The Newtown Jets have been shut down by a determined defensive effort in their round 14 VB NSW Cup match at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.
The Jets never managed to break down their opponents defense as they eventually went down by 24-6 defeat to the Illawarra Cutters.
It took the Jets almost 75 minutes to get on the board when they crossed for a late try, but in the end run the Cutters were far too good in their four tries to one triumph.
The Cutters were comfortably ahead 18-0 at the half time break and were never seriously threatened in the second 40-minute period.
The win was the third straight for the Cutters and on the flip side the second loss in succession for Newtown, who remain in eighth position on the NSW Cup ladder but concede ground to the teams in front of them.
The Jets have 12 competition points, while the Cutters sit in fourth place with 16.
The late inclusion of David Fifita for the Jets was expected to give them an advantage in the forwards and while the Sharks prop performed strongly, his efforts weren’t quite enough to get his team across the line.
Fifita was sent back to play for Newtown during the Sharks bye weekend in a bid to help him gain some match fitness after playing limited minutes in the NRL in recent weeks.
The Jets now need to regroup with a bye next round, with their next assignment a game against the Manly Sea Eagles at Henson Park on June 27.
Illawarra Cutters 24
J Hunt, C Garvey, R Packer, S Wakeman tries; S Crook 4 goals
beat
Newtown Jets 6
Daniel Abou-Sleiman try; Todd Murphy goal
