Bulldogs and Magpies fixture ends in draw

Matt Buxton

Siosifa Talakai was simply outstanding for the Newtown Jets, setting up three long range tries and scoring a long range try himself in the Newtown Jets’ 44-28 victory over the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles.

A candidate for try of the year was the first scoring play of the game. Blacktown’s big second rower Haumole Olakau’atu received the ball on fifth tackle and put a left foot chip kick over the top, re-gathered, then put a grubber into the in-goal for Zack Dockar-Clay to win the race and score.

The Jets hit back with a try, not nearly as spectacular, but worth the same amount of points when a right-to-left shift was knocked down by Blacktown and as Ronaldo Mulitano tried to pick it up, he kicked it forward and was able to jump on the ball and plant it down in the corner.

Some brilliance by Jack Williams gave the Jets the lead. From inside his own half, he drifted across field and found space with a sharp show-and-go and was able to slow down and pass to a supporting Siosifa Talakai who beat one man to score.

Sione Katoa scored immediately after the break for Newtown but a scrappy try brought the margin back to four when a Kamren Cryer offload went to ground and when everyone was ball watching, Abbas Miski picked it up and burrowed his way over.

Some great work by Talakai set up Matt Evans for a long range try, before a great ball from Teig Wilton put Jackson Ferris through for a try inside his own half off the kick-off set.

Talakai and Evans linked up again for a try, before he set up his third try of the afternoon when he made yet another break and gave the ball to Wilton and suddenly the score was dramatically blowing out.

The Sea Eagles fought back when Lloyd Perrett scored two tries in three minutes before Charles Shephard scored with four minutes to go but they had certainly left their run too late.

A full length of the field try to Newtown finished by Will Kennedy concluded the high scoring 44-28 game.

St George Illawarra Dragons v Newcastle Knights

Blake Edwards

The St George Illawarra Dragons capped of magic round in great fashion, recording a dominant 32-6 victory over the Newcastle Knights at Henson Park.

It wasn’t the start the Dragons were after, dropping the ball from the kick off, gifting Newcastle the first opportunity to score points, though they couldn’t muster any.

The Dragons found their way into good field position on plenty of occasions, with the Knights playmakers kicking it on the full in quick succession, as well as a string of penalties. They would finally cross when five eighth Adam Clune toed a short floating kick into the in-goal area which was plucked out of the air by Winger Jonus Pearson.

A late shot on Dragons’ half Darren Nicholls gave his side a chance at goal in front of the sticks, though a dusty Nicholls decided to apply the pressure instead of snapping the gift two points. The decision was well the right one, with Clune providing a great long ball out wide hitting Lachlan Maranta on the chest who crossed for the Dragons second ten minutes out from the break.

Newcastle showed promise down the Dragons right-hand side, which was sparked by some  heads up play from rake Zac Woolford, though were shut down on each occasion. Nicholls invited Newcastle into the game just prior to the game, when he kicked the steeden out on the full. Adding insult to injury, Dragons back-rower Eddie Blacker was sent to the sin-bin just two tackles later, when he knocked the ball out of the Knights grip after conceding a penalty, with seconds remaining before the intermission. Newcastle finally found their way over the stripe courtesy of a strong effort by Brodie Jones to narrow the Saints halftime lead to 10-6.

Despite starting the half with just twelve men, the Dragons moments crossed after the resumption through Jason Saab, giving them a ten point lead heading into the final half hour. Although succeeding the first points in the second half, the momentum swung in favour of the Knights for a ten minute period, which allowed them to mount plenty of pressure on the Dragons goal-line, but failed to add points.

Mat Head’s men had their backs to the wall but found a way out when Lachlan Maranta took a neat intercept, racing down field to score the Saints fourth try of the afternoon, making it tough for the Knights to came back from a 16 point deficit with just 20 to play.

It was tough viewing for both coaches and spectators for the majority of the final quarter, before some entertainment was provided through two late tries try out wide to Steven Marsters and Pearson who bagged a double to round out the scoring, with the Dragons running out 32-6 victors.

