Hawera bag rugby league silverware

Will Johnston

History was made at Hicks Park in Hawera on Saturday.

The Hawera Hawks premier rugby league team won the Taranaki title for the first time in 42-years.

It was 1980 when the team last lifted the silverware. This time, they beat the Patea Warriors 20-16 in a thriller on their home turf.

The home team had fresh legs when they entered the final. They enjoyed a week off when their semi-final opponents Waitara Bears defaulted because of player eligibility and injuries.

Patea’s final hopes weren’t guaranteed after being locked up at 34-all in the other semi-final against two-time defending champions Bell Block Marist Dragons. Patea eventually won 36-34, in their first year back in the competition in 25-years.

Played in front of a healthy crowd on a fine afternoon, Hawera scored four tries to three. Brent Landers slotted two goals for the champions.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Hawera with several lead changes during the match.

Patea led 10-6 just before the break before the scores were locked up at 10-all at halftime.

Hawera managed to sneak in front 14-10 but Patea claimed the lead again before the final whistle.

Hawera maintained a 20-16 score line with two minutes to go.

The competition finally wrapped up after it was originally scheduled for March. But the competition was postponed because of growing Covid-19 cases in the region. It forced Taranaki Rugby League to move the season to the back end of the club winter sports window, so it wouldn’t impact with rugby union.

Coaching and development manager for Mid-Central Rugby League Alan Jackson said the early season format seems to work. 

“It worked in the first two years, there’s no reason to change something that’s going alright,” he said on The Most FM Sports Show.

He said having the season at the start of the year protects youth players who often play both league and union.

“It’s really tough when they have to front up Saturday-Sunday and some schools play Wednesday’s and you get kids playing two, sometimes three games a week. It’s not good for them.

“When we get our football out of the way, it just means means they’re playing one game a week.”