They left it late and made it exciting however the Newtown Jets managed a last-gasp victory over the Penrith Panthers last weekend to remain in the top eight of the Intrust Super Premiership and within striking distance of the competition leaders.
An Edrick Lee intercept, where the Jets winger went 90-metres to score, followed by a Jayden Walker try when the back-rower beat out the defence in a determined effort to gather the ball and touch down after a line break then kick through, and the Jets had stolen the points from a Panthers team which led for almost the entire game.
It was a gutsy effort and one which showed the benefit of playing until the full time whistle.
This Saturday after seven weeks on the road, one of those being a game played at Southern Cross Group Stadium, the Jets play their first match of the year at their spiritual home of Henson Park when they host the Wyong Roos.
The feeder club for the Sydney Roosters, the Roos have enjoyed a strong start to the 2017 season and currently sit second on the ISP points-table.
The Newtown team is listed below, along with a comprehensive wrap of the win over the Panthers, courtesy of Newtown Jets media.
ISP Team List – Round 8
Jets v Roos
Sunday, April 16
Henson Park
Kick-off – 3.00pm
1 Leigh Higgins
2 Edrick Lee
3 Jordan Drew
4 Matt Evans
5 James Tuitahi
6 Penani Manumalaelii
7 Fa'amanu Brown
8 Jaimin Jolliffe
9 Kurt Kara
10 Sam Tagataese
11 Tony Williams
12 Jayden Walker
13 Jack Williams
Interchange
14 Kurt Dillon
15 Jayden McDonogh
16 Tepatasi Fuiava
18 Manaia Cherrington
23 Saulala Houma
The Jets turn on a thrilling finish against the Panthers
By Newtown Jets Media
The Penrith Panthers led Newtown 16-6 with less than ten minutes left to play but they made the mistake of not securing the win when they had the opportunity to do so. The Jets scored two late tries – one from a 95-metre dash from an intercept that prevented an almost certain Penrith try, and the second from a well-executed grubber kick into the Panthers in-goal. To top it off, with the scores tied at 16-all and one minute left on the clock, halfback Fa’amanu Brown converted Newtown’s last try from one metre in from the sideline by way of a wobbly-looking kick that miraculously weaved its way over the crossbar. The Panthers then obliged by putting their last-ditch short kick-off out over the sideline!
NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership NSW – 7th Round
Sunday, 16th April 2017
Penrith Stadium
Penrith v Newtown
Kick-Off: 11.45am.
Newtown 18
Fa’amanu Brown, Edrick Lee, Jayden Walker tries; Fa’amanu Brown 3 conversions
defeated
Penrith 16
Corey Harawira-Naera, Lachlan Stein, Darren Nicholls tries; Darren Nicholls 2 conversions.
Half-Time: Penrith led 10-0.
Referee: Daniel Olford.
Newtown’s team
Leigh Higgins, Edrick Lee, Jordan Drew, Jesse Ramien, James Tuitahi, Penani Manumalealii, Fa’amanu Brown, Jayden McDonogh, Jayden Walker, Tony Williams, Jaimin Jolliffe, Kurt Kara, Sam Tagataese.
Bench: Jack Williams, Kenny Niko, Manaia Cherrington, Tepatasi Fuiavailili. Coach: Greg Matterson.
Penrith team
Dylan Edwards, Lachlan Stein, Michael Oldfield, Tyrone May, Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, Darren Nicholls, Jarome Luai, Sione Katoa, Kaide Ellis, Corey Harawira-Naera, Viliame Kikau, Mitch Rein, Sitaleki Akauola. Bench: Jack Hetherington, Oliver Clark, Corey Waddell, Samisone Langi.
Coach: Garth Brennan.
Match timeline: -
First Half
Newtown kicked off to the northern end of Pepper Stadium.
5th min: Panthers grubber kick into the in-goal area, try to Harawira-Naera midway between the posts and the south-east corner. Not converted. Penrith 4-0.
12th min: 2 consecutive penalties get Newtown into an attacking position. Jordan Drew is wrestled out across the sideline about 5 metres out from the north-west corner.
21st min: Edrick Lee spear tackled about 35 metres out from the Newtown tryline but the Jets failed to find touch from the penalty kick.
25th min; Newtown under pressure at their own end. Penalty to Penrith and they opt for the quick tap and to maintain their attack, but they turn the ball over in the next set.
28th min: Newtown lose the ball 10 metres out from their own line and then the Panthers get a repeat set.
