NSW Cup Round 12 Previews

NSW CUP PREVIEWS - ROUND 12

NSWRL MEDIA

26/05/2011 3:32:17 PM 

 

Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers Vs Windsor Wolves
Leichhardt Oval, Saturday, May 28
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Shane Charman
Broadcast: NSWRL Match of the Round to be aired on Fox Sports 2 HD and Fox Sports 2, Wednesday, June 1, 4.30pm
Broadcast: Hawkesbury Radio 89.9FM (Link available via www.nswrl.com.au’s Weekend Game-Cast)
Summary: The Tigers returned empty handed from their trip across the Tasman last weekend which saw them thoroughly defeated by a rampant Auckland Vulcans outfit who now sit top-of-the-table. The Wolves had a well earned bye where they were able to nurse a few niggling injuries. Dayne Weston, Sandor Earl and Yileen Gordon have all been named on an extended Penrith Panthers bench for their clash against South Sydney on Monday night so you would assume these players may drop off and head to Leichhardt Oval should Matt Elliot not require their services. For the Tigers, crafty hooker Chris Corby returns to the fray after an extended period out and will no doubt add some much needed impetus into the Tigers ruck play. Corby was on the verge of first grade selection last year when Robbie Farah was unavailable and Paul Fletcher will be happy with his return at such a crucial time of the season.
Game Breaker: Daine Laurie - Laurie returns from a stint in France in a bid to re-establish his NRL career. Can be one of the most devastating forwards going around on his day and a forward showing is to be expected here.
Prediction: The Wolves in a close one.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Vs Cronulla Sharks
The Crest Stadium, Saturday, May 28
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Henry Perenara
Broadcast: www.nswrl.com.au’s Weekend Game-Cast, proudly brought to you by Teamm8
Summary: This was scheduled to be a first versus second match up before both teams suffered shock losses last weekend at the hands of Newtown and Manly. The Dogs looked pedestrian against an under strength Jets side and Coach Justin Holbrook better have his chargers back for this game because the Sharks can be a dangerous outfit. Part of a three match program including Bundaberg Red Cup and NYC, this game shapes up as an absolute cracker. The last time they played the Dogs snuck home by two points at Toyota Stadium so expect another close one here. Josh Reynolds returns from his NRL debut with the confidence he can compete at the highest level. The Dogs will be further boosted by the return of classy outside back Jonathan Wright from injury. The Sharks are in the midst of an injury crisis at present but still field a quality team. All in all, Saturday at The Crest will be a smorgasbord of Rugby League for any Bulldogs fan.
Game Breaker: Gary Warburton - Warburton has quickly established himself as one of the biggest hitters in the NSW Cup. He has also been floating around the fringes causing havoc for opposition defences. A return to the NRL won’t be far away.
Prediction: The Dogs don’t lose two in a row often (or ever) so expect that trend to continue.

Manly Sea Eagles Vs Western Suburbs Magpies
Brookvale Oval, Saturday, May 28
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Gavin Morris
Summary: Both sides are coming off hard-fought wins against good opposition here in the second ‘fibros V silvertails’ clash of 2011. Last weekend Manly shocked the then second placed Cronulla 20-10 at Brookvale and Wests grinded out a 16-4 victory over Wentworthville at Campbelltown Stadium. Andrew Everingham continues to be a pillar of strength for the Magpies in both attack and defense. The lanky centre is their go to man on the field and was superb last weekend. For Manly, Michael Oldfield continues to impress and wouldn’t be far off gaining NSW Cup Representative honours ahead of State of Origin Game Three. Manly have also been strengthened with the inclusion of junior representative centre Josh Portlock who makes his return from injury. Portlock partners Dean Whare in a centre pairing which ranks as one of the best in the competition.
Game Breaker: Ben Shorter - Shorter continues to find the line for the Sea Eagles and his try-scoring form isn’t going unnoticed by NRL coach Des Hasler.
Prediction: Manly to win in a free flowing affair.

