FAST-STARTING PANTHERS HOLD OFF HORNETS RALLY TO CLINCH PREMIERSHIP
Hornby Panthers have sent their departing trio of club legends – coach Jed Lawrie, and evergreens Corey Lawrie (if he indeed hangs up the boots) and James Baxendale – out in fitting style, taking out the Pat Smith Trophy with nerve-shattering 20-18 CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership grand final victory over a gallant Halswell Hornets outfit.
The bumper CRL Happy Hire Grand Final Day crowd was treated to yet another title-deciding classic, with the Hornets staging a magnificent fightback after the Panthers stormed to a 20-0 halftime lead.
Corey Lawrie and Baxendale, both appearing in their 13th grand finals, were instrumental to the Panthers’ triumph, while fullback Sincere Harraway repeated his 2021 feat in carrying off the Mel Cooke Trophy as player of the match in a premiership triumph.
On the other side of the fence, Josh Everett earned a place in CRL grand final folklore with a second-half hat-trick that catapulted the Hornets to within an ace of victory.
The ferocity in both sides’ defences during the opening exchanges was palpable, but Jordan Kamana made an early break through the middle on halfway for Hornby and Baxendale threaded a grubber through for Seamus Stack to score a few plays later.
The Panthers raced to a 8-0 lead in the ninth minute after winger Christian Fetu snaffled an intercept and ran 40 metres to score. Tyrone Hill’s conversion attempt again hung just wide of the uprights.
Hornby halfback Muipu Nati’s afternoon ended early courtesy of a brutal collision, but the Panthers went further ahead when centre Zinzaan Martin muscled his way over in the 24th minute. Hill added the extras from wide out for 14-0.
The Hornets supporters found their voice following a magnificent 40/20 from Jacob Nyman, but they seemingly watched their premiership dream evaporate seconds later as Martin grabbed another intercept.
Martin turned a pass under for the quicksilver Stack, who outlasted the Halswell defence to finish off an unforgettable 80-metre try.
Changing ends 20 points down, the Hornets came out firing to start the second half on the back of a sensational break from veteran three-quarter Nick Evans.
Josh Everett punched through near the posts for his team’s belated first try on the ensuing play.
Everett, who had been retrenched to the centres after a couple of injuries in the Hornets’ outside-back contingent, went in again in the 49th minute with some clever footwork out wide. Nyman’s second conversion cut the deficit to eight points.
Game on.
With the poise, discipline and completion rate that characterised their first-half performance eluding them, the Panthers found themselves clinging to a 20-18 advantage with 15 minutes remaining.
Everett powered through after bouncing out of multiple tackles, completing a remarkable grand final treble.
But despite memories of the agonising last-gasp losses to Linwood in the 2022-23 grand finals no doubt seeping in, Hornby held its nerve to close out the match with gritty defence and percentage play with the ball in hand.
Featuring in their eighth decider in nine years, the Panthers can revel in just their second triumph during that period – but a Canterbury Rugby League record-extending 17th grand final success.
Coach Jed Lawrie, the mastermind of a wonderful era for Hornby, steps away from the coaching duties – potentially to be succeeded by his older brother – with a richly deserved premiership medal.
2024 CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL
Hornby Panthers 20 (Seamus Stack 2, Christian Fetu, Zinzaan Martin tries; Tyrone Hill 2 goals) defeated Halswell Hornets 18 (Josh Everett 3 tries; Jacob Nyman 3 goals) at Ngā Puna Wai
