The NSWRL Ron Massey Cup Representative side proved too strong for the Fiji Warriors with a 58-16 victory in an exhibition match at St Marys Leagues Stadium on Saturday night.
The Fijian line-up consisting of players mostly from the Ron Massey Cup, Sydney Shield and NSW Cup competitions remained in the contest for the majority of the opening half before the Reps’ piled on six second half tries to blow out the final score including hat-tricks to both fullback Don Thompson and five-eighth Brendan Waters.
Dean Rysko continued his Player of the Year form during the early exchanges with several solid hit-ups before steaming onto a Scott Jones short ball from close range opening a 6-0 lead after six minutes of action.
Fiji opened their account eleven minutes later with the try of the match. Warriors’ fullback Paul Rokolati fielded a Jake Fitzpatrick grubber in his own in-goal and set-off down the right sideline before linking with centre Joe Uluibau who stepped several defenders to complete a stunning length of the field effort in the right corner. Fiji remained two adrift after Henry Raiwalui failed to convert from touch.
The Reps’ resumed control with back-to-back tries in the 22nd and 25th minutes to open an 18-4 advantage. Wenty second-rower Pat Mataele scored the first from a cross-field bomb which was quickly followed by another when Waters backed up a Mataele break down the right edge to finish the fifty metre movement under the posts.
Fiji stopped the flow of points before adding six of their own when replacement forward Tim Nawaqatabu barged over next to the posts which Rokolati converted narrowing the margin to 18-10 six minutes before the interval.
Fiji looked well placed to edge even closer one minute before halftime but were dealt a severe blow when replacement Reps’ half Aaron Fluke teamed with Louis Vaiotu in a long range move down the left wing that ended with Magpies winger Sam Aiga scoring from an in-goal grubber in the following play. Flukes’ sideline conversion on the hooter had the Reps well placed with a 24-10 halftime lead.
The Ron Massey Cup Reps rattled Fiji with committed defence after the break; Uluibau was bundled into touch inside his own half which was quickly followed by Thompson’s first try when he stepped back inside to beat several defenders extending the lead to 30-10 in the 47th minute.
The Warriors’ struggled to match the Reps’ pace around the ruck and another Waters break through the middle ended with forward Mitch Cahalane increasing the margin by six points. Fiji’s luck changed six minutes later when a stray Fluke pass on his own goal-line was pounced on by Raiwalui for a converted try and 36-16 score line in the 55th minute.
The floodgates opened in the 64th minute when Reps’ skipper Hutch Maiava broke through the middle from 40 metres out before sending Waters away under the posts which was quickly followed by Thompson’s second off another Mataele line-break down the right edge. Thompson scored his third through soft defence from ten metres out to bring up the Reps’ half century with ten minutes remaining.
Waters weaved through the tired Fijian’s from fifteen metres out completing his own hat-trick in the final four minutes and a final score line of 58-16 after Fluke’s conversion.
Ron Massey Cup Reps 58 (Brendan Waters 3, Don Thompson 3, Dean Rysko, Pat Mataele, Sam Aiga, Mitch Cahalane tries; Aaron Fluke 6, Jake Fitzpatrick 3 goals) d. Fiji Warriors 16 (Joe Uluibau, Tim Nawaqatabu, Henry Raiwalui tries; Paul Rokolati , Raiwalui goals) at St Marys Leagues Stadium, October 12, 2013.
Crowd: 500. Referee: Lawrence McDonnell. Touch Judges: Matt Damaso, Jay Farlow. Penalties: Fiji 6-5. Halftime: Ron Massey Cup Reps 24-10.
When they scored: 6th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 6-0 (Rysko try; Fitzpatrick goal); 17th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 6-4 (Uluibau try); 22nd min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 12-4 (Mataele try; Fitzpatrick goal); 25th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 18-4 (Waters try; Fitzpatrick goal); 34th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 18-10 (Nawaqatabu try; Rokolati goal); 40th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 24-10 (Aiga try; Fluke goal); 47th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 30-10 (Thompson try; Fluke goal); 49th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 36-10 (Cahalane try; Fluke goal); 55th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 36-16 (Raiwalui try and goal); 64th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 42-16 (Waters try; Fluke goal); 67th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 48-16 (Thompson try; Fluke goal); 70th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 52-16 (Thompson try); 76th min: Ron Massey Cup Reps 58-16 (Waters try; Fluke goal).
Ron Massey Cup Representatives
1 Don Thompson
2 Rhys Pritchard
3 Alan Eisenhuth
4 Matt Evans
5 Sam Aiga
6 Brendan Waters
7 Jake Fitzpatrick
8 Hutch Maiava (c)
9 Scott Jones
10 Dean Rysko
11 Grant Lahey
12 Pat Mataele
13 Tim Baldwin
Interchange
14 Aaron Fluke
15 Sonny Bristow
16 Louis Vaiotu
17 Mitch Cahalane
Coach: Jamy Forbes
Fiji Warriors
1 Paul Rokolati
2 Fabian Goodhall
3 Joe Rokoqo
4 Joe Uluibau
5 Taqele Naiyaravoro
6 Henry Raiwalui
7 Siti Moceidreke
8 Luke Serevi
9 Hamilton Hughes
10 Bill Baleilomaloma
11 Kem Seru
12 Junior Rika
13 Donis Gock
Interchange
14 Nick Cama
16 Phil Samuels
18 Joka Dokonivalu
19 Tim Nawaqatabu
Coach: Joey Saukuru
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