Jets beat the Bears with second-half points surge
by Newtown Jets Media
Newtown retained the Frank Hyde Shield for 2023 and gained two precious competition points after beating North Sydney 36-20 at North Sydney Oval on Sunday afternoon. The Jets led 18-10 at half-time but trailed by 20-18 with just over ten minutes remaining to play. Three converted tries in the last eleven minutes, including a try and conversion in the last minute of the game, enabled Newtown to claim a sixteen-points winning margin.
The Jets had opened the scoring with fullback Connor Tracey cutting through some tentative Bears defence to score in the north-eastern corner. Mawene Hiroti’s conversion attempt from wide out hit the left hand upright and bounced away.
Norths took advantage of field position gained from a penalty to score in the seventh minute, followed up by gaining possession at Newtown’s end from a Jets goal-line drop-kick to score their second try and take a 10-4 lead.
Five-eighth Braydon Trindall, centre Mawene Hiroti and second-rower Charbel Tasipale combined skilfully for Tasipale to run in for Newtown’s second try, with Hiroti’s conversion attempt once again bouncing off an upright.
The Jets gained advantageous field position from Norths kicking out on the full, and courtesy of a smart pass from Braydon Trindall, left-side winger Josh Mansour hit and spun his way over in the corner. Quite incredibly, Hiroti’s third conversion attempt also hit an upright and ricocheted away, but Newtown had regained the lead by 12-10.
Newtown’s fourth try was a top-drawer effort involving the scheming hooker Jayden Berrell, lock Billy Magoulias and halfback Niwhai Puru combining to send Braydon Trindall racing in under the posts at the Fig Tree end of the ground. Newtown led 18-10 at half-time, after scoring four tries to two.
Taking into account some of Newtown’s second half performances this season, the Jets’ victory prospects looked doubtful after Norths had scored the first two tries of the second half and regained the lead by 20-18. The Bears edged back in front with just under twenty minutes left to play, with both sides having gone close to scoring more tries in the third quarter of the game.
The Jets regained the lead when a sizzling exchange of passes between Trindall, Tracey and Hiroti ended in the fullback dashing over to score under the posts at the southern end.
Newtown took this lead beyond six points with a crafty dummy-half switch of play by Berrell enabling Billy Magoulias to send Mansour racing in for his second try.
A jinking run and a superb cut-out pass from Trindall sent Mansour over for the third try in the final minute of play. Trindall converted both of Newtown’s last two tries from wide out.
North Sydney officials confirmed after the game that the attendance at North Sydney Oval was almost certainly one of the biggest crowds at a Bears home game since they had last played in the NRL competition.
This had been one of Newtown’s best wins this season and was a worthy deciding match for the custodianship of the Frank Hyde Shield for another year.
The Jets actually assumed the top position on the NSW Cup competition table for one day following this win over the Bears, only for the Canterbury Bulldogs to reclaim first position again after their big win over Parramatta on Monday.
The Cronulla Sharks Jersey Flegg hooker Samuel Healey made a very useful NSW Cup debut with Newtown on Sunday. Samuel is the son of the long-serving Sharks five-eighth and half-back Mitch Healey.
Braydon Trindall, Connor Tracey, Jayden Berrell, Billy Magoulias and Mawene Hiroti were among Newtown’s best in what was a very good overall team performance. Newtown’s defence had held strong in those critical minutes of the second half when the game was very much in the balance.
Newtown’s next match is against the New Zealand Warriors at Henson Park on Saturday, 17th June. Please make note of the earlier kick-off time of 1.00pm.
Newtown 36
Josh Mansour 3, Connor Tracey 2, Charbel Tasipale, Braydon Trindall tries;
Braydon Trindall 4 conversions
defeated
North Sydney 20
William Fakatoumafi 3, Alfred Smalley tries; Ben Stevanovic 2 conversions.
Half-Time: Newtown led 18-10.
The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup premiership table after 15 rounds: CLICK HERE
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup highlights || North Sydney v Newtown: CLICK HERE
Newtown’s team
Fullback: Connor Tracey
Wingers: Josh Mansour, Tom Rodwell
Centres: Mawene Hiroti, Kayal Iro
Halves; Braydon Trindall, Niwhai Puru
Lock: Billy Magoulias (Captain)
Second Rowers: Jordin Leiu, Charbel Tasipale
Front Rowers: Tuku Hau Tapuha, Jesse Colquhoun
Hooker: Jayden Berrell
Interchange:
Kyle Pickering, Caleb Uele, Samuel Healey, Brad Fearnley
Coach: George Ndaira.
North Sydney
Fullback: Josh Bergamin
Wingers: Tuipulotu Katoa, William Fakatoumafi
Centres: Alfred Smalley, Toa Mata’afa
Halves: Jesse Marschke (Captain), Ben Stevanovic
Lock: Phillip Makatoa
Second Rowers: Ben Talty, Reuben Porter
Front Rowers: Fletcher Baker, Terrell May
Hooker: Ben Marschke.
Interchange:
Zach Dockar-Clay, Tyran Ott, Ben Thomas, Regan Hughes
Coach: Jason Taylor.
Match Timeline, 11th June 2023.
First half:
Newtown kicked off to the northern end of the ground.
2 mins 30 secs: Connor Tracey try, not converted
Newtown 4-0.
7 mins: William Fakatoumafi try, not converted.
4-all.
13 mins: William Fakatoumafi try, converted by Ben Stevanovic.
North Sydney 10-4.
18 mins: Charbel Tasipale try, not converted.
North Sydney 10-8.
22 mins: Josh Mansour try, not converted.
Newtown 12-10.
(All three of Mawene Hiroti’s conversion attempts had struck the right upright and bounced away.
Has this ever happened in rugby league before?)
25 mins: Braydon Trindall try. Braydon Trindall converted his own try.
Newtown 18-10.
38 mins: Fletcher Baker sent to the sin bin.
Half-Time: Newtown led 18-10.
Second half:
46 mins: William Fakatoumafi try, not converted.
Newtown 18-14.
62 mins: Alfred Smalley try, converted by Ben Stevanovic.
North Sydney 20-18.
68 mins: Connor Tracey try, converted by Braydon Trindall.
Newtown 24-20.
72 mins: Josh Mansour try, converted by Braydon Trindall.
Newtown 30-20.
79 mins: Josh Mansour try, converted by Braydon Trindall.
Newtown 36-20.
Full-Time: Newtown 36 defeated North Sydney 20.
Details of Newtown’s next game:
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
Round 16
Saturday, 17th June 2023
Henson Park
Newtown (in second place on 21 points) v New Zealand Warriors (in fifth place on 19 points)
Kick-Off: 1.00pm.
Please note the earlier kick-off time!
(This match is to be livestreamed by NSWRLTV ( www.facebook.com/nswrl )
Photos supplied by Mario Facchini, mafphotography
