A 42-18 loss to the Blacktown Workers-Sea Eagles has the Newtown side desperate for a win this Saturday when they play the Wests Tigers at Henson Park.
Fielding a depleted line-up, the Jets were no match for a red-hot Sea Eagles outfit however with the Sharks Origin boys potentially returning to the NRL side, Newtown will field a more experienced line up this time around.
The Jets currently sit in eighth place but with three teams within one point a win is essential should they hope to cling onto a spot in the top eight after the weekend’s round of matches.
One player who did his reputation no harm in the Blacktown loss was local Sutherland Shire junior Kurt Dillon, with the prop earning his third selection in the ISP Team of the Week.
In a 57-minute performance Dillon made 17 total runs for 159 total metres, including 53 post-contact metres, scored one try, had one try-assist, one line-break-assist and one line-break, made 24 tackles and one offload.
He opened the scoring for his team in the 25th minute and had a hand in another soon after.
Below is the Newtown team list for this weekend’s match and a full play-by-play report on the game against Blacktown, supplied courtesy of Newtown Jets Media.
ISP Team List – round 16
Jets v Wests Tigers
Saturday, June 24
Henson Park
Kick-off – 3.00pm
1 Matt Evans
2 Edrick Lee
25 Jordan Topai-Aveai
4 Jesse Ramien
5 James Tuitahi
19 Jason Schirnack
7 Fa'amanu Brown
8 Kurt Dillon
9 Kurt Kara
10 Jaimin Jolliffe
24 Khalid Deeb
12 Jack Williams
13 Jayden McDonogh
Interchange
14 Tepatasi Fuiava
15 Jordan Galloway
17 Saulala Houma
18 Leigh Higgins
Tough going for the under-strength Jets against an in-form Sea Eagles outfit
by Newtown Jets Media
Not too many teams in the Intrust Super Premiership competition would fancy coming up against the Sea Eagles at the present time. The competition newcomers (and Manly-Warringah’s partnership club) have gelled as a team and are really starting to make their presence felt. The Jets were well below full-strength on Saturday but they were still in the game at halftime when they trailed 18-12. The Sea Eagles had the better of the second half and ran out winners by 42-18.
Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles 42
Brad Parker 2, Joey Lussick, Maliko Filino, Jamil Hopoate, Jonathan Wright, Cameron Cullen tries; Jackson Hastings 7 goals
defeated
Newtown 18
Kurt Dillon, Saulala Houma, Leigh Higgins tries; Matt Evans 3 goals.
Half-Time: Sea Eagles led 18-12.
Referee: Damien Briscoe. Touch Judges: Ricky McFarlane and Liam Nicholls.
Newtown’s team
Luke Towers, Brent Anderson, Jordan Drew, Matt Evans, James Tuitahi, Leigh Higgins, Penani Manumalealii, Jayden McDonogh, Kenny Niko, Jack Williams, Kurt Dillon, Kurt Kara, Jaimin Jolliffe. Bench: Tepatasi Fuiavailili, Jordan Galloway, Ben Martinez-Murray, Saulala Houma. Coach: Greg Matterson.
Saulala Houma’s 100th game with the Newtown RLFC was officially celebrated on Saturday.
Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles
Pita Godinet, Maliko Filino, Brad Parker, Jonathan Wright, Peter Schuster, Jackson Hastings, Cameron Cullen, Billy Bainbridge, Shaun Lane, Jarrad Kennedy, Taniela Paseka, Joey Lussick, Darcy Lussick. Bench: Pat Mataele, Brendan Attwood, Tom Amone, Jamil Hopoate. Coach: Steven Hales.
Match report from the NSWRL: http://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2017/06/17/report_newtown_jets_.html
The ISP NSW competition table after 15 rounds: http://live.nswrl.com.au/comp/3ec60a38ee446fb80
Match timeline: -
First half:
Sea Eagles kicked off to the northern end.
