Jets grounded by Raiders at Henson Park

Match Summary

Parramatta Take Care of Business at McDonald Jones

Mason Cernoy

The Eels have found their way back into the winners circle against a struggling Knights outfit. Both sides invited their opposition to attack at different stages but Parramatta showed that their line defence and ability to execute was simply a level above.

Newcastle had a promising start to the match when a penalty lead to them being on the attack in Parramatta’s 20 but on a shift out to the right, Riley Jones couldn’t find Taj Annan with his pass and it went into touch. Similarly, on a chance down the left edge for the Eels, Araz Nanva’s pass to Jake Tago was called forward, shutting down what would’ve otherwise spelt points for the blue and gold.

Both sides tried their best to apply pressure and earn field position, and just as Jones and Annan were storming through to tackle Tago as he was catching a towering bomb from Jackson Hastings, he had the awareness to slip the ball to Joash Papalii at the last second, resulting in a 20m swing for the Eels.

In that same set, Ronald Volkman slid a lovely face ball out to Tago to put him into space, but once again he put his game awareness on display when he launched the ball back in field to Volkman, who put up another massive bomb after picking up the scraps. Annan couldn’t hang onto it and Parramatta were awarded a scrum in prime real estate as a result.

Identifying that no one was home on the short side, Brendan Hands ducked out to the left from the scrum and sent Tago over in the corner. This try gave the Eels the edge they needed, allowing them to play front foot footy. They kept chipping away at the Knights and 10 minutes later, they were able to post another when Charlie Guymer put Dan Keir through a massive gap and he raced 30 metres before finding Dean Hawkins in support.

Both sides had to fight hard for field position in the sets that followed, with both teams defending well, completing their sets, and getting to their kicks. It took a penalty through a Jones high shot to get Parramatta some more attacking ball, where they put on a slick shift out to the left for Tago to cross for his second.

When they found a fourth try before halftime, Newcastle looked buried. Richard Penisini found some space down the right hand side and put a well placed grubber in for Joash Papalii, leaving the halftime standings at 20-0.

They’d had a relatively quiet start to the second half, but after having a wealth of attacking ball, Parramatta eventually got back to it. Papalii runs his wrap lines super well, and popped up in the right spot to complete a shift out to the right and ice the last pass to send Samuel Loizou over.

The momentum returned to the Eels and they had no trouble rolling down the field once more from some great carries up the middle, and Joey Lussick was right on queue to sneak through from dummy-half and make it back-to back-tries.

This put an end to Newcastle’s hopes of a comeback, and although Hastings was able to put Kyle McCarthy through with a nice flat ball near the line in the dying stages, it was simply too little too late for the Knights.

Talking Points

• Joash Papalii’s support play and ball playing out the back of shape was tremendous this afternoon, he always knows where he needs to be, and nails his wrap plays almost every time
• Jake Tago’s game awareness was really impressive. He came up with two eyes up plays that were crucial in not losing momentum or the ball, and had a lot to do with them getting down the field to cross for their first of the afternoon.
• The Eels’ engine room was too good for Newcastle today, with Dan Keir and Wiremu Greig coming up with plenty of strong carries to get their side on the front foot
• The Knights slip to a 2-8 start to the season, and Parramatta claim their seventh victory of the year.

Key Moment

The back-to-back tries awarded to Loizou and Lussick killed off any chance that Newcastle had of coming back and winning the match, which it looked like they may go on and do for the opening exchanges of the second half.

What’s Next?

Newcastle will be off to Parker Street Reserve to take on Penrith and Parramatta will host Manly at Commbank Stadium.

Newtown Jets v Canberra Raiders

Raiders steal the win over Jets 

Match Summary

Alex Hrissis

Canberra Raiders have defeated Newtown Jets 30-18 in an impressive display on Saturday afternoon in Round 11 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup to secure a much needed two points.

Newtown Jets struck first against Canberra at Henson Park. Rising half Riley Pollard put in a delightful chip over the Raiders defensive line and the ball was scooped up by Kristian Dixon who bagged the try. The conversion was scored by Niwhai Puru to put Newtown ahead 6-0.

