Levi Brunton with his partner Katie and daughter Marlee after his 100th game.

Lyttelton lock Levi Brunton celebrated his 100th game for the club with a crucial 31-25 victory over New Brighton last weekend.

Saturday's win keeps the fifth-placed Dolphins in contention for a top-four finish with three round-robin games remaining.

Lyttelton travel to face sixth-placed Burnside tomorrow at 1pm, with Brunton describing every remaining match as “do or die”.

"They always get up for us and vice-versa. We play them down there this week and I’m sure they’ll be ready for us and we will be as well,” he said.

"If we lose another game we’re not going to make top four, your season’s done.”

Brunton made his premier debut for the Dolphins in 2018. He spent one season with Shirley in 2022 before returning to Lyttelton.

“It’s massive and the club means a lot. I’m only 30 so hopefully we can hit another milestone down the line,” he said.

“To be able to run out first and lead the team, having my mum and dad, my partner and my daughter at the end of the tunnel, that was pretty special and something I won’t ever forget.”

It was a see-sawing contest, with New Brighton refusing to go away whenever Lyttelton established a lead.

The visitors had a lineout 5m from the Lyttelton tryline in the dying moments and needed a converted try to spoil Brunton’s milestone match.

“I thought jeez, this is gonna kill the story here,” he said.

However, Lyttelton managed to hold the ball up over the line to secure the win.

Brunton said the highlight from his 100 games remains last season’s championship triumph, when Lyttelton defeated Shirley 32-5 in the final.

He believes the Dolphins have the squad to go back-to-back, provided they bring the right mindset each week.