undisputed favourites having not lost a game for the past two seasons since dramatically and successfully rebuilding following a previous forgettable and trophy-less decade. However, it would not be wholly inaccurate to say that while Awanui has potentially gotten weaker as the 2014 season progressed, losing players to injury and Northland rep duties, Eastern has appeared - following their notoriously slow start - to be peaking at the right time and will fancy their chances.
Not unexpectedly both coaches were hedging their bets. Eastern's Mike Jurlina firstly wanted to say the club was getting really excited and one thing which could be counted upon on Saturday, will be a small and boisterous army decked out in emerald green and converging upon Arnold Rae Park from early afternoon.
"We are confident, but then saying that, we've been confident twice this year and a couple of times last year too," he laughed, adding the only player really hanging under an injury clouded was captain and flanker Hemi Paraha.
Awanui's Glen Subritzky was a bit more reserved, finding it difficult to disguise that disappointment that he and trainer Paul Scutt won't be able to make the Mangonui final; a long domestic season meaning the pair were otherwise occupied, obliged to being with Northland ITM Cup side playing Wellington at Whangarei on Saturday.
"We are pretty good [going into Saturday's title decider], but we've got a few injuries," he said. "Last Saturday Kaitaia played really well. Hopefully that was our bad game. But we will still have plenty of support there. Should be a good game. They [Eastern] have gotten better and better. Should be a really good Mangonui final, hopefully will come down to the wire."
The match kicks off at 2.30pm and will be curtain-raised by the bottom four final for the Liksol Shield at 12.30pm.