Early error by Newtown and Sea Eagles get a scrum feed in a favourable position
2nd min: Try to BWSE next to northern uprights. Soft try from dummy-half. Joey Lussick was the try-scorer.
Converted by Jackson Hastings. BWSE 6-0 after 3 mins. 10th min: Jets at Sea Eagles and go close to scoring twice.
12th min: Hastings kick into the in-goal is well weighted and forces Newtown into a goal-line drop-out.
12th min: Filino crashes over in nth-east corner despite attention from Newtown defenders.
Hastings converts from the sideline. BWSE 12-0 after 14 mins.
BWSE bomb a try-scoring chance in the nth-west corner in the 15th min.
Jets get a repeat set at Sea Eagles end in the 17th min.
BWSE defence very sound – holds Newtown out for repeat sets.
Jets end of set kicking options and general composure looking suspect.
Sea Eagles make big metres up the middle through their huge pack.
Jets try running angles and putting on ruck-play variations but they can’t crack the Sea Eagles on-line defence.
BWSE good at jamming up on the Jets inside backs, shutting down ball movement.
Kurt Kara goes very close to scoring in the 25th min.
Jordan Drew also goes close in the same set.
Jets score in the next play the ball as Kurt Dillon barges over.
Matt Evans converts. Sea Eagles lead 12-6 in 27th min.
Jets turn over the ball in their own quarter and BWSE score a ridiculously east try in 28th min (Jamil Hopoate).
Converted by Hastings. BWSE 18-6. (30th min).
Luke Towers takes a brave catch right on his own tryline and is heavily dumped (31st min).
Hastings proves he’s human when he kicks out on the full in 33rd min.
Penani Manumalealii’ s kick into the in-goal nearly results in a Newtown try (34th min). Jordan Drew is across the line but is held up (36th min).
BWSE lose the ball in a tackle on the 37th min and the player puts on a display of pronounced petulance.
Jets get their variations working and Saulala Houma scores one of his trademark “Rampaging Rhino” tries to the left of the southern posts.
Converted by Matt Evans. Sea Eagles lead 18-12 in 40th min.
Half-Time: Sea Eagles lead 18-12.
Penalties have favoured Newtown 6-1 in the first half.
Second half:
Newtown is running to the northern end.
Jordan Drew saves a try when Cullen kicks into Newtown’s in-goal in 43rd min
45th min: Wright scores for BWSE 10 m in from sth-west corner
Hastings converts from out wide. BWSE 24-12 (46th min)
Hastings penalised for high shot (48th min).
Jets looking more effective with the ball but a dreadful inside ball turns possession over 30 m out from SE tryline (53rd min)
Cullen beats a Newtown player one on one and he races 40 m to score 10 m to the left of the southern posts (57th min)
Hastings converts and it’s 30-12 to the SE in 58th min.
Hastings puts in another kick in behind the Newtown defensive line which causes more problems.
63rd min – well worked backline move by BWSE results in a try to Parker.
Cullen and Hastings are quite obviously top-class NRL material playing in the ISP NSW.
Hastings converts the try. It’s 36-12 in 65th min and the game is over for Newtown.
BWSE turn on the champagne football again for another try to Parker
Hastings converts and BWSE lead 42-12 in 67th min
Steele Sports commentators saying that this score could get very ugly for Newton if they don’t shut down the BWSE backline
Newtown go close up the left side but Jordan Drew’s final pass is put down by a team-mate (71st min)
78th min: Leigh Higgins shows a lot of determination as he steps his way past several defenders to score under the northern posts
Converted by Evans
Full-Time: BWSE win 42-18.
Errors: BWSE 14, Newtown 8.
Penalties: Newtown 7-3
Completions:
First half: Newtown 14/20, Sea Eagles 6/13.
Second half: Newtown 11/15, Sea Eagles 17/20.
Steele Sports possession share estimates:
First half: Newtown 65%; Second half: Sea Eagles 60%.
