Marton favourites but Hunterville have legacy

The 2016 Senior final at Cooks Gardens. Marton will be looking to claim the championship in their second attempt tomorrow.

Speirs Food Marton will go out favourites tomorrow at Cooks Gardens to win a first Wanganui senior rugby title during the new millennium, at the expense of seven-times champions Kelso Hunterville.

Marton, runners-up to undefeated Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri last season, have likewise been unbeaten this year including two wins over Kelso Hunterville - 25-19 at home and 30-3 in Hunterville.

Since dropping down from the Tasman Tanning Premier grade in 2015 after losing quite a few Pacific Island players, Marton has regrouped and improved from their fifth placing that year to finalists last season, losing the playoff 37-26 to Ngamatapouri.

The good form has continued in 2017 with the six point home win over Hunterville being their closest encounter during qualifying play.

Marton has scored 523 points (84 tries from 27 players) and conceded just 87 points compared with Hunterville's 407 points (56 tries) for and 197 points against.

Fullback John Kilisi is the top Marton points scorer with 78 including a dozen tries.

Mid-fielder Eric Sagapolutele has scored eight tries with prop Isaac Greer and loose forward Stephen Kerehana collecting six each.

Hunterville, who reigned supreme with six titles in a row between 2009 and 2014, were finally beaten 28-7 by Ruapehu in the 2015 final and last winter finished third behind Ngamatapouri and Marton, being eliminated 29-17 by the hosts at Marton Park in the semifinals.

This year, Hunterville dropped two successive early matches - a shock 20-17 home game to Taihape for the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield and then 25-19 away to Marton a week later.

Since then, there were second round Top Six defeats at the hands of Marton (30-3) and Celtic (34-13), but Hunterville avenged the Celtic loss with a close 11-9 semifinal victory on the same Spriggens Park field last weekend.

Fullback Leigham Harding has scored 124 points for Hunterville this year with the top try scorers being winger Matt Horton (nine) and first-five Scott Parkes and flanker George Gardiner (six each).

It is just the third time since the turn of the century that Marton has played in a senior final.

Pourewa (Hunterville and Marton combined) was beaten 34-11 by Marist in the 2000 final and Marton contested last season's final.

Marton won the Premier combined title in 1989 (21-12 vs Marist) and 1994 (38-15 vs Ohakune-Karioi) after losing 13-9 to Marist in the 1988 final.

Ruapehu beat Border 22-14 in the recent Senior Consolation final in Waverley to win the title for a second year following a 51-12 victory over Buffalos last season.

The senior final starts at 12.45pm tomorrow followed by the Waverley Harvesting Border vs McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu Premier final at 2.30pm.

The lead-up records of the championship finalists this year

Hunterville (Played 16, won 12, lost 4) - Round 1: Beat Kaierau 47-10 (H), lost to Taihape 17-20 (H) and Marton 19-25 (A), beat Buffalos 54-7 (A), Counties 33-13 (A), Celtic 27-24 (H), Ruapehu 44-22 (H), Border 29-12 (A), Pirates 34-7 (H). Top Six: Lost to Celtic 13-34 (A), beat Counties 25-0 (H), Taihape 38-0 (A), lost to Marton 3-30 (H), beat Pirates 27-21 (A). Quarter-final: Beat Counties 37-10 (Bulls). Semifinal: Beat Celtic 11-7 (A).

Marton (Played 15, won 15) - Round 1: Beat Border 63-12 (A), Buffalos 59-5 (H), Hunterville 25-19 (H), Counties 32-13 (A), Taihape 68-8 (H), Celtic 34-0 (H), Pirates 46-7 (A), Kaierau 47-0 (A), Ruapehu 39-12 (A). Top Six: Beat Pirates 31-6 (H), Counties 31-0 (H), Celtic 16-0 (A), Marton 30-3 (A), Taihape 57-7 (A). Semifinal: Beat Taihape 48-3 (H).