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By Anthony Eltarraf, NSWRL
A penalty goal proved the difference as the Newtown Jets held off a fast-finishing Manly Warringah Sea Eagles outfit to claim a handy 26-24 win at Henson Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was a thrilling start to the contest, with winger Samuel Stonestreet announcing his return in style. Almost seven minutes in, the Jets set up a scrum on the left edge and Stonestreet took full advantage – chipping over the fullback and winning the race to his own kick for a dazzling solo try.
Manly hit back not long after through big man Caleb Navale, who charged over from close range to square things up at six-all thanks to Brandon Wakeham's conversion.
Newtown's left edge continued to cause headaches, striking again midway through the half. Blake Hosking burst through on a slick outside-in play and handed it off to Michael Gabrael, who finished off the move for the Jets' second of the day.
But the Sea Eagles weren't going away. Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega muscled his way through defenders and flicked a beautiful offload to Clayton Faulalo, who strolled over to tie the game once again.
A late penalty in the dying moments of the first half gave Newtown a chance to take the lead—and Niwhai Puru made no mistake, nudging the hosts ahead 14-12 at the break.
After a slower start to the second half, it was once again the Jets who cracked the scoreboard first. Stonestreet was involved again, burning down the sideline before linking up with Taj Ford in support to extend the lead.
Newtown kept their foot on the gas, and a well-weighted grubber from Puru into the in-goal was pounced on by Kyle Pickering. With Puru converting all four tries and slotting the earlier penalty, the Jets pushed out to a handy 26-12 lead.
Manly mounted a late surge, grabbing two tries in the final minutes to make it interesting. Zaidas Muagututia sliced through a gap before Faulalo snatched a loose ball to bag his second. But with the full-time siren sounding before the restart, the comeback fell just short.
Talking points
- The Jets' left-side attack proved too threatening for the Sea Eagles as they consistently found space and produced points down that corridor.
- Niwhai Puru dominated the game, guiding the Jets around the park and coming up with some brilliant plays to score points.
- Manly showed in the end how dangerous their attack could be but it proved too little, too late as they left themselves too much to do in the dying stages.
Key moment
A penalty just before half-time gifted the Jets an easy two points, which ultimately proved the difference between the sides as the hosts came away with a 26-24 victory.
What's next?
The Jets play at home again next week as they host the Sydney Roosters, while the Sea Eagles hit the road again for a clash with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground.