30th min: The Jets on the attack and get a penalty 10 metres out from the Penrith line.
A long cut-out pass by Tony Williams ends up in touch but it had been touched by the Panthers. Then the Jets turn over possession early in the next set.
33rd min: Penalty to Penrith when the Jets force a tackled player into touch after referee’s call, 10 metres out from Newtown’s line.
Panthers string several passes together and Lachlan Stein is put over to score in the south-east corner in the 34th minute.
Converted from the sideline by Nicholls. Penrith 10-0 after 36 minutes.
Penrith looking dangerous again but their sortie is brought to a halt by a forward pass.
Jets turn over the ball in 37th minute.
Edrick Lee knocks down a Panthers pass and prevents what could have been a Penrith try.
Half-Time: Penrith leads 10-0.
Coach Matterson urges his players to put the pressure back onto the big Penrith forwards. They are starting to feel the strain with the unusually warm conditions.
First half completions:
Newtown 15/21, Penrith 17/21.
Possession: Penrith 55%, Newtown 45%.
Penalties: 6-4 to Newtown.
Second half:
Edrick Lee makes some ground after getting involved midfield.
47th min: Penrith make big metres up the middle and then get a penalty.
Penrith looking dangerous at Newtown’s end but the Jets get a relieving penalty after defending the set on their own line.
Penrith’s back-rowers looking to be dangerous customers.
Great set from the Jets in the 52nd minute – hard running and good support play. Nu Brown’s kick into the in-goal is forced dead and the Jets get a repeat set.
Dropped ball by Newtown and Panthers break away up field, and then get a penalty 10 metres out from Newtown’s line in the 54th min.
Then the Panthers turn the ball over which takes the pressure off.
Jets turn to mount an attack at Penrith’s end in 56th min.
Penalty to Newtown in front of Penrith posts in 57th min.
In the ensuing set, Nu Brown shows and goes, scoring 10 metres in from the south-east corner (58th min).
Brown converts his own try from wide out. Penrith 10-6 in 59th min.
Newtown defence gets ragged as Penrith challenge at Jets end, and Panthers score to the right of the posts in 62nd min.
Nicholls was the try-scorer and he converts his own try.
Penrith 16-6 with 17 minutes to go.
Sam Tagataese is penalised for what seemed to be a legitimately tough tackle made by an international front-row forward.
Penrith go very close to scoring in the 65th minute; Tony Williams is involved in a vital try-scoring tackle. Another try by the Panthers and it would have been “Good Night Vienna” for the Jets.
Big Sam Tagataese makes a tremendous midfield break but the Panthers reform quickly to prevent a try as Newtown spreads the ball.
72nd min: It looks to be curtains for the Jets as the Panthers send the ball wide up their right-hand attacking side and there is a two man overlap – but Edrick Lee intercepts the final pass and races 95 metres to score about 10 metres in from the south-east corner.
73rd min: Nu Brown converts Lee’s try and it’s Penrith leading 16-12.
On the sideline Coach Matterson asks Tony Williams if he’s got a few minutes left in him, and the big fellow heads back onto the paddock to terrorise the tiring Panthers forwards.
77th min: Big charges by Tony Williams and Sam Tagataese take the Jets into the Panthers “red zone”.
78th min: Penani Manumalealii is swarmed on by Penrith defenders, but he gets a well-weighted kick away into the right hand corner of the Panthers in-goal.
There is a frenzied chase for the bouncing ball, and young backrower Jayden Walker beats Lachlan Stein to ground the ball, one metre in from the south-west in-goal sideline.
79th min: Nu Brown launches a most unlikely looking kick which seems to be heading to the right of the posts and then veers left, and somehow makes it over the cross bar.
The cohort of travelling Jets fans goes berserk.
80th min: Penrith’s kick-off goes out on the full; Jets take a tap penalty and it’s game over.
Full-Time: Newtown 18 defeated Penrith 16.
Second-half completions: Newtown 14/18, Penrith 10/15.
Penalties: Penrith 3-2.
Possession: Newtown 54%.
Coach Matterson in the dressing rooms at fulltime:
“A great come from behind victory; hung in tough against the odds and in the heat; this was a strong Penrith team with a lot of players with NRL experience.”
All the 7th round ISP NSW results and the updated competition table: http://live.nswrl.com.au/comp/3ec60a38ee446fb80
Newtown is now in 6th place on 6 points.
