Massetti Cup
HEALTHY HORNBY TIMING THEIR RUN
By their own standards, Hornby Panthers’ 2018 Massetti Cup campaign has been short on the usual swagger, dominance and consistency we’ve become accustomed to. But with their squad belatedly near full-strength again, the club is well-placed to end a five-year title drought. The Panthers only lost three games during the regular season – two hard-fought…
Read MoreHORNETS PLEASED WITH PROGRESS DESPITE FINALS EXIT
Halswell Hornets’ Massetti Cup campaign ended on Saturday courtesy of a heavy 50-6 semi-final defeat at the hands of Hornby Panthers, but when the dust settles the club can look back on a season of enormous progress. After winning the 2014 grand final, the Hornets languished near the foot of the ladder, finishing seventh in…
Read MoreRED-HOT PANTHERS ROAST HORNETS IN ONE-SIDED SEMI
Hornby Panthers made a massive statement in their sudden-death semi on Saturday afternoon, thumping Halswell Hornets 50-6 at Leslie Park to book a preliminary final showdown with Northern Bulldogs next week. The Panthers were quick out of the blocks and put on an attacking masterclass throughout, leading 22-0 at halftime and finishing with nine tries.…
Read MoreDOMINANT KEAS CLINCH FOURTH STRAIGHT GRAND FINAL BERTH
It was all one-way traffic this afternoon at Linwood Park as the Keas cruised to a fourth straight CRL grand final, outclassing Northern Bulldogs 48-10 in perfect winter footy conditions at ‘The Nest’. The Bulldogs showed promise in the early minutes of the major semi playing all their footy in Linwood’s half. Strong in defence…
Read MoreRUGBY LEAGUE PARK LOCKED IN FOR GRAND FINAL DAY FAREWELL
Rugby League Park in Addington has been locked in as the venue for the Canterbury Rugby League men’s and women’s premiership grand finals, to be played on Sunday, August 26 from 1pm. The confirmation came after negotiations between CRL and the Christchurch City Council and Christchurch Stadium Trust. The double-header shapes as a fitting farewell…
Read MoreKNIGHTS’ SEASON CRUELLED BY SAVAGE INJURY TOLL
The 2018 season has been a memorable one for the Riccarton Knights – but not necessarily for the right reasons. The Knights had a promising pre-season, winning the Rolleston Nines tournament and making the quarter-finals of the Crosbie Nines competition the club hosts. However, season-ending injuries to key players took a huge toll on their…
Read MoreEAGLES PLAN GORE CUP ASSAULT AFTER TOP-FOUR NEAR MISS
Aranui Eagles can perhaps count themselves as one of the unluckiest teams in the Massetti Cup. The club saw 2018 as a rebuilding phase but only missed out on a spot in the top four by a single point. Head coach Eddie Timo-Latu, who returned to the club after being away for six years, says…
Read MoreFENIKA PLEASED WITH YOUNG LIONS’ RESOLVE IN 2018
Celebration Lions had a mountain to climb at the start of the 2018 season after losing several key players who hung up the boots. The void was filled with youth, meaning attributes that come with playing rugby league for a long time, such as closing down games in the dying minutes, were lacking for the…
Read MoreWOUNDED TIGERS REFLECT ON TOUGH SEASON
It’s been a tough year for Papanui Tigers, finishing seventh in the 2018 Massetti Cup and having to default their final-round game against Linwood Keas because of injury toll that left more than 30 players unavailable. It was never going to be easy for the Tigers as they had to try and find ways to…
Read MoreCRL MASSETTI CUP RD 14 WRAP
The Canterbury Rugby League men’s premiership top-four finalists are locked in after a frantic final round of the 2018 Massetti Cup. Despite a 36-20 loss to Hornby Panthers at Leslie Park, Halswell Hornets retained fourth spot – and the club’s first finals appearance since winning the 2014 title – thanks to Northern Bulldogs’ 30-10 defeat…
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