CRUNCH TIME IN CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP FINALS RACE
The race for CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership playoffs spots is on a knife’s edge with four weeks of the regular season remaining – and once again all three matches in Round 11 will have a major bearing on the top-four picture.
While a miraculous late charge to the finals would require a string of other results to go their way, Greymouth Greyhounds will at the very least be aiming to play the spoiler role for the rest of the season.
The West Coasters produced a stunning 40-0 rout of second-placed Riccarton Knights – the second win of their debut campaign in the top flight – last week at Wingham Park.
The Greyhounds will be after another scalp this weekend when they host the fourth-placed Halswell Hornets at their surrogate home ground in Canterbury, Papanui Domain. The Hornets are coming off a two-point home loss to ladder-leading Linwood Keas but are guaranteed to move up to third spot if they win on Saturday.
The Hornets won both encounters with the Greyhounds so far: 46-10 in Greymouth and 36-20 at home.
The Knights are striving to regroup at Crosbie Park against surging Hornby Panthers, who climbed to third via last weekend’s 28-16 away win over Eastern Eagles – their third on the trot.
The Panthers can leapfrog the Knights, who are hoping to avoid a third straight loss after piecing together a six-match winning run. The ledger is square so far this season: the Panthers won 26-20 at Riccarton in Round 1, while the Knights powered to a 38-10 win at Leslie Park in Round 6.
The fifth-placed Eagles are three points adrift of the top four and desperate for wins after picking up a solitary competition point from their last five games.
Getting back on track this Saturday won’t be easy for Archie Jacobs’ charges, however, as they host the Keas at Wainoni Park. The defending premiers have a four-point break on the field and one hand on the Massetti Cup, though the most recent eastside derby in Round 6 finished in a 24-all draw at Linwood Park.
All three CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership Round 11 fixtures kick off at 2.45pm.
The corresponding CRL ISC Canterbury Cup matches get underway at the same venues at 1pm, with competition co-leaders Eastern Eagles, Hornby Panthers and Halswell Hornets taking on teams occupying places in the bottom three.
In CRL Division One action, Papanui Tigers and Woolston Rams kick the round off at Ngā Puna Wai on Friday night at 6.30pm.
On Saturday, Burnham Chevaliers host Shirley Hawks at 1pm, Ashburton Barbarians and Halswell Hornets clash at Robilliard Park at 2pm and Addington Magpies welcome Northern Bulldogs to Spreydon Domain at 2.30pm.
The CRL Women’s Premiership is evenly poised with Linwood Keas, Sydenham Swans and Hornby Panthers locked on 10 points, with Woolston Rams just two points back in fourth.
All three Round 7 matches will take place at Ngā Puna Wai this Sunday, with the Rams taking on the Keas and Swans facing Burnham Chevaliers at 1pm, before Addington Magpies and the Panthers lock horns at 2.30pm.
Photo credit: Abraham Atherton Photography
