THACKER SHIELD AND MATARIKI CHALLENGES ADD TO LATE-SEASON SCRAMBLE
Only Linwood Keas’ place in the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership finals is confirmed with three weeks of the regular season remaining, while Saturday’s trio of crunch Round 12 clashes features the third grand final rematch of the year – which doubles as a Thacker Shield challenge – and the inauguration of a Matariki Challenge.
On the back of last week’s Matariki celebrations, Halswell Hornets and Riccarton Knights will feature in the first of what is intended to be an annual fixture between the clubs marking the Māori New Year.
The Hornets and Knights will vie for the Paniora/Tamatea Taonga, recognising the influence of Halswell Life Member and former President Ross Paniora and current Knights President and 300-game legend Shane Tamatea.
The match will also have major ramifications for the top-four picture – the second-placed Knights are one win ahead of the third-placed Hornets, who boast a superior for-and-against. The ledger is square this season: the Halswell won 20-4 at home in Round 2, before Riccarton turned the tables 28-22 at Crosbie Park in Round 7.
Ladder-leading Linwood Keas can put one hand on the Massetti Cup this weekend, but fourth-placed Hornby Panthers will be desperate to consolidate their position at Leslie Park in the latest showdown between the perennial grand final opponents.
Both teams are coming off an away loss prior to the Matariki break – the Panthers went down 30-14 to the Knights and the Keas were upset 16-10 by the Eagles. Linwood prevailed 32-22 over Hornby at home in Round 7 after the archrivals’ Round 2 clash finished in a draw.
The Panthers lifted the Thacker Shield from the Hornets at Halswell Domain in Round 8 and successfully defended it against Greymouth Greyhounds a week later. The Keas will be eager to have their first two with the hallowed prize under its new challenge format.
The Eagles sit in fifth, two points behind the Panthers, and will view Saturday’s home assignment against Greymouth Greyhounds as must-win.
Though the Greyhounds are out of finals contention, the Eagles need no reminder of the danger the premiership debutants present. Eastern escaped with a heart-stopping 22-17 win at Wainoni Park in Round 2, while Greymouth carved out a historic maiden win in the top flight at Papanui Domain in Round 7, 24-20.
In their last two matches, the Greyhounds have trounced the Knights 40-0 on the West Coast and pushed the Hornets all the way in a 14-10 loss at Papanui Domain.
All three CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership matches kick off at 2.45pm.
The battle for finals places in the CRL ISC Sport Canterbury Cup is also going down to the wire with the Eagles, Panthers and Hornets all tied for top spot with 8-3 records and 16 competition points.
The trio of front-runners face fourth-placed Papanui Tigers (8 points), the fifth-placed Keas (6 points) and sixth-placed Knights (4 points), respectively, at 1pm.
In CRL Division One, there’s a pivotal fixture between third-placed Woolston Rams and second-placed Ashburton Barbarians, who are locked on 16 points, at 2.15pm at Woolston Park.
Burham Chevaliers need a win at home over Addington Magpies (1pm) to retain fourth spot, while Shirley Hawks and Halswell Hornets can keep their hopes of a finals spot flickering with a victory at Macfarlane Park (2.30pm).
In Round 8 of the CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership on Sunday, Burnham Chevaliers are aiming to cement fourth place when they host sixth-placed Addington Magpies at Coronation Park.
Meanwhile, there’s a Ngā Puna Wai double-header, coinciding with the inaugural CRL Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Youth Grand Final Day at the home of Canterbury Rugby League.
Bottom-placed Eastern Eagles faced a tall order against the high-flying Hornby Panthers at 1pm and 2022-23 grand final adversaries Linwood Keas and Sydenham Swans lock horns at 2.30pm.
The Swans, Panthers and Keas are all tied for top spot with 5-1 records.
FIRST CRL CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN-BULLDOGS YOUTH GRAND FINAL DAY TO UNFOLD AT NGĀ PUNA WAI
Main image credit: Abraham Atherton Photography
