The Newtown Jets were beaten 28-16 by Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles in the third round Intrust Super Premiership rugby league match played at HE Laybutt Field in Blacktown on Sunday.
The Manly-Warringah partnership club led 20-16 at half-time after the Jets had trailed 20-6 midway through the first half.
Newtown threw everything they could at the Sea Eagles in what was a very physically tough game.
Giant prop Braden Uele scored the Jets first try in the ninth minute, and Newtown fought their way back into the match through tries to second-rower Anthony Moraitis and winger Edrick Lee late in the first half.
The match was the first official outing for 2018 for Uele who had missed the opening two rounds with a rib cartilage injury suffered in the Sharks trial match against Manly.
Kyle Flanagan also played his first Intrust Super Premiership game of the season after recovering from a broken thumb.
The inclusions of Uele, Flanagan, Kurt Dillon and Aaron Gray, saw the Jets field a changed line-up to the team that had beaten St George-Illawarra ten days previously.
Newtown didn’t quite have the necessary attacking precision to break through the well-drilled and unyielding Blacktown defence. The Jets were held scoreless in the second half despite having several attacking opportunities at the Sea Eagles end of the field.
Front-rower Uele, previously with the Sydney Roosters and North Queensland Cowboys, had an impressive first-up match with the Jets.
The Newtown Jets play away next Saturday, 31st March, against Penrith at Panthers Stadium at 1.00pm. This round four ISP NSW match will be televised live on Channel Nine.
JETS 16
Braden Uele, Anthony Moraitis, Edrick Lee tries, Kyle Flanagan 2 goals
Lost to
BLACKTWON WORKERS 28
**Article by Newtown Jets in partnership with Sharks Media
***Lead photo courtesy Mario Facchini.
