Game Summary
The Newtown Jets ended the South Sydney Rabbitohs' five-game winning streak with a commanding 26-18 victory in Round 10 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup at Coogee Oval on Sunday afternoon. Playing in perfect conditions on Mother's Day, Newtown proved too strong across the park, with their early aggression setting the platform for a deserved win.
The Jets struck first through second-rower Harrison Hassett, finishing off a sharp set of six that began with a line-break down the left edge by winger Cathane Hill. Five-eighth Taj Ford then crossed minutes later to give Newtown a 12-0 buffer, leaving the home side with a mountain to climb.
Souths hit back through dummy half Peter Mamouzelos, who burst through the middle for a 30-metre effort, and halfback Jonah Glover, who crossed to level the scores at 12-all midway through the first half. The momentum appeared to swing to the Bunnies, but Newtown refused to buckle.
Winger Khristian Dixon then wrestled the lead back for the Jets before half-time, dotting down in the corner after a series of patient sets near the Souths line. Niwhai Puru converted two of three attempts as Newtown went to the break leading 16-12.
The second half was a tight, grinding affair, but Cathane Hill's effort on the left edge — created by a sharp two-on-two play — extended Newtown's advantage to 20-12. Souths continued to press and finally found the line through winger Jordi Mazzone, who finished off a perfectly weighted cross-field kick to bring the score to 20-18 with seven minutes remaining.
However, captain Puru delivered the killer blow, combining with prop Tuku Hau Taphua in a clinical backline play to score and push the lead back out to 24-18. Taj Ford converted to make it 26-18, and despite a desperate late flurry from Souths on Newtown's line, the Jets held firm.
Talking Points
The Jets' blistering start was the difference. Newtown's 12-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes was built on sharp attacking play from Taj Ford and clinical finishing by their edge players — an early gap that proved too much for Souths to fully bridge.
Peter Mamouzelos gave Souths a genuine spark off the bench in the first half, his 30-metre burst out of dummy half momentarily shifting the momentum. However, Newtown's discipline and line speed ultimately suffocated the Bunnies' attacking opportunities late in the match.
Key Moments
With Souths trailing 20-18 and the match in the balance, Niwhai Puru combined brilliantly with prop Taphua for a try in the 75th minute. Taphua kept the ball alive in traffic before Puru took the pass and found the line, with Taj Ford's conversion stretching the lead to eight points. That moment ended Souths' comeback hopes and sealed a memorable Jets victory.
What's Next?
The Newtown Jets will look to build on this momentum as they push up the ladder, while the South Sydney Rabbitohs will regroup and aim to quickly return to their winning ways after seeing their five-game streak snapped. Both sides will be eager to bounce back when Round 11 gets underway next weekend.
