Marty Banks scores a game-winning try, takes a swig of a beer thrown at him by a spectator and then knocks over the conversion.

The Tasman Makos may never see another character like Marty Banks again.

The curly-haired first-five from Reefton, who arrived in Nelson via Russia and Buller, finished his Tasman career with the team's point-scoring record in the bank.

He scored 643 points across 40 games and his reliable boot was a key reason the Makos earned promotion to the premiership and became a Mitre 10 Cup power.



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GETTY IMAGES Marty Banks of Tasman kicks a penalty during the Mitre 10 Cup semifinal.

But then there's moments like the time he knocked back a beer and kicked a conversion to beat Taranaki in last month's semifinal that make him even more of a fan favourite - to the point where the opposition crowd even started chanting his name.

The Makos pivot, who has signed for Benetton Treviso in Italy, had just scored a try and went to retrieve the ball from beyond the advertising hoardings when a spectator at Yarrow Stadium biffed a can of beer in his direction.

Banks' reaction? Well, he picked the beer up and had a swig.

Then he kicked the conversion from the sideline in typical Banks fashion.

Thanks to Banks' 21-point haul, Tasman won the game 41-29 to earn their place in the final, which they then lost to Canterbury.