Bartercard Cup GF set to be a stunner

The Canterbury Bulls plan to keep it simple in the Bartercard Cup grand final on Monday night.

The Bulls take on the Auckland Lions at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland in a repeat of the 2005 grand final.

Last year Brian McClennan?s Lions snatched victory in the dying seconds of the game.

But this time the Phil Prescott coached Bulls will be out to take the silverware back to Canterbury.

?We?ve got to hold on to the ball,? Bulls second rower Jonny Limmer said.

?If we can complete our sets and play the game down their end it?s going to be a good start for us.?

Limmer was one of the stars in the Bulls? 30-6 win over the Tamaki Leopards in the elimination semi-final.

?I just tried to do my part for the team - making sure I didn?t make any mistakes and hanging on to the ball when I got it,? he said.

And he heaped praise on Canterbury?s young halves combination of Josh Reuben and Duane Wineti.

?Our halves have been outstanding this year especially in their first year of Bartercard Cup,? he said.

?They?ve been tremendous.?

The Bulls were in impressive form against the Leopards making nine line breaks and nearly 2000 metres on the run in a clinical display of football.

But they will need to bring their best to Mt Smart for Monday?s grand final.

The Lions comprehensively beat Canterbury 27-14 in their quarter final clash two weeks ago.

And the Auckland side will not be willing to give up the trophy without a fight.

Monday night will be a great night for rugby league fans in Auckland and around the country.

The game will be beamed into living rooms all over the country live and free-to-air on Maori Television while fans who make it to the ground will be entertained by Kiwi music sensation Che Fu, a fireworks display and the All Star Cheerleaders.

And the grand final won?t be the only footy action on show.

The Warriors? Allied Work Force elite development squad will be going up against the Bartercard Cup All-Stars in the curtain raiser.

Admission to Mt Smart Stadium is free and everyone who comes to the game will be in with the chance to win Tri-Nations spot prizes and a chance to be in to win a lunch with the Kiwis.

The curtain raiser kicks off at 6.15pm and the grand final gets under way at 8.20pm.


AUCKLAND LIONS vs CANTERBURY BULLS
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
Monday 18 September 2006 ? 8.20pm Kick Off

* LIVE & FREE-TO-AIR ON MAORI TELEVISION *

AUCKLAND LIONS:

PAUL FISI?IAHI
MALOFOU SOLOMONA
MIGUEL START
HARRY AONGA
ROWAN BAXTER
STEVE BUCKINGHAM (C)
KELVIN WRIGHT
JULIAN O?NEILL
REGAN WIGG
SHANNON STOWERS
PALETASALA ALE
FABIAN SOUTER
WAYNE McDADE
LEE WETHERILL
WILLIAM SORENSON
SIONE POUHA
DYLAN DAVIS

Coach - BRIAN McCLENNAN

Management:
BRENT GEMMELL
PETER LAVEA
NIGEL RATTRAY
MARK DENNIS
STEPHANIE MARR


CANTERBURY BULLS:

LUSI SIONE
SCOTT HURRELL
DONAVAN AITKEN
LEE FIDOW
LUCAS TAMAKAHA
JOSH REUBEN
DUANE WINETI
VINCE WHARE
SHANE BEYERS (C)
ALEX TIMO
JONNY LIMMER
DANIEL METCALF
COREY LAWRIE
GARETH COOK
BLAKE MILNER
ROSS TURI
LOUIS FANENE
CLINTON FRASER

Coach - PHILIP PRESCOTT

Management:
DARRYL COAD
DAVE PERKINS
BRUCE MILNE
ANDY WIHARE
STEVE WOOD


Referee: CRAIG PASCOE
Touch Judges: ARTHUR CLARK & AARON KESHA