The travelling Raiders bounced back several sets later. Some tidy passing down the left edge from Adam Cook found Noah Martin who burst through the line and crashed over to score. The try was converted by Cook to level the scores to 6-6.

The home side scored next to retake the lead through Joshua Cook. The crafty hooker scooped the pill from the play the ball and dived straight over to collect a four pointer for the Jets. The conversion was scored from directly in front to send Newtown into the sheds with a 12-6 lead.

The Raiders turned it on quickly in the second half through the combination of Ethan Sanders and Trey Mooney. Sanders broke through the line with class and threw a dummy to the Jets defender before soon finding a wide open Mooney who scored with ease. Cook added the extras to tie the game 12-12.

Newtown bounced back quickly to yet again reclaim the lead through Eli Clark. That dangerous left edge bore fruit once again as Jayden Berrell found Puru inside him who then found Clark with a short ball and blitzed through the line to claim a try and give his side a 18-12 lead.

The away side scored again to level the score to 18-18. This time it was the Canberra left edge which produced some magic when Sanders found Manaia Waitere with a short ball and the outside back barged through the defence with speed to score.

Raiders scored in just the following set to take their first lead of the match. Middle forward Trey Mooney found himself with the ball down the blind side and before he could be taken into touch he flick passed the ball to Adam Cook. The skipper scored with ease and converted his own try to make the score 24-18.

Less than one minute on the clock and Raiders fullback Ethan Alaia decided to play some eyes up footy to score the first try of his NSW Cup career. The young fullback skipped through the Newtown defence and ran nearly the full length of the field to score underneath the sticks to make the final score 30-18 and bag the two points for Canberra.

Talking Points

• It was the battle of the emerging halves in Round 11 with Newtown’s Riley Pollard and Canberra’s Ethan Sanders putting in dominant performances with both players having a hand in tries
• Trey Mooney had himself an impressive game for Canberra with the young forward setting up a try and scoring one himself

Key Moment

Newtown had multiple repeat sets on the Raiders’ ten metre line in the final minutes of the game and looked a certainty to break the defence and tie up the game. However a brilliant solo try from Ethan Alaia completely flipped the momentum and secured the win for Canberra.

What’s Next?

In Round 12 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup the Newtown Jets will travel to Gosford to face the Sydney Roosters while the Canberra Raiders will host St George Illawarra in the nation's capital.

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Manly Warringah turn the tide with courageous comeback at 4 Pines Park

Ellery Behan

Match summary

The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have snapped their four-game losing streak with a determined 18-16 comeback over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, who they held to under 30 points for the first time since Round Five.

The Bulldogs got off to a blazing start, advancing upfield off a high-tackle penalty and finding first points with a slick left-side move as Drew Hutchison played a short ball to Louis Grossemy who broke through and stepped inside to beat the fullback. Cassius Tia slotted the conversion from beside the uprights to put Canterbury-Bankstown ahead by six.

The following 10 minutes saw plenty of end-to-end football with both sides willing to chance their arm out wide, but it was the discipline of the Bulldogs that put them in position to score. A chaotic left-edge shift saw offload after offload from the blue and white before a long spiral pass from Danny Gabrael to Cassius Tia exposed Manly’s undermanned middle-third, as the halfback tiptoed through the line and dived over untouched for his third try in two outings. He converted with ease to double his side’s advantage at 12-0.

A Bulldogs error on the set after kick-off handed possession back to Manly, giving them the chance to start chipping away at the deficit. The halves linked up to do exactly that, with Brandon Wakeham finding Jake Arthur on the left who threw a perfect cut-out ball to Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega, bumping off two defenders to score in the corner.

Canterbury’s indiscretions were mirrored by Manly at the southern end, with the home side coughing up the ball on the second tackle after kick-off and the Bulldogs striking yet again as they shifted left to Cooper Toy, who ferociously fought off three defenders on his way to the line, scoring his third try from as many matches this season in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup (16-4).

