HIGH-ACHIEVING FEAVERS LOOKS FORWARD TO SECOND CANTERBURY GF

Jack Feavers’ appointment to his second straight CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership grand final comes on the back of recent milestones that reflect his rapid progress in the refereeing ranks. Over the past couple of years Blenheim-based Feavers has racked up thousands upon thousands of kilometres to referee senior Canterbury Rugby League matches…

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CRL PREMIERSHIP DECIDERS: A GRAND HISTORY

The Pat Smith Trophy has been Canterbury Rugby League’s ultimate prize for more than half a century, awarded to the winning side in each year’s Grand Final since a playoffs system replaced the first-past-the-post format to decide the premiership in 1967. Sunday’s Men’s Premiership decider between Hornby Panthers and Halswell Hornets on Happy Hire CRL…

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NO ROOM FOR SENTIMENT AS PANTHERS CHASE GRAND FINAL GLORY

After his team parlayed a late-season form spike into another grand final opportunity, Hornby Panthers coach Jed Lawrie is determined that his and fellow club legend James Baxendale’s impending departure won’t be a distraction ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Halswell Hornets at Ngā Puna Wai. Lawrie quickly doused any notion of sentimentality being a motivating…

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HORNETS END KEAS’ REIGN IN PRELIMINARY FINAL STUNNER

Halswell Hornets have earned their first grand final berth since 2014 – and for the first time in 10 years the Pat Smith Trophy Challenge will not feature Linwood Keas – after an unforgettable CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership preliminary final on Saturday. The third-placed Hornets overcame an early 12-point deficit at Linwood…

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NOW OR NEVER FOR CRL HAPPY HIRE GRAND FINAL DAY HOPEFULS

CRL Happy Hire Grand Final Day spots are on the line across all four senior grades this weekend, including a CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership blockbuster between Linwood Keas and Halswell Hornets. The Keas, searching for their 10th consecutive premiership grand final appearance, went down 18-12 in a gripping major semi at Linwood…

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CRL 2024: FINALS WEEK 1 WRAP

Hornby Panthers are the first team through to the 2024 CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership grand final courtesy of a gritty victory at Linwood Park, while Halswell Hornets stayed alive with an elimination final defeat of Riccarton Knights. As Linwood did to them at Leslie Park in last season’s major thriller, the Panthers…

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EAGLES FOCUS ON SEASON’S POSITIVES AFTER FINAL-ROUND HEARTBREAK

In an extraordinarily even CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership, it was inevitable there would be a hard-luck story when the competition was whittled down to four finalists. Eastern Eagles finished the season with a wet sail and were only seconds away from a Round 14 victory at Halswell Domain that would have catapulted…

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY: PANTHERS HALT KEAS’ STREAK TO BOOK FIRST SPOT IN 2017 GF

Ahead of yet another high-stakes showdown between Linwood Keas and Hornby Panthers in Saturday’s CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership major semi-final, Flashback Friday relives a classic playoffs encounter from the relatively early stages of the heavyweights’ epic modern rivalry. The Panthers built their 2017 campaign on blistering attack, but it was their best…

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FINALS FOOTY FIRES UP AFTER FRANTIC REGULAR SEASON FINISH

The Canterbury Rugby League community is still catching its collective breath after an incredible finish to the regular season, but this Saturday’s CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership schedule promises to deliver two pulsating semi-finals. Despite one of the most even and topsy-turvy Massetti Cup campaigns in recent memory unfolded over the past four…

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