North Sydney Bears v Wentworthville Magpies

Tom Gibbs

Despite a 2nd half fightback from the Wentworthville Magpies, the North Sydney Bear have secured a 34-20 win to kick-off day 2 of Canterbury Cup NSW Magic Round at Henson Park on Sunday.

Front rower Max Bailey starred with a rare try double, while Brock Lamb was 5/6 off the boot with a try of his own in what was a pleasing performance for the Bears side. The Bears did well to defend some early attacking raids from the Magpies before 18 unanswered points held them in good stead for a comfortable victory in the end.

After spending the early proceedings on their own goal-line and holding up the dangerous Bevan French on two occasions, the Bears broke the deadlock when captain Tom Freebairn scored from a Brock Lamb grubber in the 13th minute.

Once the share possession started to even up for North Sydney, Freebairn scored his second just after the 20-minute mark. Front rower Max Bailey followed up with try of his own 6 minutes later, before a third successful conversion from Brock Lamb extended the Bears’ lead to 18 points.

The Magpies finally pulled back the deficit on the stroke of halftime as 2nd rower Andrew Davey dived on a grubber, bringing the score at the break to 18-4.

Nine minutes into the 2nd half, Bears lock Josh Curran burst through the Magpies defence with fullback Keiran Moss backing up to score beneath the uprights. Another Brock Lamb goal took North Sydney’s tally to 24.

As the Bears looked to be running away with the contest, momentum quickly took a turn when the Magpies scored back-to-back tries through Stefano Utoikamanu in the 54th minute and halfback Rhys Davies in the 59th.

The late comeback was short-lived, however, as Lamb snuck through from 5 metres out for a try in the left corner before Max Bailey scored a second four-pointer to secure an 18-point buffer. With 7 minutes left in the contest, Magpies winger Greg Leleisiuao scored a consolation try just inside the right corner for a 34-20 final score.

Mounties v South Sydney Rabbitohs

Stewart Moses

Mounties’ classy spine of Aiden Sezer, Ata Hingano and Tom Starling have chosen Magic Round to produce some tricks of their own and ensure their side didn’t feel the ill effects of the early loss of fullback Brad Abbey to injury, with a solid 32-18 win over South Sydney at Panthers Stadium.

Abbey came from the field in just the fourth minute of play with what looked to be serious leg injury.

But the competition leaders, coming off last round’s shock loss at home to Penrith, put the game all but beyond doubt by halftime, leading the Rabbitohs 24-6, with Sezer and Starling particularly instrumental, the latter scoring two tries and setting up another, while the former NRL half set up one try and provided the opportunity to score another through a 40-20 kick.

Mounties opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Sezer cut through the line from 35m out before finding his hooker, Starling backing up to score underneath the posts and with Andre Niko’s conversion, the ladder leaders led 6-0.

South Sydney looked to hit back in the 12th minute with a try to Jack Johns only for referee Darian Furner to rule that the replacement fullback, Niko was taken out illegally at the kick.

But weight of possession in favour of the Rabbitohs eventually prevailed and they were able to level the scores in the 19th minute through Tom Amone, who crashed over next to the posts from short range.

Mounties regained the lead in spectacular fashion, opting to run it on the last down a short blind side, where Ata Hingano’s show and go, bust down the left touchline and deft inside kick enabled Starling to claim a double inside the opening 25 minutes of the game. Niko’s conversion from near the touchline put Mounties up by six once more.

Sezer was again at his dangerous best, putting his backrower Reuben Porter through the line but was mowed down just short of the line.

But a plethora of penalties conceded by the Rabbitohs proved telling soon after with Starling this time turning provider, popping a short pass for Porter to crash over out wide from close range, extending Mounties’ lead out to 12.

The Mounties’ points scoring spree wasn’t done with yet for the first half and off the back Sezer’s 40-20, the replacement fullback Niko finished off a sweeping backline movement to power his way and score in the north-western corner and converted his own try to give the men in black a more than handy 18 point lead at the main break.

Concerted pressure with possession early in the second half, enabled Souths to get back into the game through a try to Leigh Higgins, after Hawkins and Tautaiolef combined with a nice shift out to the right winger, who duly dived over for the four pointer and with Hawkins’ sideline conversion, the Rabbitohs reduced the gap to 12.