The home side drew first blood in the second stanza, finding themselves upfield with the ball after two consecutive set restarts. Shifting the ball to the left where they had success in the first half, Wakeham fired a short ball to a charging Semisi Kioa who exploded through the line and stepped inside the fullback to reduce the Sea Eagles’ deficit to eight.

It wasn’t long before Manly were in again, working it back to their left as Canterbury-Bankstown’s tired forwards failed to put enough pressure on Wakeham one out from the ruck. It gave Wakeham plenty of time to delay his pass and draw in the outside defenders to send Clayton Faulalo on his way through the line, reducing the visitors’ lead to four.

With the Bulldogs’ handling errors starving them of possession, Manly took advantage and levelled the scores for the first time since falling behind as Arthur assisted his 14^th try in eight games by lofting a pass to winger Charlie Thompson who dived over in the corner. A penalty in front of the uprights just minutes later allowed Aaron Schoupp to give his side their first lead of the match, which saw them out to full-time as they notched up an 18-16 victory.

Talking points

• After an ill-disciplined opening which saw them give away a penalty, six-again, make four errors and trail 12-0, Manly Warringah held the visitors scoreless in the second half as they piled on three tries to claim victory.
• Having a tough afternoon off the boot, it was former Bulldog Aaron Schoupp who iced the game for Manly as he kicked a penalty goal from in front to put his side ahead 18-16 after missing his four conversion attempts.
• The game was a tale of two halves, with Manly’s ill-discipline leaving them with a 12-point deficit at half-time, and Canterbury-Bankstown’s inability to complete their sets in the second half, that allowed the Sea Eagles to score 14 unanswered points.
• Manly captain Jake Arthur starred for the Sea Eagles in the comeback, assisting two crucial tries and gaining plenty of ground off the boot to keep his side in the arm-wrestle.

Key moment

Having battled their way back into the contest after looking worse for wear at the break, Manly probed at Canterbury-Bankstown’s defensive line in search for the try that would level the scores. Despite their successes on the left edge, captain Jake Arthur called for the ball on the right and floated a cut-out ball to winger Charlie Thompson who set sail for the southwestern corner and locked the game up at 16-all. Schoupp’s conversion attempt went across the face, but despite the miss Schoupp kicked a penalty goal shortly after to give Manly the lead which saw them through to victory.

What’s next?

Both sides will be on the road next week, as the Sea Eagles travel to CommBank Stadium to take on Parramatta Eels, and the Bulldogs fly to Auckland as they lock horns with the high-flying Warriors.

Sydney Roosters v Warriors 

Game Summary

Warriors Hold Off Roosters in Hard-Fought Win

Anthony Eltarraf

The Warriors proved too strong for the Sydney Roosters this afternoon, running out 24-10 winners in an entertaining clash at Wentworth Park.

The Warriors started strong, scoring first in the seventh minute when Tom Ale charged through a gap off a short ball from Tanah Boyd. Boyd converted the try to give his side an early 6-0 lead.

With points hard to come by in the opening 40 minutes, the Roosters hit back with a try of their own when a cut-out pass from Chad Townsend found Dominic Young, who finished smartly in the corner. Townsend’s conversion sent the teams into the break locked up at 6-all.

The Warriors came out firing in the second half, scoring early through Toby Crosby, who sliced through the defence easily to score under the posts. Crosby then broke the line again, this time down the left edge, before offloading to Moala Graham-Taufa, who raced away to score. Boyd converted both tries to extend the Warriors' lead to 18-6.

Momentum shifted the Roosters’ way in the final 20 minutes, after five-eighth Jake Elliott bounced out of a tackle and muscled his way over the line. Townsend’s missed conversion attempt left his side trailing by eight.

With the game still in the balance, Luke Hanson took matters into his own hands, attacking the line himself and scoring to increase the Warriors’ lead to 24-14.

A late consolation try from Tom Rodwell wasn’t enough for the Roosters, with the Warriors securing a hard-fought 24-14 victory at Wentworth Park.