Newtown Jets Vs North Sydney Bears
Henson Park, Saturday, May 28
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Justin Davis
Broadcast: Triple H 100.1FM (Link available via www.nswrl.com.au’s Weekend Game-Cast)
Summary: The second installment of the Frank Hyde Shield sees the Bears having to turn it around from their 34-24 loss to the Jets in Round 4. Both sides are coming off impressive wins in Round 11 with the Jets handing the Bulldogs their second loss of the season and the Bears demolished the Central Coast Centurions 42-10 at Harker Oval. The Bears will be without Deon Apps for the second week in a row as Apps will hopefully make his first grade debut for the Bunnies against Penrith on Monday night. Apps has been the Bears best in recent years and will not look out of place in the NRL. Mark Kheirallah returns for the Jets on the wing and Cabramatta Bundaberg Red Cup star James Trotter retains his bench position after making a try-scoring debut last week.
Game Breaker: George Burgess – Burgess is a monster of a human being and he was at his dominant best against the Centurions last weekend. His match up with another huge human in Francis Tuigamala will shake the very foundations of North Sydney Oval.
Prediction: The Jets will be confident after their good win over the Dogs but I think Norths have a lot of upside and I am tipping the upset here.

Wentworthville Magpies Vs Auckland Vulcans
Ringrose Park, Saturday, May 28
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Matt Noyen
Summary: The Wentworthville Magpies will have their hands full this Saturday afternoon when the top of the table Vulcans head to Ringrose Park. Auckland was packing too many guns for the Tigers last weekend while Wenty were never really in it against Wests. Wenty have gained the services of Tom Humble and Karl Filiga again recently and it would not completely surprise to see either Reni Maitua or Daniel Mortimer pulling on the black and white this week. The Vulcans field one of the fastest and most explosive backlines in the competition which has yielded on average 36 points a game.
Game Breaker: Sione Lousi – Lousi has missed plenty of football thus far in 2011 but I’m sure he is ready to remind some people of just how talented he is. A rangy backrower who hits hard, runs hard and has the ability to off load in traffic. Wenty will need to be on high alert for the full eighty minutes.
Prediction: Not quite sure where the Magpies are at just at present, and the Vulcans should have too many big guns for them.

Central Coast Centurions have the BYE

Group 6 V's Group 11

The Group 6 rep team will travel to west Wyalong this weekend to take on group 11 in the crl tier2 country championships. With the demise of divisional championships it will be group and region based rep competition this year. Group 6 in recent times have had a poor showing in rep games and it was mainly due to not fielding the best squad possible. Previous teams picked over the years was never indicative of the strength ,as a whole of the group ,as many top flight players made themselves unavailable. The Group have taken a harder stance this years and it has not going down to well at some clubs. The group believed if you can train and play with your club then you should be able to for the group.

This year has seen the strongest group 6 squad picked in recent times with a fair bit of bundy,nsw cup and nrl experience in the team. Current group 6 ist grade Leaders ,East Campbelltown have 6 representatives in the squad. On the flipside Group 11 have some experience with 2 time crl player of the year Darren Jackson coaching the side plus they have some Fiji and PNG representatives and former souths halfback joe Williams.

At the time of writing the final group 6 squad of 18 has yet to be finalised from the initial squad of 25 named some weeks ago. The game kicks of at the unusual time of 9am this saturday 28th at west wyalong.

NSW Cup Round 11 - Match Review - Wests v Wentworthville

What a great day for football. Campbelltown Sports Stadium at its best. The
complex was wonderfully prepared for three senior games of rugby league. First
was the NSW Cup, followed by Wests Tigers NYC and Wests Tigers NRL.

Wests Magpies were determined to turn things around following some
disappointing results whilst Wentworthville were looking to cement their place
in the top six. Things were not made any easier for the Magpies following the
withdrawal of inform tight forward Josh Davis late in the week.

The pundits would have had the boys going in as underdogs, but head coach Leo
Epifania was confident, following a good preparation, they could get away with
the win. Wests Tigers NYC half Evander Waitoa was called into the side to make
his debut in the senior grade with prop Matt Davidson coming back from injury.

The game got underway after Wentworthville chose to give the Magpies first use
of the ball. The home team gained good ground during their first set before an
attacking kick from Joshua Murray saw the opposition receive the ball inside their
20 metre line. The advantage was short lived after the Magpies gave away a
penalty on the last tackle. A towering kick saw the visitors take a tap re start
on the Magpies 20 metre line and after a couple of steadying runs, Wenty’s five
eight Aaron Fluke ran to the blind side. He feigned to kick before delivering a
flat pass to a charging Karl Filinga who crossed for a well constructed try. The
conversion attempt went astray and at the 7th minute mark, Wenty 4 Magpies 0.