After repelling several scoring opportunities from the Rabbitohs, Mounties scored their first points of the second half through a 25m penalty goal to Niko with ten minutes remaining to put the lead back beyond two converted tries.

A try to Jack Johns off a mazy line break by Hawkins from inside his own half, reduced the gap to eight but time was the Rabbitohs’ greatest enemy by this stage of the game with just five minutes remaining.

But having been restricted to just the solitary penalty goal in the second 40 minutes, Mounties finally crossed the stripe in the final minute of play through centre Reubenn Rennie to notch up a 32-18 win, with Niko completing a fine afternoon with the boot, converting the last of his seven goals from as many attempts and finished with a personal points haul of 18.

Next up for Mounties is a trip to Belmore Sports Ground next Sunday to take on the Bulldogs, while on the same day, South Sydney will be looking to get back into the winners’ circle when they host Western Suburbs Magpies.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Western Suburbs Magpies

Andrew Jackson

The Canterbury Bulldogs and Western Suburbs Magpies have played out a thrilling 10-all draw in the first of three games played at Panthers Stadium as part of Canterbury Cup NSW Magic Round.

The Magpies trailed for 79 minutes before Elijah Taylor crashed over under the posts in the final seconds.

There was plenty of first-grade experience spread across both sides, with the Bulldogs boasting the likes of Michael Lichaa, Christian Crichton and Kerrod Holland while David Nofoaluma, Elijah Taylor and Russell packer lined up for the Magpies.

However, outside of Lichaa who was nifty out of dummy-half and scored a try, none made enough of an impression to push for an NRL recall.

Canterbury-Bankstown eventually opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Lichaa darted out of dummy-half and reached out to plant the ball down.

Morgan Harper’s conversion was successful to push the lead out to 6-0.
Lichaa was at it again minutes later, this time creating space out wide for Harper to put Tuipulotu Katoa over untouched.

Raymond Faitala-Mariner almost extended their lead when he surged towards the line only to be ruled to have been pulled up just short. And a subsequent error in the play-the-ball let the Magpies off the hook.

The 25-year old had a chance to redeem himself when he steamed onto a Jesse Marschke pass and given his strength and power, a potential try was on the cards. But his hands let him down again as the ball spilt free.

The Magpies went close to reducing the deficit early in the second half when Tyson Gamble played it short to a charging Alex Seyfarth. But the interchange forward grounded the ball just short of the line.

Another chance went begging moments later as a long ball from Lichaa was intercepted by Nofoaluma.

The 25-year old sprinted down the touchline only to be penalised for a double movement as he was dragged down by Canterbury defenders.

The Magpies eventually cracked them in the 60th minute when a stream of offloads created an overlap on the left edge with Paul Momirovski slicing over.
The centre couldn’t convert his own try from the sideline.

Western Suburbs dominated the final stages of the contest and stole the one point when Taylor surged over under the posts, gifting Momirovski with an easy conversion to seal the draw.

Penrith Panthers v Warriors

The Penrith Panthers welcomed an array of NRL quality talent for their clash against the Warriors and it proved decisive as they prevailed with a 28-10 victory at Penrith Stadium. 

Reagan Campbell-Gillard was a late inclusion in a huge boost for the home side and he delivered a performance that is bound to give him a wealth of confidence moving forward, while Josh Mansour made the most of his omission from first-grade with the opening try of the match. 

He strolled over in just the 11th minute to give the Panthers an early lead but the Warriors responded with a try of their own through Solomona Kata. 

Matheson Johns regained the lead for the Panthers with a powerful effort from close-range in the 24th minute before William Burns extended their advantage with a four-pointer just seven minutes later. 

The Panthers loomed for another try as the half-time siren neared but a 60m Hayze Perham intercept ensured the Warriors would go into the break with just a 16-10 deficit. 

Although looking to capitalise on the momentum shift early in the second-half, a Daine Laurie try in the 61st minute gave the Panthers a rather unassailable lead before Brent Naden sealed the victory with an athletic finish in the right-hand corner just 10 minutes later.