Talking Points

• Boyd was flawless with the boot, converting all four tries which proved crucial in securing the victory for his team.
• The Warriors halves’ calm decision making was pivotal, as they expertly directed their side around the park, controlling the tempo and ultimately leading them to their tenth win of the season.
• The Roosters stayed competitive for long stretches but missed a couple of key conversions and opportunities that could have changed momentum.

Key Moment

With the Roosters threatening to stage a comeback at 18-10, Hanson produced a brilliant solo effort, fooling the defence with a show-and-go that pushed the game beyond the home side’s grasp.

What’s Next?

The Roosters head to Gosford next week to host the Newtown Jets, while the Warriors return to New Zealand to take on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

North Sydney Bears v St George Illawarra Dragons

Match Summary 

Dragons Rumble Past Bears at North Sydney Behind Stunning Hat-Trick 

Claire Stegbauer

In a freezing Sunday afternoon clash, the North Sydney Bears took to the historic North Sydney Oval backed by a strong home crowd up against the Dragons. 

It was a fast and frantic start at North Sydney Oval as the Bears capitalised on an early Dragons error. After a dropped ball in the first set, Bronson Garlick seized the opportunity, firing a crisp pass to Matt Stimson, who barged over to open the scoring in the 4th minute. Harradyn Wilson converted with ease to give the home side a 6-0 lead.

The Dragons fired back shortly after. Off the back of a strong charge from Hame Sele, they shifted left through Lachlan Ilias, whose slick hands put Hayden Buchanan over in the corner. The conversion was missed, keeping the Bears narrowly ahead at 6-4. 

The next 15 minutes fell into a tense grind, with both sides trading sets. Viliami Fifita came off the bench with powerful carries to spark some go-forward for the Dragons, but the Bears' defence stood tall. 

A turning point came when Cody Ramsey dropped a towering bomb from Bears halfback Coby Thomas. Off the resulting scrum, Garlick again featured, this time darting from dummy half and slicing through the line himself to score. Wilson added the extras, extending the Bears' lead to 12-4 heading into half-time. 

Conditions flipped as the wind and rain came down heavier. The Dragons looked to change the game plan after the break and they did. Just three minutes into the second half, Ben Rumble began his scoring spree, latching onto a clever grubber from Jonah Glover to score in the 43rd minute. Glover nailed the sideline conversion to narrow the margin to 12-10 (45'). 

Momentum swung heavily in the Dragons’ favour. Off the back of a penalty won by Ben Murdoch-Masila, Rumble struck again, slicing down the right side virtually untouched his height and reach coming in clutch. Glover added the two, giving the visitors their first lead of the game at 16-12. 

It didn’t stop there. Another short-side raid saw Rumble claim his hat-trick in the 64th minute, his third try in just 21 minutes, all from near-identical sweeping right-edge movements. Glover converted once again from the sideline, pushing the lead to 22-12. 

Still, the Bears weren’t done, encouraged by a very vocal and faithful Bears crowd. A moment of brilliance from Jayden Yates, who grubbered through behind the line, found skipper Ben Talty backing up through the middle to score beneath the posts in the 68th minute. Wilson made no mistake, and the Bears were back in it at 22-18. 

The home crowd found their voice again, but a handling error and a costly forward pass deep in Dragons territory squandered their comeback chance. 

With under three minutes to play, the Dragons executed the same lethal shift that had burned the Bears all afternoon, sweeping right where the defence was thin. This time it was Nick Tsougranis who finished it off, diving over to ice the game. Glover maintained his perfect second-half kicking record with his fourth conversion, sealing the result.  

Talking Points 

• Ben Rumble’s hat-trick was the standout of the match, with three well-executed tries down the right edge that punished the Bears' short-side defence.
• Bronson Garlick led from the front in the first half for the Bears, setting up the opener and crossing for one himself with sharp work out of dummy half.
• Jayden Yates sparked the Bears' late fightback, producing a smart grubber for a try and a one-on-one strip that nearly shifted the momentum back to the home side.
• Jonah Glover was on fire with the boot, nailing four second-half conversions in tricky conditions. His flawless kicking game played a huge role in keeping the Dragons in control during key moments. 
   

