By David Larkin
The top and bottom places were hardly in doubt from the opening month of the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship.
Fencibles United always looked likely champions; promoted Franklin United struggled from the outset and quickly became relegation candidates.
But between them, there was plenty of competition to decide which clubs could push for promotion and who would join Franklin in the drop zone.
It’s time to wrap up the season and showcase its best moments, and highlight a few highs and lows …
Most improved teams
Fencibles — 1st place
Fencibles made a significant improvement on the 2023 season’s eighth-place finish and completed the title-winning season with a record of 16 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses.
The Rhys Ruka-coached side had an unmatched attacking flair this season, scoring 75 goals over the season, the most by any team in the league.
Strikers Daniel Bunch and Kodie Nicol contributed to their side’s scoring exploits, recording 16 goals each.
The East Auckland side dominated for large periods of the season and had the drop on their closest rivals, Manukau United and Ngaruawahia United.
The only teams that seemed able to foil Fencibles were Hibiscus Coast and Northern Rovers, as Fencibles failed to claim victory in any of their matches against these sides, with two of their three losses this season coming against Coast.
Fencibles’ title win means they gained automatic promotion to the Northern League.
It’ll be exciting to follow the club as they attempt to compete at a higher level and I’d expect them to hold their own and stay up.
Northern Rovers — 5th place
Rovers spent much of the season hovering around third and fourth on the table so may be disappointed with their eventual fifth place finish, but it serves as an improvement over the previous season’s ninth place.
The Glenfield-based side made an excellent start to the season with only two losses in their opening 15 games, remaining unbeaten in all four of their fixtures against Fencibles and Manukau in this period.
Rovers came undone in their final few matches though, with a draw against Takapuna followed by narrow losses to Onehunga Mangere and Hibiscus Coast. These results eliminated any hope of finishing in the top four.
If Rovers can build on this season’s form, they should be competitive and contest for promotion in their 2025 campaign.
Most disappointing teams
Takapuna — 10th place
Takapuna narrowly avoided back-to-back relegations, and it took until the final round for them to secure their safety in the region’s second tier.
The side were relegated from the Northern League in 2023 and struggled to find their feed in the Championship, unlike the other relegated side, Manukau United.
Their season started well with seven points from their first four matches, but their form soon dropped off.
Their performances heading into the end of the season put them in danger of dropping into the relegation zone, as they only managed one win (against the already-doomed Franklin in their final eight games.
A hard-fought draw in the final matchday ensured Takapuna their survival, and they’ll be back in the Championship next term to campaign for a way back into the Northern League.
Franklin United — 12th place
Franklin couldn’t quite meet the competitiveness of the Championship after gaining promotion from the Northern Conference which they won at a canter in 2023.
Franklin were on the receiving end of a number of thrashings throughout the season and conceded five goals or more in most of their matches, conceding a whopping 112 goals for the season.
They managed to pick up only four points during their 2024 campaign.
A draw at home against Takapuna in round 10, and a home win over another relegated side, Metro, in round 13, provided the only highlights for their fans in an otherwise forgettable season.
It’ll be interesting to see if they are able to bounce back and string together some good results in next season’s Lotto NRFL Northern Conference.
Much will depend on whether they can rebuild over the summer.
Top scorer: Darius Palma
Darius Palma posted 24 goals for the season, averaging more than a goal per match in his 2024 campaign.
The Ngaruawahia United forward started the season strongly, picking up his first goal in a round two loss against Onehunga Mangere before registering his first hat-trick of the season in his next match against Mt Albert Ponsonby.
Palma ended up scoring in seven consecutive league games over this period, including a four-goal haul in his side’s 6-1 away victory against North Shore in round 7.
He would go on to grab his third hat-trick in round 9 against Franklin, before adding a fourth in the return fixture against Franklin at home later on in the season.
Though he ended up as the undisputed top scorer of the league, eight goals ahead of his closest competitors, the prolific forward would perhaps be disappointed his efforts didn’t translate into team success.
Ngaruawahia dropped out of the title race towards the end of the season and ended up in third place, blowing their chance to earn promotion to the Northern League.
Biggest win
Fencibles United 13-2 Franklin United
Fencibles hosted Franklin at Riverhills Park in round 16, having already annihilated the bottom of the table side 10-0 in the away fixture earlier in the season.
Franklin didn’t put up much of a fight in defence on this occasion either.
Fencibles’ top scorer Daniel Bunch gave the home side an early lead, after his effort found the net in the fourth minute of the match, and things went downhill from there for the struggling visitors.
It was already 8-0 by halftime and Fencibles manager Rhys Ruka took the opportunity to make four changes at halftime to give his substitutes some game time.
The league leaders added five more in the second half while Franklin managed to grab a couple of consolation goals, thanks to captain Nathan Sumner.
Biggest comeback
Franklin United 3-5 Mt Albert Ponsonby
Franklin feature again in this review, as they managed to concede a fantastic winning position halfway through their home game against Mt Albert Ponsonby to come away empty-handed.
The home side were up 3-0 shortly before halftime, with a goal apiece for Baraka Lemeri, Tinotenda Mupemhena and Tafara Chawira serving to give their side what you’d think would be an unassailable lead.
Mt Albert Ponsonby didn’t think so.
Connor Turton provided their first goal of the match in the first half of added time, and MAP came out firing after the break.
MAP scored three more goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half with Adebabay Tesfaw’s goal putting them ahead in the 55th minute. Jayden Rollinson added a fifth in the 76th minute to give his side a relatively comfortable 5-3 win.
Biggest upset
Metro 3-1 Manukau United
Metro collected a few scalps on their run into the final round as they desperately tried to avoid relegation.
Their biggest achievement would surely be their win at home against second-placed Manukau United in round 19.
They made quick work of the South Auckland side, with a one-two punch of goals from Kazik Swain and Issac Dye within the first ten minutes serving to stun the travelling team.
Swain added a second before the half hour mark and Manukau were unable to come back from the three goal deficit, a solitary consolation goal in the 82nd minute from Dylan Horgan their only contribution to the scoreline.
While Metro’s run continued with a draw against league leaders Fencibles followed by a big win over Mt Albert Ponsonby in the following weeks, the battling side were unable to escape the relegation zone and will drop down to the Conference next season.
How they finished
What’s next?
Ten of the 12 teams are confirmed for next season’s Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship.
The two remaining spots will be decided by the completion of play-offs on Saturday September 21.
Manukau United will play Manurewa in the second leg of their home and away series, with the winner taking their place in next season’s Northern League.
The loser will play in the Championship.
Manurewa take a 4-2 lead from the first leg into Saturday’s match.
The final berth in next year’s Championship will be the winner of the two-legged play-off between Northern Conference winners Waiheke United and Southern Conference champions Cambridge.
Cambridge lead 1-0 after the first leg, played at their John Kerkhof Park.
If Cambridge win, there’ll be four Waikato clubs in next season’s Championship.
Here are next year’s participating clubs:
- Melville United
- Hamilton Wanderers
- Ngaruawahia United
- Hibiscus Coast
- Northern Rovers
- Onehunga Mangere United
- Ellerslie
- Mt Albert Ponsonby
- North Shore United
- Takapuna
- Manukau United or Manurewa (play-off)
- Waiheke United or Cambridge (play-off)
SEASON REVIEW: The winners and losers in this year’s Northern League >>>>
David Larkin
Friends of Football writer David Larkin plays community football for Auckland club Manurewa.
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