BIG ASSIGNMENTS FOR PREMIERSHIP’S HOME TEAMS IN ROUND 4
The early-season rust is starting to smooth out and this weekend’s CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership matches present a key opportunity for a trio of home teams to stay in touch with the front-runners – and for the three away sides to consolidate their position at the pointy end of the Massetti Cup ladder.
The weekend is headlined by Riccarton’s inaugural Old Boys’ Day, which doubles as a 20th anniversary celebrated of the club’s most recent grand final triumph – against Linwood in 2004.
After opening their win account with a 24-14 defeat of Eastern Eagles during the Ngā Puna Wai Magic Round, the Knights will host the unbeaten Keas at Crosbie Park. Linwood won all three clashes between the clubs in 2023: 32-16 and 16-4 at Linwood Park either side of a hard-fought 22-16 victory at Riccarton.
KNIGHTS’ INAUGURAL OLD BOYS’ DAY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS SINCE LAST TITLE CHARGE
Meanwhile, Greymouth Greyhounds play their first match at the club’s surrogate home ground in Canterbury, Papanui Domain, against the heavyweight Hornby Panthers.
The Greyhounds are aiming to channel the positive aspects of their last two outings – a gallant last-minute loss to the Eagles in Round 2 and a hot 10-0 start against the Keas in Magic Round before going down 54-12 – as they pursue a maiden CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership.
The third-placed Panthers are striving to bounce back from their first loss of the season, a 28-16 defeat to Halswell Hornets at Ngā Puna Wai.
The Eagles welcome the 3-0, ladder-leading Hornets to Wainoni Park in a battle of the 2023 elimination final combatants. Halswell won that gripping do-or-die showdown last August 20-16 at home, but Eastern won the sole Wainoni Park encounter 22-10.
All three CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership fixtures kick off at 2.45pm, preceded by the clubs’ corresponding ISC Canterbury Cup encounters at the same venues at 1pm.
Defending Premier Reserves champs the Keas are searching for their first win of the season when they face the Knights, who have two victories from three games to their name.
Papanui Tigers are looking for back-to-back wins as they host the 2-1 Panthers, while the Eagles – the Canterbury Cup’s only unbeaten team – host the 1-2 Hornets.
In Division One action, Shirley Hawks and Addington Magpies square off at Macfarlane Park at 1pm in the grade’s ‘Battle of the Birds’, and the Tigers meet the dominant Northern Bulldogs on Papanui Domain’s No.2 field at 2.15pm.
VIEW ALL CANTERBURY RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB DRAWS, RESULTS AND STANDINGS HERE
