Match Report -VB NSW Cup Round 2 - Wests v Wenty

The Western Suburbs magpies suffered one of their heaviest defeats in recent memory going down to a more vastly experienced Wentworthville side at Ringrose Park containing NRL players Luke Burt, Justin Horo & Shane Shackleton. Then final scoreline of 64 to 10 gave a true indication of the difference between the two sides with Wests having no one with any NRL experience and only a handful who have played at NSW Cup level.

Former Wests magpies junior and Wests Tigers U20 fullback, Jake Mullaney scored 4 tries in a wonderful display while Luke Burt ended the day with 24 points from 2 tries and 8 goals.

Wentworthville scored after only 3 mins when a Wests player was bundled into touch trying to clean up a kick from Wenty. From the ensuing scrum win, another former Wests junior, Brendan Waters linked upwith Justin Horo in a simple run-a-round and then a passed to an unmarked Troy Savage to open the scoring. Burt missed the conversion from out wide.
Wests, to their credit however hit back almost immediately. Luke Burt tried a grubber kick on the Wests 30m line but the kick landed in the arms of winger Aaron Teariki who sprinted down the sideline only to be brought down a few metres from the tryline by Waters. From the ensuing play the ball, chain passing along the backline resulted in a try in the opposite corner by Henry Iuta.
The joy was shortlived however when Jake Mullaney scored the first of his 4 tries for the afternoon at the 12 minute mark. Poor marker defence saw Wenty hooker Lancen Joudo scoot through dummy halfon the Wests 30m line to link up with Jake to score. Burt added the extras to make it 10 to 4 to Wenty.
Luke Burt then score the first of his 2 tries at the 17 minute mark after strong lead up play from Shane Shackleton who was able to break the defence out wide on several occasions. A drop ball by Wests from akick through by Waters enabled Wenty to mount pressure and the defensive line was busted by Burt who then missed the conversion - Wenty up 14 to 4.
More pain for Wests when a try was scored after a towering bomb by Brendan Waters was dropped by Wests. From the scrum, a lovely short ball from the scrum base saw Troy Savage scored his second try after just 22 minutes of play. Burt converts and its 20 to 4.
Wenty score again in the 28th minute after working the ball along Wests 20 metre line and former Windsor and Dragons forward, Daniel Penese was able to work his way through from dummy half to score. Luke Burt's conversion made the score 26 to 4 - almost a point a minute for Wenty.
Wests were able to keep Wenty from scoring again in the first half but the easy metres being gained by the Wenty forwards would have been playing largely on Wests coach, Trevor Schodel's mind. Wenty halfback, Brendan Waters was creating havoc whenever he had the ball and Justin Horo was devastating out wide.
The first 15 minutes of the second half saw Jake Mullaney cross for 3 consecutive tries. The first only 1 minute into the second half when a Wests player lost the ball in a jolting tackle 5 metres out from his tryline.The ensuing play saw Jake evade a couple of defenders to score out wide. Burt missed the conversation.
By this stage, Wenty players were pushing each other out of the way to get their hands on the ball. Wenty were hungry for more points and Jake duly delivered after a great slicing run by Brendan Waters linking up with Horo to pass to Jake for an easy passage to the tryline at the 9th minute of the second half. Burt converts and its 36 to 4.
Five minutes later, Jake scores his 4th try after a great offload by former Balmain forward, Matt Ryan close to the Wests line. Burt converts for a 42 to 4 lead.
The next Wenty try came just 2 minutes later on the back of a penalty saw Luke Burt score his second of the afternoon with a great side step left the fullback wrong footed. Burt failed to convert his own try.
Marmin Barba showed he can sniff out an intercept just like his older brother, Canterbury's Ben Barba when he swooped on a pass on the half way line 22 minutes into the second half and sprinted to the tryline with no one in pursuit. Burt's conversion brought up the half century - Wenty 52 Wests 4.
Wests were able to score a bizarre try in the 29th minute featuring the wonderful skills by cult hero front rower, Aaron Sweeney out in the centres. From the play the ball, Aaron took the ball up and passed in a run-a-round movement, Aaron then saw himself in the open, then made a deft little grudder towards the Wenty tryline, he regathered his own grubber kick and passed to Henry Iuta who was able to step in side the sliding defence to score his second try of the afternoon. Nigel Millgate converted to make it 52 to 10.
In the 33rd minute, replacement half, Aaron Flute scored for Wenty after a cross field kick near the Wests line saw Matt Ryan take the ball and standing in the tackle, offloaded to Fluke. Burt converted the try and the score was 58 to 10. Wenty then scored their final try 4 minutes from fulltime after they received a penalty and from the tap, Justin Horo broken through the thin defence to offload to Ryan Morgan to score near the posts, with Burt converting.
The final score of 64 to 10 showed Wentworthville to be superior in all facets of the game. Wests failed to lock up the ball in tackles and Wenty were able to play razzle dazzle football - almost like touch for much of the game.
To say Wests coach Trevor Schodel was disappointed after the game is a massive understatement. He said he was embarrassed by the side's inability to follow his game plan and the lack of effort in defence. He also said he apologises to all Western Suburbs supporters who attended the game and the hard working volunteers. As reflected by the scoreboard, there was nothing positive to come out of today's game for Wests who will need to regroup quickly next saturday when they play their first game of the season at Campbelltown Stadium against last season's runner up, the Auckland Vulcans, who like Western Suburbs, are winless so far this season.

Wentworthville 64 (Jake Mullaney 4, Luke Burt 2, Troy Savage 2, Daniel Penese, Marmin Barba, Aaron Fluke, Ryan Morgan tries; Luke Burt 8 goals) defeated Western Suburbs 10 (Henry Iuta 2 tries; Nigel Millgate 1 goal)

Line Ups
Wentworthville
1 Jake Mullaney
23 Luke Burt
3 Troy Savage
4 Dylon Gilbert
24 Ryan Morgan
14 Marmin Barba
7 Brendan Waters
8 Shane Shackleton
9 Lancen Joudo
15 Nathan Armit
11 Matt Ryan
25 Justin Horo
14 Daniel Penese
Interchange
12 Danny Howard
17 Brad Lupi
20 Aaron Fluke
21 Peter Prime

Western Suburbs
15 Henry Iuta
2 Merv Williamson
14 Aaron Teariki
4 Michael Lekkas
5 Daniel Perkins
19 Daniel La Manna
7 Nigel Millgate
8 Jay Maseuli
9 Lionel O'Malley
10 Aaron Sweeney
11 John Leiataua
12 Seffa Silafu
13 Tom Morrison
Interchange
3 Dale Roberts
17 Todd Makejev
18 Dean Parata
20 Mundarra Weldon