The game settled into an arm wrestle with both teams coming close to the black
line only to be thwarted by solid defense. No doubt, during this period, the
coaching staff would have been pleased with the lack of unforced errors from the
Magpies outfit. In fact not many chances were given by either team.

With time running out in the first half, Wenty put in an offensive kick which
rolled into the Magpies in goal area. The ball was collect at pace by wing three
quarter Lance Siataga who sprinted downfield before a kick early in the set was
knocked on by the opposition deep in their territory.

After winning the scrum, the home team pushed towards the try line before big
Aaron Sweeney came charging past the edge of the ruck. With players clinging
to him, he offloaded to his front row partner Leivaha Pulu who evaded a couple
of attempted tackles before claiming a try adjacent to the posts. David Fifita’s
conversion put the Magpies in front 6 points to 4. These were to be the only

points of the half. Midway through the first stanza, five eight Joshua Murray
injured his hand and took no further part in the game. His replacement was the
experienced Rhys Lenarduzzi.

During the break, head coach Leo Epifania urged his players to continue with
their strong defense and remain patient when in possession of the ball.

The second half remained scoreless for the first 29 minutes, with committed
defense from the Magpies being the highlight of the match. With ball in hand
and in centre field prop forward Aaron Sweeney showed a good turn of speed
before putting up a lofty bomb. He continued chasing through which put
pressure on Wenty’s fullback. After the ball was knocked on, it was picked up by
Leivaha Pulu who dived under the black dot for his second try of the day. Rhys
Lenarduzzi increased the Magpies lead to 12 points to 4.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, the Magpies knew the game was not done
and dusted as Wenty looked dangerous with ball in hand, but that changed
in the 37th minute when centre three quarter Andrew Everingham scored the
Magpies third. It came after the home team made a solid tackle, forcing the ball
to ground. It was sent wide to the hard running centre who carried players over
the try line before scoring in the corner. David Fifita’s conversion attempt from
the sideline shaved the uprights. Magpies 16 Wenty 4.

In the dying seconds, Magpie five eight Rhys Lenarduzzi picked up a loose ball
before sprinting to the oppositions 30 metre line. In the next play, David Fifita
was tackled inches from the try line before Evander Waitoa rolled the ball into
Wenty’s in goal area. It appeared that Leivaha Pulu, who had followed the kick
through, had scored his third try but it was ruled a knock on. It didn’t matter in
the long run as the Magpies recorded a fine win 16 points to 4.

In the sheds the Magpies celebrated with a fine rendition of their victory song.

Scorers for the Magpies – 2 tries to Leivaha Pulu and 1 try to Andrew
Everingham. One conversion each to David Fifita and Rhys Lenarduzzi.

Scorer for Wentworthville – Karl Filinga 1 try.

Players’ player medallion – Leivaha Pulu. Leos best – Leivaha Pulu, Rocky
Trimarchi and Lance Siataga.

Next game Round 12 Wests Magpies vs. Manly, Brookvale Oval 3pm
Saturday 28 May 2011.

Wests Tigers defeat Penrith Panthers at Campbelltown

Wests Tigers recorded a hard fought 20-18 victory over Penrith Panthers at Campbelltown Sports Stadium tonight in round 11 of the Telstra Premiership.
In front of a crowd of 16,172, Wests Tigers fought back from an early second half deficit to secure the vital two competition points.

Centre Blake Ayshford celebrated his new contract deal with the opening try in the 6th minute for a 4-0 lead. Ayshford ran off a cut off pass from half-back Robert Lui and then stepped inside before beating three defenders to score. The try came on the back off a break by full-back Wade McKinnon. Five-eighth Benji Marshall converted the try for a 6-0 lead.

Penrith stand in five-eighth Masada Iosefa got the Panthers back to 6-4 when from a scrum win 10 metres out from the Wests Tigers tryline, stepped past Lui and second-rower Liam Fulton to score. Half-back Luke Walsh converted the try for a 6-6 scoreline after 14 minutes.

