KEAS RETURN TO CRL PREMIERSHIP PEAK WITH RESOUNDING GRAND FINAL RESULT
Linwood Keas claimed their eighth Canterbury Rugby League premiership in 10 seasons in emphatic fashion, overwhelming Riccarton Knights 30-6 in the 2025 Pat Smith Trophy Challenge decider to wrap up a massive CRL Happy Hire Grand Final Day at Ngā Puna Wai.
The Andrew Auimatagi-coached Keas posted four tries to none in the first half to put one hand on the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership title and kept a desperate Knights outfit at arm’s length in the second stanza.
Appearing in their first grand final in 21 years, there would be no repeat of the Knights 2002 and ’04 heroics – when they defeated the Keas in both deciders – instead going down by the biggest margin in a CRL decider since 2006 (Linwood’s 66-10 defeat of Hornby).
The platform laid by an imposing Keas pack and their ever-potent left-edge attack kept the Knights on the back foot throughout.
Veteran playmaker Daniel Hartley gave the Keas the first opportunity of the grand final with a booming 40/2o in the second minute, but the aggressive Knights defence was up to the task.
Riccarton repelled Linwood again in the seventh minute after back-to-back penalties invited the runaway minor premiers down to the red zone.
The Keas drew first blood after 12 minutes, however, after slick offloads from second-rower Sakiusa Lomanikaya and fullback Thomas Ruwhiu gave winger Alofa Faaiva clear passage to score in the corner.
Lomanikaya provided the game-breaking touch again four minutes later, combining with centre Danny Samuelu-Latu as Ruwhiu backed up to score.
A knock-on from the restart gave the Knights their first genuine chance – which almost turned to disaster. Faaiva collected a grubber on his own tryline and sprinted 100 metres, only to be ruled to have lost the ball in the corner thanks to the valiant chase of Rikki Bidois.
Breaks from Rewi Williams and Bidois kept the Keas honest, before Bidois came up agonisingly short of claiming the Knights’ first try when he climbed to grab a pinpoint Isaac Avery bomb.
Hartley then finished off one of the most memorable – and arguably the most bizarre – tries in recent Canterbury Rugby League grand final history to put the Keas up 16-0.
The 50-metre last-tackle movement featured two kicks that went backwards and a welter of offloads, desperate passes and fancy footwork.
Simple errors brought the Knights’ bids to post their first points before halftime undone. The Keas landed a hammer blow three minutes out from the break as Hartley, Ketesemane Pouli and Ruwhiu stretched the Riccarton defence to send Samuelu-Latu over untouched.
Hartley’s conversion from out wide made it 22-0.
Knights winger Tristan Griffiths went within inches of scoring three times in the early period of the second half, before the Keas put the foot firmly back on the throat.
Hartley backed up a barnstorming break from Puia’i Graeme Patu-Vaega’au and scooted 30 metres for his second try.
The Knights injected some life into the contest when Jimmy Rangiawha crashed over for their belated first try with 19 minutes remaining, but they were unable to build subsequent pressure. Hartley slotted a penalty goal for an unssailable 24-point lead with 12 minutes remaining – the last points of the match.
Captain Chanel Feala led a dominant Linwood engine-room effort from the front, while lock Malyche Tafili received the prestigious Mel Cooke Trophy as player of the grand final.
The convincing win capped a memorable return to the head coaching role for club legend Auimatagi, who steered the Keas to four straight grand final wins from 2016-19.
The Keas head into the off-season with the Thacker Shield, Massetti Cup and now the Pat Smith Trophy in their cabinet, reclaiming their place as Canterbury Rugby League’s preeminent team.
2025 CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL – PAT SMITH TROPHY CHALLENGE
Linwood Keas 30 (Daniel Hartley 2, Alofa Faaiva, Thomas Ruwhiu, Danny Samuelu-Latu tries; Hartley, Ketesemane Pouli goals) defeated Riccarton Knights 6 (Jimmy Rangiawha try; Matariri Halbert-Pere goal) at Ngā Puna Wai. Halftime: Linwood 22-0. Referee: Jack Feavers. Touch judges: Daryl Mataiti and Porfi Vivas.
