CRL Rd 5 Wrap: Big wins for Eagles, Keas and Hornets men; Panthers women go 2-0
Eastern Eagles, Linwood Keas and Halswell Hornets piled on the points in Round 5 of the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership on Saturday, while Hornby Panthers are the only unbeaten team just two weeks into the CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership campaign.
The Eagles chalked up a fourth straight win courtesy of an emphatic 60-0 result over Hornby Panthers at Leslie Park.
Winger Mita Maamaloa finished with a hat-trick, halfback Klayton Waikato’s 24-point haul included two tries, and Harold Kolose and Taniela Leka also grabbed doubles.
The Keas remain undefeated at the top of the Massetti Cup ladder after carving out a 50-0 win over Greymouth Greyhounds on the West Coast.
The defending champs led 22-0 at halftime and added another six tries after the break, with five-eighth Thomas Ruwhiu and centre Maoluma Sakaria finishing off doubles.
The Hornets arrested a two-game slide via a 30-4 win over Papanui Tigers at Halswell Domain.
A try to ex-Hornet Antonio Lemalu brought the Tigers back to 12-4 in arrears, but winger Roan Brown’s second try put Halswell back in control, and subsequent four-pointers to fullback Tommy Moriarty and winger Jordan Harmer sealed a convincing victory.
The CRL Sidekick Chartered Accountancy Canterbury Cup Conference League results set the tone for the afternoon.
The ladder-leading Hornets overwhelmed the Tigers 62-0, the Keas outlasted the Greyhounds 28-8 after a three-tries-to-nil second half, and the Eagles racked up a 54-18 win over the Panthers with Riley Williams scoring three tries.
Northern Bulldogs consolidated their lead in CRL Division One with their fifth win from as many starts, putting away Eastern Eagles at Wainoni Park on Saturday. Patella Tou collected a hat-trick for the Bulldogs.
Elsewhere, Ashburton Barbarians powered to a resounding 66-16 home win over Linwood Keas, and Halswell Hornets proved too good for Shirley Hawks 32-16.
Hornby Panthers have made their CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership intentions clear, following up an opening-week success against two-time defending champs Sydenham Swans with a 22-18 victory over 2025 runners-up Linwood Keas in Round 2 on Sunday.
The Keas led 8-0 in their first outing of the season, but the Panthers scored four unanswered tries before hanging on for the win amid a late Linwood rally.
The Swans bounced back to overcome impressive Round 1 performers Eastern Eagles 42-16. Sydenham fullback Manea-Faith Waaka raced in for four tries, while Ilah Robottom scored two of Eastern’s three four-pointers.
CRL WHITHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP – ROUND 5 RESULTS
Halswell Hornets 30 (Roan Brown 2, Nicholas Evans, Tommy Moriarty, Jordarn Harmer tries; Moriarty 4, Josh Everett goals) defeated Papanui Tigers 4 (Antonio Lemalu try) at Halswell Domain
Linwood Keas 50 (Thomas Ruwhiu 2, Maoluma Sakaria 2, Julius Mumuta, Thomas Irving, Xavier Talatonu, Lennox Tuiloma, Alofa Faaiva, Chanel Feala tries; Malyche Tafili 4, Ruwhiu goals) defeated Greymouth Greyhounds 0 at Wingham Park
Eastern Eagles 60 (Mita Maamaloa 3, Harold Kolose 2, Taniela Leka 2, Klayton Waikato 2, Carlos Te Rupe-Jones, Shayde Turner tries; Waikato 8 goals) defeated Hornby Panthers 0 at Leslie Park
CRL SIDEKICK CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY CANTERBURY CUP CONFERENCE LEAGUE – ROUND 5 RESULTS
Halswell Hornets 62 defeated Papanui Tigers 0 at Halswell Domain
Linwood Keas 28 defeated Greymouth Greyhounds 8 at Wingham Park
Eastern Eagles 54 defeated Hornby Panthers 18 at Leslie Park
CRL DIVISION ONE – ROUND 5 RESULTS
Ashburton Barbarians 66 defeated Linwood Keas 16 at Robilliard Park
Halswell Hornets 32 defeated Shirley Hawks 16 at Halswell Domain
Northern Bulldogs 48 defeated Eastern Eagles 20 at Wainoni Park
CRL HAPPY HIRE WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP – ROUND 2 RESULTS
Hornby Panthers 22 defeated Linwood Keas 18 at Linwood Park
Sydenham Swans 42 defeated Eastern Eagles 16 at Wainoni Park