Wests Tigers jumped to a 10-6 lead in the 17th minute when second-rower Simon Dwyer hit a hole from a short ball by hooker Robbie Farah after Fulton kept the ball alive in offloading on the other side of the field. Marshall failed to convert the try.
A flick pass inside in the 36th minute by Marshall 20 metres out from the Panthers tryline went behind Lui’s back with two players in support next to the half-back.
Wests Tigers almost scored in the 38th minute when a grubber kick by Lui saw winger Mitch Brown take the ball only to lose control of it 10 metres out from the Panthers line.

Penrith turned around their good fortune when winger David Simmons scored in the 39th minute after the ball went through several hands before being touched by a Wests Tigers player for Simmons to go on to score. Walsh converted the try for a 12-10 lead to Penrith at half-time.
2nd Half
Penrith extended their lead to 16-10 in the 51st minute when full-back Lachlan Coote leapt high to take a towering bomb by Walsh to score behind the posts. Walsh converted the try to give the Panthers an 18-10 lead.

Marshall got the Wests Tigers back in the game in the 67th minute when he raced 85 metres to score near the posts after a pass from Simmons to Lewis went to ground from a bomb. Marshall converted the try to leave Wests Tigers trailing 18-16 after 68 minutes.

A beautiful pass from a darting Farah put Brown over out wide in the 72nd minute to give Wests Tigers a 20-18 lead. Marshall’s attempt hit the left hand upright.

Wests Tigers dug deep late in the game to secure a much needed victory. The win moves Wests Tigers to 12 points and in seventh position on the ladder.

By Wayne Cousins

NSW CUP PREVIEW - RD 11

Manly Sea Eagles Vs Cronulla Sharks
Brookvale Oval, Friday, May 20
Kick-off: 6.00pm
Referee: Adam Gee
Summary: The Manly Sea Eagles are staring down the barrel of their fifth straight loss if they cannot muscle up and beat the high flying Sharks in this rare Friday Night fixture. Cronulla lost Isaac Gordon and Scott Porter to the NRL last week but it didn’t stop them from running up a cricket score against Wests at Henson Park. The Eagles showed some promise early on against the Tigers at Leichhardt but never really looked like winning the match. Daniel Harrison returns here for the Eagles after pulling out late last week while for Cronulla, a number of their regulars are up in the NRL yet still manage to field a very strong looking side. The clash between Oldfield and Tongia promises to be a good one as both players are lightning quick, and have great futures in our game.
Game Breaker: Tim Smith – After being a leading light in the early rounds of the NSW Cup, Smith was deservedly called up to the NRL and given his chance in the seven jersey. But after a run of indifferent performances, Coach Flanagan felt that Scott Porter was the man for the job and as a result Smith finds himself back in the Cup. Not too many people doubt Smith’s talent but sometimes his consistency and mental application to a game can be questioned. This is now Smith’s chance to exert his influence over this up and coming outfit and prove his doubters wrong.
Prediction: The Sharks should be able to make it six in a row here against the Sea Eagles.

