Martin hails Northland crowd as Taniwha eye NPC glory

Sport Nation • October 19th, 2026 8:26 am

Northland’s haka before Northland vs Otago | Photo: Joshua Devenie/Photosport

The chant from Tanifans rose through the rain in Friday’s NPC semi-final against Otago, and Northland coach Ryan Martin stopped to take it in.

The match which finished 38-19 to the Taniwha’s booked them in for their first ever NPC final, and will take on reigning champions, Canterbury on Monday at Te Kaha Stadium.

Martin said the crowd’s resilience and support had become one of the moments he would remember most about the history making win.

Northland crowd during minute of silence before Northland vs Otago | Photo: Joshua Devenie/Photosport

“It was pretty special with the last 10 minutes when the Northland chant was going out from the crowd. I’ve been a part of a few stadiums and that was one of my special moments. I actually just got up and crossed my arms and just listened and it was just so special,” he told Sport Nation.

“The coolest thing was obviously the game started in really sunny, dry conditions and then the big blue storm came up from the southerly and we kind of changed the way we played.

“That's what I was most proud of our group, the ability to play different styles of game depending on what the conditions were doing and the opposition.

“It was really torrential rain and the people just stayed. They held strong, kind of like we did at the end of the haka when Otago came right into our faces. We waited for them to back off just to set the tone, and it was similar to the crowd.”

Teams come together after Northland’s haka before Northland vs Otago | Photo: Joshua Devenie/Photosport

Martin said the connection matters to a side with strong local roots.

“We definitely built off their energy and I think they can see 80% of our squad's local Northland born and bred and people are seeing what we're trying to do.

“They're getting right in behind us and it's just a special time for the region and we're trying to give back as much as we can in the way we play and give performances that they can be proud of us.”

That bond, Martin said, is part of what will drive Northland into the final, as is the leadership within the playing group, led by Allan Craig, Sam Nock and Rivez Reihana, with Martin noting Nock’s strong message to the squad after securing their spot in the final.

“Sam Nock stood up and he doesn't speak a lot but when he does it's pretty powerful.

“He said ‘hey that we've put a lot of pride back into our region and it was awesome to do that job but we're on a bigger mission’ and when he says that the old hairs on the back of the neck go up, so I was really proud of the way the boys responded to that.”

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Northland will also draw on the intensity of its Ranfurly Shield battles.

“Those Ranfurly Shield games, when we challenged and won it off Canterbury and then to defend it against Tasman, Waikato, and obviously the disappointment of Counties, they all had a grand finals feel around the intensity.

“We feel as though we just want to keep tapping into what that means and what it demanded, so we'll lean into that.

“We'll lean into our community as well. There's just so much goodwill. I've never seen so many Taniwha jerseys around and people playing with rugby balls on the different parks and things, it's actually been amazing to see.”