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AUCKLAND RUGBY LEAGUE PREMIER RESULTS
GRAND FINALS – 18th August 2012
2012 APPLIANCE SHED FOX MEMORIAL RESULTS
Mt Albert Lions 58 (34) V 10 (0) Glenora Bears
Mt Albert Lions v Glenora Bears
So after a long hard season we have finally come to the main event. The Fox Memorial Championship
has a long rich history and with both teams having won the Fox on numerous occasions we were about
to witness one of the great grand finals. Mt Albert has won the Fox 15 times while Glenora have won it 4
times, with the first being in 1962. After a wonderful rendition of ‘God Defend New Zealand’ we were
underway! Glenora Bears captain Karl Edmondson looked pumped and ready to go, while his opposite
from Mt Albert seemed to have his Lions teammates primed and ready to go. We didn’t have to wait
long for the first points of the day as Lions try scoring machine Dillon Rota crossed after video referee
confirmation. A successful conversion by Cody Walker had the Mt Albert Lions up 6-0 just five minutes in.
From the kickoff the Lions put a long grubber into the Bears in goal where Tee Mahe fumbled and had
to force the ball out conceding a line dropout. All this early pressure coming from the Mt Albert Lions,
the Bears looking a little stunned and this showed when Leni Sulusi edged his way down the left
touchline to put the Lions up even further. Cody Walker again converted, this time from right on the
sideline, 12-0! It started to get a bit harder for Glenora as another mistake offered the Lions another
chance and they took it with Leni Sulusi grabbing an early double. Lions up 16-0. Further misery was
heaped onto a confused looking Glenora Bears outfit as Suaia Matagi crashed through some weak
Bears defense to extend out to 22-0. Further tries in the first half to Paula Maliepo and Sopae Kavaliku
had the Lions roaring into the sheds 34-0 up! It looked as though Glenora were a little overwhelmed
from the kickoff and never really had the chance to compose themselves before Mt Albert shut them
down with an expansive and high tempo style of footy. Coming out after the break and Glenora still
showed high hopes of bringing some of what they had showed last week against a tough Papakura,
and in the 10 th minute Tee Mahe streaked down the touchline to score a great individual try.
Unconverted but still, Glenora on the board 34-4. Mt Albert struck back straight away getting their first
of the second half when James Blackwell ran a great inside line to take a short ball from Cody Walker
to run in the Lions 7 th try of the day, the resulting conversion took it to 40-4. Further tries to James
Blackwell, Ralph Ah Van & Leni Sulusi (which grabbed him a hattrick) for the Lions. Kurt Te Hira
managed to grab a consolation try towards the end of the game for the Bears when he managed to
re gather after charging down a Zac Tippins kick. Final Score 58-12 to the 2012 Appliance Shed Fox
Memorial Champions the Mt Albert Lions.
2012 SAS SHARMAN CUP GRAND FINAL RESULT
Mangere East Hawks 24 (20) V 16 (4) Papatoetoe Panthers
Mangere East Hawks v Papatoetoe Panthers
Grand Final day had arrived and first up two teams who had throughout the whole season of the SAS
Sharman Cup, outclassed all who had come before them. Last week the Papatoetoe Panthers fought
back from 20-10 down to out-muscle a strong Otara Scorpions 24-22 while Mangere East with the week
off focussed on final preperations in the hope that promotion to the Fox for the 2013 season was within
grasp. Waitakere’s Trusts Stadium was a hive of activity and the reception the Hawks received when
running onto the field showed the amount of support they had. First half tries to Jeco Makatoa,
Jonathan Christopher Ofanoa & Viliami Kaveinga from the Hawks, and for the Panthers Kali Makasini
dotted down to give the Hawks the jump at the break 20-4. A quick try after halftime to the Hawks
through a darting run from James Dowie had the score extend to 24-4 and what seemed like a title
slipping away from a spirited Papatoetoe Panthers. However, with 15 to go Peti Tuafao crossed for the
Panthers and Etueati Togiatomai converted to give the Panthers supporters some hope. From the
resulting kickoff Ken Maumalu was given great field position and made it over the white line to further
reduce the déficit. Another conversión reduced the lead to 24-16 with only minutes remaining.

Papatoetoe started crashing hard into the Mangere East defensive line, hoping to break through and
créate a miracle. It wasn’t to be and Mangere East held Papatoetoe out to take the SAS Sharman Cup
and receive promotion into the 2013 Appliance Shed Fox Memorial Championship.
2012 MANDRON MASONRY PHELAN SHIELD RESULTS
Hibiscus Coast Raiders 32 (14) V 20 (14) Waitemata Seagulls
Hibiscus Coast Raiders v Waitemata Seagulls
Game two in this Auckland Rugby League Grand Finals Day from Trusts Stadium in Waitakere had the
Hibiscus Coast Raiders taking on the Waitemata Sea Gulls. The banners were flying and the colours
were showing as both teams made their way out to the center of the ground. After Hibiscus Coast won
their Minor Semi Final and progressed straight through to the finals, Waitemata had to overcome a
spirited Waiheke Rams last week to claim the other finals spot. Straight off the kickoff Hibiscus Coast
applied the early pressure, pressing on a staunch Waitemata defense. The first try came at the other
end of the field however when Ali Lata crossed to give Waitemata the early lead. They extended the
lead further when in the 12 th minute Junior Tanielu scored to give the Sea Gulls a 8-0 lead. It was the
Raiders who scored next when Jason Mackessack received the ball out wide to bump off 3 Waitemata
defenders closing it to 8-4. The cracks were starting to show in the Waitemata defense when Kyle
Loader broke through to set up Fabian Shelford for Hibiscus Coast’s second, a great kick from the
sideline by Joshua Sabin gave the Raiders the lead 10-8. Silly penalties handed Waitemata easy territory
and when Siaki Faumuina was the recipient of a great short ball from Kaisa Faalilo only 5m out there
was no stopping the big boy, crashing over to take the lead back for the Sea Gulls. Just when we
thought we were heading into the halftime break Nacisso Spadotto surprised everyone when he
darted from dummy half to cross 10m in from the right hand touchline. All locked up after the
unsuccessful conversion, 14-14. After a halftime show from the U6 Restricted kids, the Raiders and the
Sea Gulls returned for the second 40. A sloppy start to the half had both teams coughing up the ball
early in the sets and it seemed the pressure was starting to show. It wasn’t until the 17 th minute of the
second half that Danyon Van Mierlo nudged his way over to put the Raiders back into the lead,
conversion successful 20-14. All of a sudden the Coast seemed to have found some inspiration and a
massive hit by Buck Hall jolted the ball from the Waitemata hands and from the resulting set of six
Fabian Shelford scored his second to take it to 26-14 after a successful conversion. Ten minutes to go in
the Mandron Masonry Phelan Shield Grand final and giant Waitemata Sea Gulls prop forward Siaki
Faumuina decided it was time to start the fight back, crossing under the posts and gifting an easy
conversion to bring it back to 26-20. However, an unfortunate mistake from the kickoff had the Sea
Gulls spill possession and gift the ball to the Raiders as the mistakes returned along with the pressure as
the Raiders also struggled to hang onto the ball. It took until the 39 th minute for Tyler Boden McMillan to
cross and claim the title for the Hibiscus Coast Raiders, winning the Mandron Masonry Phelan Shield
Grand Final 32-20.