Auckland Vulcans Vs Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers
Mt Smart Stadium, Saturday, May 21
Kick-off: 1.00pm (NZST) 11.00am (AEST)
Referee: Craig Pascoe
Summary: The Vulcans had the bye last weekend and prior to that they were upset at home by the Wolves while their opponents in the Tigers look to have turned a corner in their season after some confidence boosting performances in recent weeks. Balmain was unlucky not to have beaten the Bulldogs a fortnight ago and then easily accounted for the Sea Eagles at Leichhardt last Saturday. The Tigers were not prepared to sit around and watch their season slip away and to their credit they went out and signed former junior, Rhys Jack. Rhys, the son of former Tigers legend Garry Jack, made an immediate impact off the bench last weekend and expect to see him playing more and more in the six jersey over the coming weeks. As a result Meaney will be freed up to resume the custodian role at the back while Mullaney may float between the halves, hooker and centre positions in the mould of a Tim Moltzen. For the home side, Glen Fisiiahi returns from injury while try scoring machine, Pita Godinet misses out through injury.
Game Breaker: Glen Fisiiahi – ‘The Fish’ makes his long awaited return from injury this week after missing the past couple of months with a serious leg injury. The Fish was burning up both the NSW Cup and the NRL prior to his lay off and it would not surprise to see him make an immediate impact this weekend. His support play running off the likes of John and Johnson will make the Vulcans one of this competitions greatest attacking threats.
Prediction: The Tigers season appears to have been re-ignited but the Vulcans may still prove just a little too strong at home.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Vs Newtown Jets
The Crest Stadium, Saturday, May 21
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Luke Phillips
Broadcast: Triple H 100.1FM (Link available via www.nswrl.com.au’s Weekend Game-Cast)
Broadcast: NSWRL Match of the Round to be aired on Fox Sports 2 HD and Fox Sports 2, Wednesday, May 25, 4.30pm
Summary: The Dogs ably lead by a Josh Reynolds hat-trick kicked away late against the Centurions at Morrie Breen last weekend while the Jets lead the Wolves 8-6 at halftime yet didn’t manage to register a single point in the second half and went down by 16 in the end. Great to see Josh Reynolds has been named to make his NRL debut, replacing Michael Ennis at hooker for the Bulldogs this weekend. Reynolds has been a star in the NSW Cup for the past two seasons and is another example of a player that just takes that extra year or so to hone their skills after graduating out of the NYC. As a result of Reynolds promotion, Nathan Smith comes into hooker despite being dumped to the Bundaberg Red Cup just a few weeks back and Joel Romelo will stay in the seven jersey for the time being. Newtown through their relationship with the Roosters has been heavily affected by Origin and injuries and as a result regulars such as Steve Naughton, Justin Carney, Aidan Guerra, Willie Mataka and Mark Khierallah all find themselves wearing Roosters jersey’s this weekend.
Game Breaker: Grant Millington – Millington’s early season form in the NSW Cup was rewarded by Kevin Moore when he received a promotion to the NRL a month or so back. Unfortunately for Millington though, after it looked like he would cement his place in first grade he suffered a minor setback courtesy of an elbow injury. If Millington bounces back quickly for the Dogs here, it would not surprise to see him in the NRL again sooner rather than later.
Prediction: The Bulldogs appear to have recovered from their loss to the Vulcans a few weeks back and a win here is to be expected.

Central Coast Centurions Vs North Sydney Bears
Harker Oval, Saturday, May 21
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Matt Noyen
Broadcast: www.nswrl.com.au’s Weekend Game-Cast, proudly brought to you by Teamm8
Summary: Despite a 16 point margin against them at full-time, the Centurions were still a chance of victory against the Dogs late in the piece last weekend in a match where the scoreboard didn’t properly reflect the closeness of the encounter. While at North Sydney Oval the Bears undid a lot of the good work they had accomplished in previous weeks by going down to Wentworthville in what must have been considered a disappointing effort by those within the club. The Centurions have lost outside back Keith Lulia for this one as he has replaced Akuila Uate in the NRL but their pack will be bolstered by the return of Cameron Ciraldo while the Bears have stuck solid and will field an almost identical side to the one that went down last week to Wenty.
Game Breaker: Cameron Ciraldo – Ciraldo is another star set to return this weekend following another injury lay-off. Ciraldo will add some impact to an already stocked backrow for the Centurions that boasts names like Steve Southern and Kyle O’Donnell. Many people remember the horrific broken leg that Ciraldo suffered back in 2009, and we all pray that he can now stay injury free to allow his talents to be showcased on a weekly basis.
Prediction: After losing at home last weekend to the Dogs the Centurions will not want to make it two in a row.

Western Suburbs Magpies Vs Wentworthville Magpies
Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Saturday, May 21
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Michael Laverty
Summary: An important clash for both these sides as the bottom placed Western Suburbs Magpies play host to their namesakes in the Wentworthville Magpies. Wests were no match for a rampant Sharks side at Henson Park last weekend while Wentworthville posted their first win since Round Five when they accounted for the Bears at North Sydney Oval last Sunday. Wests welcomed Aaron Sweeney to the club last week but also said goodbye to Michael Stolk who has made the move to the Bundaberg Red Cup this week after signing with Mounties. For Wenty, Chris Walker returns from injury and will slot onto one wing, and this will see last week’s two try hero Troy Savage push into a centre position. It is starting to get to the point now where these are must win games for Wests while for Wentworthville, despite an indifferent start to the year they could unbelievably force their way into the top four by rounds end with a win here and other results going their way.
Game Breaker: Aaron Sweeney – a member of the victorious 2010 NSW Residents side, Sweeney has returned to the NSW Cup after a brief sojourn elsewhere. Sweeney’s size and aggression will add to an already impressive Wests forward pack. After an appearance last week off the bench, expect Sweeney to improve with added game time and match fitness.
Prediction: Could go either way but I will put my credentials on the line and tip the Magpies!

