Steelers fall to Canterbury at semi final hurdle
The Counties Manukau Steelers have unfinished business.
They’re still smarting from the 22-7 semi final loss to Canterbury in Christchurch on Sunday and are vowing to come back stronger and smarter next year. Darryl Suasua says his players are sore at having got so far and come up empty handed.
‘‘We went down there thinking we were in with a shot. Three times we get over the line and lose the ball in the act of scoring. In this game you’ve got to put the ball down to score. Canterbury did, we didn’t and we’re all devastated. To lose after getting that close has left a bitter taste in the mouth. But it also means we have unfinished business. We’ve also got to be more ruthless.’’
As disappointed as Suasua and his fellow coaches Grant Henson and Semo Sititi may be, their team has rewritten the Steelers record book. They beat Auckland at Eden Park for the time time in 17 years, and they beat Canterbury 33-21 for the first time since 1996. Suasua says the players take a lot of pride in the Steelers’s jersey.
‘‘You should hear the likes of Augustine Pulu talk about how much the Steelers jersey means to him. A lot of the players are from South Auckland and have an attachment to the area. This gives us that little extra over other teams.’’