Flashback Friday: Hornby ends Runanga’s Thacker Shield reign in muddy thriller
As Hornby Panthers prepare for the trek over Arthur’s Pass to take on Greymouth Greyhounds in Round 3 of the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership, Flashback Friday relives a landmark Thacker Shield victory over West Coast Rugby League’s benchmark team.
Runanga boasted the most decorated Thacker Shield history of any club, carrying off the prize a record 13 times from its inaugural victory over Addington in 1931 to a hat-trick of wins from 1979-81.
After winning a fourth straight WCRL premiership in 1982, Runanga – who were skippered by John Griffin, a Kiwi tourist to Australia and Papua New Guinea that season – welcomed the Thacker Shield challenge of Hornby to Greymouth’s Wingham Park. The Panthers were coming off a heart-stopping 11-10 Pat Smith Trophy grand final loss to Frank Endcott’s Addington side.
Runanga, coached by former Kiwis great George Menzies and Ron Gibb, flourished early in the muddy home conditions. The hosts powered to a 14-2 lead via tries to Chris Menzies and future New Zealand halfback Glen Gibb, but Hornby clawed back to 14-9 at halftime and levelled the scores through Ian Gear’s try after the break.
The Seagulls edged back in front 17-14 when a sweeping backline movement resulted in a try to Stephen Low.
The Dean Taylor-led Panthers had one last attacking foray in them, however, and gifted loose forward Wayne Wallace opened a gap in the Runanga defence to square the ledger once again. Teenager Marty Crequer hoisted the conversion out of the mud and through the posts to snatch a 19-17 victory – and the Thacker Shield – right on fulltime.
The cliff-hanger saw Hornby clear a space in its cabinet for the Thacker Shield for just the fourth time – and the first occasion since outlasting Greymouth Marist in 1964.
Runanga went down in the 1983 Thacker Shield match to Papanui and would lose subsequent challenges at Addington Showgrounds to CRL powerhouse Hornby in 1984 (50-12), 1985 (36-20) and 1986 (40-20).
1982 THACKER SHIELD MATCH
Hornby Panthers 19 (P. Wallace, W. Wallace, I. Gear tries; M. Crequer 3, B. Cooper 2 goals) defeated Runanga Seagulls 17 (C. Menzies, G. Gibb, S. Low tries; D. Lee 4 goals) at Wingham Park, Greymouth.
