CRL 2023 CLUB WRAP: ROUND 3
Convincing wins from unbeaten perennial heavyweights Linwood Keas and Hornby Panthers in Round 3 have set up a blockbuster CRL Men’s Premiership grand final rematch next weekend, while Eastern Eagles opened their Massetti Cup account with a tough win at Kaiapoi.
In a Ngā Puna Wai try-fest, the Keas crossed 11 times against Halswell Hornets – turning a 24-12 halftime scoreline into a commanding 54-22 victory.
Backline veteran Penetito Ilalio and promising hooker Kyle Amer both grabbed two tries for the reigning premiers.
Following nail-biters in the opening two rounds against the Hornets and Eastern Eagles, the Panthers carved out a 36-18 win over Riccarton Knights after laying a 16-4 foundation by halftime at Leslie Park.
Centre Vaione Siaki scored two of Hornby’s seven tries, while Riccarton’s prolific engine-room stalwart Justin Lynch was one of the visitors’ four try-scorers.
In the closest Massetti Cup contest of Round 3, the Eagles held off Northern Bulldogs 18-10 at Murphy Park.
Eastern scored three tries to the hosts’ one in the first half, before a second-stanza arm-wrestle produced just one further try apiece.
Eagles centre Peneli Peneli finished with his second brace of the season to sit atop the Massetti Cup tryscoring charts alongside Panthers winger Seamus Stack and Keas fullback Jerome Taefu with four. Meanwhile, Eagles hooker Cyrus Timo-Latu has found the tryline in each of his team’s three games so far.
Greymouth Greyhounds maintained their spot on top of the ISC Canterbury Cup ladder with a third straight dominant win, putting Northern Bulldogs to the sword 62-0 at Murphy Park. The 3-0 West Coasters have scored 174 points and conceded just four.
Meanwhile, Papanui Tigers, Hornby Panthers and defending champs Linwood Keas all improved to 2-1 records with Round 3 wins, and Eastern Eagles set the tone for the club’s weekend theme of maiden victories by comfortably accounting for Shirley Hawks.
In the opening round of the CRL Women’s Premiership, the 2022 grand finalists both came away with emphatic away wins.
Defending champs Linwood Keas overwhelmed Woolston Rams 48-12 at Woolston Park, while Sydenham Swans – runners-up last year after taking out the 2020-21 titles – powered to a 56-6 victory over Eastern Eagles at Wainoni Park.
2023 CRL MEN’S PREMIERSHIP – MASSETTI CUP ROUND 3
Hornby Panthers 36 (Vaione Siaki 2, Seamus Stack, Caleb Murphy, Eti Collins, Devaun Thompson, Champ Betham tries; Murphy 4 goals) defeated Riccarton Knights 18 (Matariri Halbert-Pere, Richard Bidois, Justin Lynch, Gaius Reweti tries; Halbert-Pere goal) at Leslie Park
Eastern Eagles 18 (Peneli Peneli 2, Cyrus Timo-Latu, Walter Huata tries; Jimmy Rangiawha goal) defeated Northern Bulldogs 10 (Shayde Turner, Nick Wain tries; Mitchell Hidson-Connelly goal) at Murphy Park
Linwood Keas 54 (Penetito Ilalio 2, Kyle Amer 2, Uili Uili, Jerome Taefu, Michael Fili, Ketosemane Pouli, Te Kaio Cranwell, Sakiusa Lomanikaya, Uriah Tuli tries; Daniel Hartley 5 goals) defeated Halswell Hornets 22 (Nick Evans, Josh Rawiri, Ollie Hansen, Jamie Nuttridge tries; Nuttridge 3 goals) at Ngā Puna Wai
2023 CRL PREMIER RESERVES – ISC CANTERBURY CUP ROUND 3
Hornby Panthers 28 defeated Riccarton Knights 8 at Leslie Park
Linwood Keas 36 defeated Halswell Hornets 8 at Ngā Puna Wai
Eastern Eagles 46 defeated Shirley Hawks 8 at Macfarlane Park
Greymouth Greyhounds 62 defeated Northern Bulldogs 0 at Murphy Park
Papanui Tigers 46 defeated Burnham Chevaliers 4 at Papanui Domain
2023 CRL WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP ROUND 1
Sydenham Swans 56 defeated Eastern Eagles 6 at Wainoni Park
Linwood Keas 48 defeated Woolston Rams 12 at Woolston Park
