Lion Red Fox Memorial Wrap

And then there were five. Mount Albert, Papakura, Northcote, Marist and Otahuhu round out the top five finalists in the Fox Memorial Championship. Points for and against becomes critical at the back end of the season and never more so than in the final round of the Fox Memorial. Upsets to Otahuhu and Te Atatu and wins to Northcote and Marist meant there were five teams in contention for three places. Both Marist and Northcote guaranteed spots in the finals with strong performances. Northcote blew past Mangere East 26-16 with fullback Kevin Locke starring for the Tigers. Locke scored an astonishing hatrick of tries and kicked five goals for a tally of 22 points for the home side. A gutsy effort from the Marist Saints ensured they qualified in fourth position after a strong finish to the season. The Saints have enjoyed success in the last few rounds and continued with their momentum with a 34-24 win over East Coast Bays. A gutsy defensive effort from Saints half Eddie Leavai showed the commitment needed by a team fighting for survival. Leavai topped the tackle count with inspirational defence and was well aided by centre Danny Siave and winger Ben Collins who scored a double. A blistering performance from young hooker Arron Pawley has given the Otahuhu Leopards another chance to prove their worth this season. Pawley scored two tries for the Leopards in Otahuhu