The stage is set for thrilling finals to the 2016 Tasman Tanning Wanganui union-wide combined club rugby championships on Saturday, with the top premier and senior clubs in action at Cooks Gardens.
It is fitting that all areas of the union are involved, from southern Taranaki (Border premiers and Ngamatapouri seniors),
the city (Kaierau and Pirates premiers), Rangitikei (Marton seniors) and Northern Wanganui (Taihape premiers).
Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau and Black Bull Pirates contest their first Ben Pedley Cup final since 2001 in the 11am premier consolation, Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri meet Speirs Food Marton in the 12.40 senior championship final and Waverley Harvesting Border play PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape at 2.30 for the President's Rosebowl premier championship.
Kaierau eliminated Harvey Round Motors 36-20 and Pirates beat Utiku OB by default in the premier consolation semi-finals last Saturday. They last contested the Pedley Cup in 2001, Pirates (the 2004-05-08 holders) winning 29-20.
The two sides have beaten each other this season on home soil, Kaierau29-22 in round one and Pirates 42-36 at Spriggens Park. This time it is a neural field.
The senior and premier championship semi-finals were all won by comfortable margins.
Unbeaten Ngamatapouri seniors followed up a 54-10 away qualifying victory with a 50-14 home win over Marist Celtic and Marton deprived Kelso Hunterville of an eighth successive finals appearance with a 29-17 win at Marton Park to follow up a 28-10 earlier success at the same ground.
Ngamatapouri has destroyed almost all opposing teams this winter, apart from a close 40-32 away win at Marton, with the influx of fleet-footed Pacific Islanders in the squad, especially the rep team contenders, running riot at times. There have been eight 50-plus scores including Kaierau and Buffalo's each conceding more than 90 points.
The elusive Polynesians have scored 694 points (including 112 tries) with an average winning score of 63-12. Michael Nabuliwaqa has scored 22 times and fellow rep Samu Kubunavanua, the top local Heartland scorer last year with nine, has 16 this club season. Goal-kicker Isi Balevavuki has 139 pts including eight tries.
Marton has lost two games - 10-15 away against Counties and at home to Ngamatapouri - but it will take a sustained effort to contain the opposition in the final.
In the premier championship Border repeated the effort of last year (34-13) with an almost carbon copy (this time 34-15) home win against McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu who were four-times champions between 2008 and 2013. Border had won the qualifying rounds 46-17 (home) and 23-21 (away).
Quite a few of the Ruapehu players have been regulars over recent years and there could be a re-building phase in the next few seasons.
Taihape avenged a shock 20-17 second round away loss to Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist with a 46-10 (seven tries to one) semi-final victory at Memorial Park. It was 44-8 at the same ground in the first qualifying round and a very first home semi-final for Taihape.
Border has superior statistics (one loss, 753 points including 117 tries) than Taihape (two defeats, 522 pts - 81 tries) but the teams have beaten each other at home - Taihape by 36-30 and Border by 53-8.
On paper the forwards may be quite evenly matched in some positions but Border will have a lineout advantage, especially in the form of Irish loan player Gavin Thorburn, and more dangerous three-quarters including centre Keveni Dabonaise (20 tries) and wingers Tom Symes and Isaiah Hooper (14 each).
Fullback Nick Harding, the leading points scorer this year with 176 pts, could be a doubtful starter because of injury problems.
Top Taihape try scorer is Jaye Flaws with 11. Dane Whale (77) and Taylor Transom (72) head the Taihape points scoring.
After being shaded 16-13 by Ruapehu in the 2011 final and 20-19 by Pirates last season Border, who last won the title in 1995 (28-27 v Hunterville) under the name of Waverley, has a history of close finals.
Taihape's win over Marist last Saturday broke a run of nine semi-final defeats since 2000 including 25-24 by Pirates last year, 23-20 by Ruapehu in 2014, 14-11 at Kaierau in 2004 and 15-13 at the same venue in 2002.
Now Taihape is into its first final under that name. Last title successes for the club were in 1981 and l982 under the old Huia club banner.
With the top qualifying senior and premier teams playing and six different clubs involved there should be a very large crowd at Cooks Gardens provided the weather is right. The ground has the added advantage of having two large covered stands.
With the Steelform Wanganui squad for the coming Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato at Cambridge on August 6 being named after the weekend there will an extra focus on the leading players.
Marist flanker Ryan Gill has become the second non-representative player in recent years to win the Grand Irish Bar Wanganui premier club MVP award.
The other non rep was also from Marist - visiting English lock Greg Charlton who shared the title with former Samoan international halfback Denning Tyrell (Kaierau) in 2009.
There have been eight outright winners in the past 15 years and seven times there have been joint winners.
One hundred players from eight clubs in the Tasman Tanning competition, including 14 from Marist, received MVP points during the 14 qualifying rounds this season. Seventeen Border players were given points followed by Taihape 15, Marist 14, Kaierau and Ruapehu 12 each, Pirates 11, Utiku OB 10 and Utiku OB nine.
Gill finished 2 pts clear of Border ex-rep fullback Nick Harding, who had injury problems, and Ruapehu utility player and rep hooker Roman Tutauha who was co-winner in 2012 with fellow rep Ace Malo (Kaierau). Most prolific winner is Denning Tyrell (Kaierau and later Pirates) who won in 207 and was co-winner in 2004-09-15. Lasa Ulukuta (also Kaierau and Pirates) won in 2010-13, Leon Mason (Ratana) in 2005 and was co-winner in 2008 and Charlie Mete (Ratana) shared it in 2002-04.