Round 1 of the 2020 Premier Touch League (PTL) went down Saturday 31^st October - Sunday 1^st November at Pulman Park, Takanini. After the cancellation of the Opens Trans-Tasman, teams were amping to put their best foot forward in the highly-anticipated return of High-Performance Touch. 

07 Heat

Temperatures were definitely soaring with the addition of the 07 Heat teams into the PTL competition. The Women’s team put on a strong display, coming away with 4 wins in the first round. Morgan Morrow was rewarded for her footwork and attacking skills by being named “Women’s Player of the Round”. A team to watch with significant attacking ability.

The 07 Heat Men made an impressive statement in their first game, beating the other newcomers, the Northern Strikers. Team connections were evident with Tre Poihipi dotting over for 4 touchdowns in their 3^rd game. Jordan Tuakana-Hudson invigorated his side with his dazzling step turning the opposition inside out.   

Manukau Raiders

The Manukau Raiders Womens first game saw a rematch of the 2019 grand final against Te Waipounamu. After finishing 7 touchdowns all, the girls will take this as a positive start to their 2020 campaign. Jessica Mahar showed her experience and ability to read the game with touchdowns in all 4 games of Round 1. 

The Manukau Raiders Men showed strokes of brilliance with 2 wins and 2 losses. Takoha Ropati stood out, taking away “Men’s player of the Round”, while young gun Xela Pathan provided the strong finish the team needed with 5 touchdowns over the weekend. The team finished the round off on a high with a 9-6 win over the 07 Heat Men. 

Metro

The Metro Women will be looking to shake off their first-round losses and come back firing for Round 2. The weekend saw the return of Isla Norman-Bell, her speed and agility on the field providing a dynamic spark to the team. Christina Oscar showed spectacular coordination with an impressive catch to cross the line against Te Waipounamu.

The Metro Men showed they’re a force to be reckoned with, after 4 wins in the first round. Another team with evident connections throughout the squad including the trio of Daniel Nicol, Lewis Nicol and Nathan Rollinson who showed sleek teamwork on the field. 

Northern Strikers

After a slow first day, Day 2 saw an improvement for the Northern Strikers Women’s, starting off with an impressive 11-6 win over Te Waipounamu. Zoe Sosich put on an outstanding performance as did 16 year-old Holly Williams. This years inclusion of co-captains Ashlynn Waaka-Iraia and Tia Nootai will provide strong guidance to build even further on the strong finish in the weekend.

The Northern Strikers Men started their campaign strong with a win over the Manukau Raiders. Mase Parsons showed his competency and flair, alongside Boston Kake who crossed over for 6 touchdowns in Round 1. Potene Rolls-Paewai another key player whose vision, footwork and long ball amplified the Northern Strikers performance. 

Te Waipounamu

A fluctuating start for the Te Waipounamu Women saw 1, draw, 1 win and 2 losses in Round 1. With two unfortunate injuries impacting their playing roster, the girls continued to grind and stick to their game plan. Recent Youth Trans Tasman players Maia Joseph and Olivia O’Neill showed strength in the middle, with McKayler Moore finishing the job with 5 touchdowns.

Te Waipounamu Men will be back to the drawing board after an unsuccessful Round 1. Harry Kirk and Aaron Fiveash showed good manipulation of the defensive line. 4 touchdowns came by way of Will Hamilton supported by Jordan McEntee, another crucial player within their squad.

For the full draw, results and standings: click here

To view the games on demand: click here

Full results from Round 1:

Men’s

Manukau Raiders (6) v Northern Strikers (9)

Northern Strikers (10) v 07 Heat (12)

Metro (9) v Te Waipounamu (6)

07 Heat (3) v Metro (6)

Te Waipounamu (3) v Manukau Raiders (7)

Metro (6) v Manukau Raiders (5)

Te Waipounamu (7) v Northern Strikers (12)

Northern Strikers (3) v Metro (8)

07 Heat (9) v Te Waipounamu (2)

Manukau Raiders (9) v 07 Heat (6)

Women’s

07 Heat (9) v Metro (2)

Te Waipounamu (7) v Manukau Raiders (7)

Northern Strikers (3) v 07 Heat (4)

Metro (3) v Te Waipounamu (5)

Manukau Raiders (6) v Northern Strikers (3)

07 Heat (9) v Te Waipounamu (5)

Te Waipounamu (6) v Northern Strikers (11)

Metro (4) v Manukau Raiders (6)

Manukau Raiders (7) v 07 Heat (8)

Northern Strikers (9) v Metro (7)

Player of the Round:

Male - Takoha Ropati (Manukau Raiders)

Female - Morgan Morrow (07 Heat)

Article added: Thursday 05 November 2020