CRL Finals Week 1 Preview: Stakes rise in playoff rematches

The Canterbury Rugby League senior finals series get underway on Saturday – and in the CRL Whitehead Plumbing and Gas Men’s Premiership there’s a massive eastside derby to decide the first spot in the Pat Smith Trophy Challenge on CRL Snap Fitness Grand Final Day, while Riccarton Knights host Greymouth Greyhounds in an elimination clash.

Both CRL Whitehead Plumbing and Gas Men’s Premiership semis are repeats of last week’s Round 14 fixtures – and after both finished in thrilling draws, we’re set for a pair of barnburners at Linwood Park and Crosbie Park.

Unbeaten Linwood Keas retained the Thacker Shield for another summer and captured the Massetti Cup again, but their bid for a perfect 14-0 regular season was foiled by the second-placed Eastern Eagles in a 30-all draw.

The defending champs had won all 13 of their previous games by 20-plus margins, but they only earned a share of the spoils with three converted tries in the last 15 minutes after the Eagles had powered to a 30-12 lead.

Losing only two games this season, the Eagles return to the playoffs after a three-year absence – having lost narrowly in elimination finals to Hornby in 2022 and Halswell in 2023. The club will get two chances at its first grand final appearance since Eastern Suburbs’ premiership threepeat from 1979-81.

The Keas, meanwhile, are vying for their 11th grand final in 12 seasons.

It’s do-or-die between Riccarton and Greymouth, who played out an epic 22-all draw last Saturday. The Greyhounds – who would have dipped out of the top four with a loss – scored the last two tries of the match to squeak into the finals for the second year in a row.

This is also a repeat of last year’s elimination final, where the Knights subdued the Greyhounds 18-4 in their post-season debut in the top grade. The Knights went on to reach the grand final for the first time in 21 years with a preliminary final win over the Hornets, ultimately going down 30-6 to the Keas in the decider.

The Greyhounds, though, may take something of a psychological edge into this showdown after also carving out a 36-4 victory over the Knights at Wingham Park in late-May.

Both CRL Whitehead Plumbing and Gas Men’s Premiership finals matches kick off at 2.45pm.

The crossover CRL Sidekick Chartered Accountants Canterbury Cup Conference League and CRL Division One finals series – introduced in 2026 following consultation with, and overwhelming support from, our member clubs – commence with two sudden-death matches.

Second in CRL Division One, Linwood Keas host the third-placed CRL Sidekick Chartered Accountants Canterbury Cup Conference League team, 2024-25 grand finalists Halswell Hornets.

The other do-or-die fixture is an all-Eastern Eagles affair at Wainoni Park, with the second-placed CRL Sidekick Chartered Accountants Canterbury Cup Conference League team taking on the third-placed CRL Division One side.

Both matches kick off at 1pm on Saturday.

CRL Sidekick Chartered Accountants Canterbury Cup Conference League competition leaders Linwood Keas and CRL Division One ladder leaders Northern Bulldogs progress directly through to next week’s grand final qualifiers, where they await Saturday’s winners.

The CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership regular season wraps with a clash between table-topping Hornby Panthers and fifth-placed Shirley Hawks.

After going down 64-4 to the Panthers at Bradford Park earlier this season, the Hawks have their work cut out on this visit to Leslie Park at 1pm on Sunday.