Windsor Wolves have the BYE

Wests at Campbelltown this Saturday

Gates Open:	2:45PM
State Cup:	3:00PM - Western Suburbs v Wentworthville
NYC:	5:15PM - Wests Tigers v Penrith Panthers
NRL:	7:30PM - Wests Tigers v Penrith Panthers

Round 10 Match Report - NSW Cup - Wests v Cronulla

Wests Magpies were out played by the Sharks in the first game of a double
header at Henson Park, Newtown. The Sharks team is dotted with several
Melbourne Storm players who train full time with that Club so it was always going
to be difficult to get away with this one.

There were signs in recent weeks that the boys were getting back on track, but
on a day perfect for a game of rugby league, they came back to earth with a
thud. The Sharks led 34 to 6 at half time with the only points for the Magpies
coming from a try to prop forward Leivana Pulu in the 38th minute. Half Rhys
Lenarduzzi converted from a wide mark.

In the second half the Sharks ran away with the game, leading 56 to 6 before
replacement James Uhafate scored the final try of the day after scurrying over
from close to the line making the final score 56 to 10.

Too many errors dampened the Magpies efforts at crucial stages of the game
which gave the Sharks both the ball and field position. Having said that, the
Magpies conceded a lot of points in quick time and then for long stages defended
stoutly. In the first half, the Sharks scored three converted tries in five minutes
which was repeated in the second half.

If the Magpie players get these lapses out of their game it will go a long way
towards them recording a win.

Scorers for the Magpies – 1 try each to Leivaha Pulu and James Uhafate with
1 conversion from Rhys Lenarduzzi.

Leo’s best and players player – Troy O’Sullivan.

Next game Wests vs. Wentworthville Campbelltown Sports Stadium,
3pm Saturday 21 May 2011.

NSW Cup Round 9 - Match Review - Wests v Newtown

The Magpies went into the game with three of their starting line up withdrawing
late in the week due to injury and then with the game only a few minutes old,
they lost second row forward Leivaha Pulu.

In the 3rd minute of play, the Jets received a relieving penalty for an
infringement in the play the ball area. After gaining plenty of ground with the
kick, they took a tap on the Magpies 10 metre line. The ball spread quickly to
the centre of the field before an inside pass from Blake Lazarus was collected by
Jets captain Khalid Deeb who showed good strength before forcing his way over
the line, directly under the black dot. Wing three quarter Brett Lane added the
extras to take an early lead 6 points to nil.

The Magpies quickly responded in the 7th minute when they picked up a dropped
ball. They peppered the opposition line before half Joshua Murray threw a flat
pass to Magpie captain Mitch Achurch who showed a clean pair of heels to score
adjacent to the uprights. Five eight Rhys Lenarduzzi locked up the scores at 6 all
after a simple conversion.

The game settled into a torrid affair with both teams pleasing the crowd with a
free running style football which was enhanced by solid defensive sets.

In the 23rd minute the Magpies paid for giving the Jets another penalty. After
claiming plenty of metres with the penalty kick, they took a quick tap which
caught the Magpies defensive line short. After a solid run by second row forward
Brad Barnett, Jets five eight Jonathon Ford took over. He accelerated past a
couple of defenders to score his team’s second try which was converted by Lane.
Jets 12 – Magpies 6.

The Magpies hit back almost immediately. After a series of runs by hooker Troy
O’Sullivan, lock forward David Harris and wing three quarter Lance Siataga, the
boys found themselves close to the Jets try line. Rhys Lenarduzzi called the
play before putting in a perfectly weighted kick into the oppositions in goal area.
Plenty of chasers put pressure on a Jets player, resulting in a knock on.

The line drop out was taken on the full by Wests prop forward David Fifita who
charged down field. After playing the ball on the Jets twenty metre line, dummy
half Troy O’Sullivan ran across field before picking out second row forward Josh
Davis who brushed aside two attempted tackles before putting the ball over the
line. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful. Jets 12 Magpies 10.