Key Moment 

The turning point came in the 43rd minute when Ben Rumble crossed for his first of the afternoon. After a perfectly weighted grubber from Jonah Glover, Rumble used his height and reach to stretch out to ground it just inside the corner. It was a momentum-shifting moment, sparking a wave of confidence through the Dragons' attack. That try not only narrowed the deficit but ignited a dominant spell, with Rumble going on to score two more in the following 20 minutes. From that point, the Bears struggled to recover as the Dragons took full control. 

What’s Next? 

The Bears will look to bounce back when they take on the Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval next week, aiming to regain momentum as the season heats up. Meanwhile, the Dragons will head to the nation’s capital to face the Canberra Raiders, hoping to build on their second-half dominance and creep further up the ladder.

Western Suburbs Magpies v South Sydney Rabbitohs

Game Summary

Magpies record resounding win over Rabbitohs 

Stewart Moses 

The Western Suburbs Magpies have climbed off the foot of the Knock On Effect NSW Cup table with a morale-boosting 24-6 win over a South Sydney side at Campbelltown Sports Stadium this afternoon.

An error-riddled performance from the Rabbitohs meant they were held scoreless for all but the last six minutes of the game before a Sean Keppie try added some respectability to the scoreline.

Both sides were guilty of making errors especially in the first half, before a Josh Feledy try two minutes out from the main break gave the home side a handy 12-0 lead they would never relinquish.

Souths opened the game dominating territory and possession but poor execution and errors cost them dearly when in good try-scoring positions. They were made to pay for failing to take those early opportunities when back rower Luke Jack somehow found his way to the try line to break the deadlock with a strong effort from inside the Rabbitohs 20, to score out wide and with half Kurt Falls' successful conversion, the Magpies led 6-0.

With just two minutes remaining to the half time break, the Magpies doubled their lead when quick hands left inside the Rabbitohs 20, enabled centre Josh Felody to crash over out wide.

Another early try after the main break gave the Magpies a decent 18-0 lead, coming after fullback Heath Mason arguably produced the play of the game, firstly bursting the middle of the Rabbitohs defensive line from 30 metres out before producing an audacious flick offload to his centre, Solomona Faataape from inside the Rabbitohs, who scored untouched behind the posts in the 50th minute.

Faataape soon had a second try to his name when the centre was first to pounce on a loose ball from a cross-field kick, unconverted by Falls but giving the home side a dominant 22-0 lead midway through the second half, before a simple penalty goal to Falls extended the lead to 24. 

Souths looked to have finally scored when hooker Ryan Gray crashed over from dummy half only for the referee to change his mind at the last moment and penalised the visitors for an indiscretion at the play the ball.

The Rabbitohs would nonetheless finally find some points when prop forward Sean keppie crashed over from close range next to the posts in the 74th minute, converted by half Lewis Dodd, to provide the final scoreline 24-6 in favour of the Magpies.

Talking points

• Both teams came into this round level in last position on the Knock On Effect NSW Cup table. However the Magpies' third win of the season means the 2023 NSW Cup Premiers find themselves alone at the foot of the table after Round 11.
• Despite each club's respective positions on the table, there were plenty of players on show with NRL experience including Fletcher Myers, Josh Schuster, Lewis Dodd, Sean Keppie and Jacob Host (Rabbitohs) and Solomona Faataape, Izaac Tu'itupou, Tallyn Da Silva (Magpies).
• Souths centre Talanoa Penitani was placed on report for a high tackle in the first half.

Key Moment

Fullback Heath Mason's line break and skilful offload all in the one play soon after half-time, resulting in the first of two tries to centre Solomona Faataape, in the 50th minute, gave the Magpies a 18-0 lead that the Rabbitohs could not recover from.

What's next?

As the Magpies finally welcome their first week off of the season, the Rabbitohs will be looking to come off the bottom the table when they host the North Sydney Bears next Saturday at Redfern Oval.