After an Aaron Gray try and Kyle Flanagan sideline conversion just two minutes from fulltime, the Jets looked to have won their first game of the 2019 season, only to have victory snatched from them in a frantic finale at Redfern Oval yesterday.
The Jets had shown great character to lead by two with time running out, only for the Souths to cross in resigning the Newtown side to a heartbreaking 28-26 loss.
Although a much-improved performance on their previous two outings, the loss sees the Jets winless through the first three rounds of the 2019 Canterbury Cup competition.
After strong start, with Siosifa Talakai going over, Souths responded with two tries of their own, before youngster Ronaldo Mulitalo crossed and when a Luke Polselli line break lead to a runaway try to James Segeyaro, the Jets would take a 14-12 lead to half time.
The Rabbitohs dominated the next period of the contest, jumping out to a 24-14 advantage, but the Jets responded, first it was Flanagan slicing through from close range to score under the posts, then Gray crashing over after some enterprising lead-up play.
Flanagan gave a fist pump when slotting the difficult go-ahead conversion in the 78th minute, but his joy was short-lived, Newtown failing to come up with the subsequent short kick off as Souths would claim victory on the last play of the game.
The Jets were brave in defeat, however that unfortunately doesn’t equate to competition points as they head into round four still looking for their first victory of the 2019 season.
For the Jets, Flanagan was strong towards the back half of the game, with Gray performing well in his first outing of the year after recovering from a knee problem.
Mulitalo had an impact, running aggressively from the right wing, but he would have been disappointed with a couple of errors under Souths kicks, while Polselli showed his versatility in shifting from the wing to five eighth early in the first half in place of an injured Jack Williams.
The Jets will look to regroup and to register their first win of 2019 when they play the Wentworthville Magpies at Ringrose Park on Sunday.
JETS 26
Siosifa Talaki, Ronaldo Mulitalo, James Segeyaro, Kyle Flanagan, Aaron Gray tries, Flanagan 3 goals
lost to
SOUTHS 28