The remaining fifteen minutes of the first half would see Wests score two tries
with the Jets grabbing their third.

In the 28th minute, after several settling runs, a Jets player hit the blind side
of the ruck where he was met with a strong ball and all tackle from wing three
quarter Lance Siataga which forced the ball from his grip. From the ensuing
scrum, Wests received a penalty for offside play. The ball was spread across the
backs to Siataga who, despite plenty of attention, crossed for his first try of the
afternoon. With the conversion flying wide, the Magpies hit the lead for the first
time 14 points to 12.

Following a couple of hit ups after the re start in play; the Magpies knocked the
ball on. It was pounced on by a Jets before the Magpies were penalised for
being offside. A quick thinking Blake Lazarus received the ball from the tap and
after weaving his way through a couple of Magpies players, scored his teams’
last try of the first half. Lane grabbed the extras putting his team back in front
18 to 14.

With five minutes left in the first half, the Magpies were determined to get
back on the score board and at least go into the break on an even keel. After
receiving the ball from a Jets mistake, the Magpie forwards made good metres
down the middle of the field. At the completion of their set, a kick was put
across field by Lenarduzzi. Seemingly having the situation covered, a Jets player
lost control of the ball which was picked up by wing three quarter Tangely
Naiyaravoro who reached out to put the ball on the try line. The conversion
attempt went close, but was waved away. Magpies 18 Jets 18.

The second half could not have started any worse for the Magpies after the Jets
scored three tries, two of which were converted, in the first 8 minutes. The first
was scored by centre three quarter Willie Mataka who took full advantage of an
overlap before fullback Rhys Pritchard reached out for a try of his own. Within
minutes, Mataka scored his second try under similar circumstances. The result –
Jets 32 Magpies 18.

The Magpies showed plenty of spirit when they got back on the try scoring list
in the 14th minute. After being held up over the Jets line, the ball was delivered
to Siataga on the blind side. In what was a repeat of his first try, he forced his
way over after shaving the corner post. Prop forward David Fifita stepped up to
the mark and kicked a sensational goal from the touch line with the wind blowing
strongly. Jets 32 Magpies 24.

The game certainly was not out of the Magpies grasp even when Pritchard
crossed for his second after receiving a clever banana kick from Blake Lazarus
which put his team further ahead 38 to Magpies 24. There was still 20 minutes
left on the clock, anything was possible!

The Magpies went close to scoring on a couple of occasions during this period,
but last ditch defense from the Jets kept the Magpies at bay. As time wound
down, it was becoming more difficult for the home team.

In the 32nd minute the game was well and truly put out of the Magpies reach
when replacement Scott Jones darted from dummy half to score his teams eight
and final try of the afternoon. Lane kicked his sixth goal to help his side take a
game winning lead 44 points to 24.

In the closing minutes, Siataga capped off a good game by scoring his teams
sixth try of the day, three individually. Lenarduzzi converted the try. In the end,
Newtown Jets ran out winners 44 points to 30.

Whilst the score may reflect a dominant display from the Jets, eight tries to six
was a good reflection on the closeness of the game.

Next game – Wests Magpies vs. Cronulla Sharks, 1pm Saturday 14 May
2011 Henson Park, Newtown. Double header Jets vs. Windsor 3pm.

Scorers for the Magpies – Lance Siataga 3 tries, Josh Davis 1 try, Tangely
Naiyaravoro 1 try, Mitch Achurch 1 try. Rhys Lenarduzzi 2 conversions with 1
conversion to David Fifita.

Scorers for the Jets – Rhys Pritchard 2 tries, Willie Mataka 2 tries, Jonathon
Ford 1 try, Khalid Deed 1 try, Blake Lazarus 1 try and Scott Jones 1 try. Brett
Lane 6 conversions.

Players player match ball – Lance Siataga.

Leos best three – Mitch Achurch, David Harris and Rhys Lenarduzzi.

NSW Cup - Round 8 Match Report - Wests v Norths

The Magpies traveled to the home of the North Sydney Bears at North Sydney
Oval for their Round 8 clash. Both teams had recorded only one win so far
this season and were looking to turn things around. North Sydney fielded a
strong team headed by Rhys Wesser and Fetuli Talanoa who are regulars in the
Rabbithos NRL team whilst Wests Magpies included several new players due to a
long list of injuries.

The game got off to a slow start due to poor ball control and costly penalties,
but it was the Bears who took the advantage after a repeat set on the Magpies
try line. Live wire half Malcolm Webster stepped through a couple of attempted
tackles to score under the posts. He converted his own try for a 6 points to nil
lead after 10 minutes of play.

The Magpies, as in recent games, put on several promising raids, but too many
dropped balls again proved to be their achilles heel. In the 20th minute, they
showed what they could do when they controlled the ball. After pressing the
Bears try line for a couple of sets and with good field position, the ball was
quickly spread across the back line to fullback Cassiano Aiga who had chimed
into the backline. Showing good strength he forced his way over the try line
close to the corner post. The conversion attempt shaved the wrong side of the
uprights, Bears 6 Magpies 4. Twenty minutes to go in the first half.

The play moved from one end of the field to the other; however neither team
could capitalise on a number of opportunities, that is until the 30th minute when
Bears five eight Jay Florimo set sail for the try line after his team received a
relieving penalty. He put the ball down alongside the posts with Webster adding
the extras. Bears 12 Magpies 4.

The Bears pressured the Magpies line relentlessly, but to the boy’s credit, they
repelled those attacks. This defensive effort took a lot of energy out of the
Wests outfit and in the 37th minute, after gathering in a clearing kick, North’s
fullback Rhys Wesser weaved his way through the opposition. When caught,
he passed a fine ball to a support player who off loaded to hooker Beau Falloon
who sprinted away to score his teams third try of the half. Webster’s conversion
increased his teams lead to 18 points to 4. This score remain unchanged as the
players left the field for the first half.

The second half was only four minutes old when the Bears recorded their fourth
try. In what was a well rehearsed move, the ball was carried across field by half
Webster who picked out a hard running Deon Apps who crashed over near the
posts. Webster continued his fine kicking display claiming the extras. Bears 24 Magpies 4.

Three minutes later, Bears replacement Jake Shearer crossed for fine
try which was converted by Webster. Bears 30 Magpies 4.

It looked like the score might blow out even further, but the Magpies showed
they were not going to give up.

In the 11th minute, Wests rolled the ball into the Bears in goal. Showing good
pace, Wests fullback Cassiano Aiga beat the Bears cover defence to score his
second try of the afternoon. The successful conversion from Rhys Lenarduzzi
left the Bears leading 30 points to 10.

The Magpies lifted further in the 15th minute when, on the last tackle, second
row forward Josh Davis collected the ball from dummy half before forcing his
way over the try line. The conversion was unsuccessful. Bears 30 Magpies 14.

Wests had all of the running for the next fifteen minutes or so, but they could
not get across the line. Shortly after they found themselves in good field
position following a penalty kick. Magpies half Rhys Lenarduzzi called for the ball
after spotting a break in the Bears defense. He accelerated through the gap to
score his team’s fourth try of the day. Five eight Joshua Murray took the extras,
reducing the Bears lead to 30 points to 20.

The rest of the game was a dogged affair with neither side being able to add to
their points tally. In the end, the Magpies gave too much start to the Bears who
ran our winners.

Scorers for the Magpies: Cassiano Aiga 2 tries, Josh Davis 1 try, Rhys
Lenarduzzi 1 try and 1 goal and Joshua Murray 1 goal.

Scorers for the Bears: Malcolm Webster 1 try and 5 conversions, with tries to
Jake Shearer, Beau Falloon, Jay Florimo and Deon Apps.

Head coach - Leo’s best three – Troy O’Sullivan, Cassiano Aiga and David Fifita.

Wests players’ player – Troy O’Sullivan.

Next game – Wests Magpies vs. Newtown Jets, Campbelltown Stadium
3pm Saturday 7 May 2011.

Wests V Norths - Foxtel Coverage

Fox Sports Game of the Round
Round 8: North Sydney Bears Vs Western Suburbs Magpies from North Sydney Oval


NSWRL Show on Fox Sports – This year will see an extended version of this extremely popular show, which will now air at the all new time, from 4.30pm till 6.00pm Wednesday in HD on Fox Sports 2 HD (204) and Fox Sports 2 (502)