Match Report - Round 12 VB NSW Cup - Mounties v Western Suburbs

Perfect conditions for rugby league greeted fans at Mt Pritchard Sports Ground which saw Mounties break a five game loosing streak with a comprehensive and emphatic 50-6 win against a Western Suburbs outfit whose season continues to freefall. Lock forward Matt McIIwrick scored a hatrick of tries and a double to Sami Sauiluma. The score could have been higher but for poor goal kicking from Mounties who used four goal kickers for the day.

The first ten minutes saw an arm wrestle between the two forward packs with Mounties unable to finish promising raids by some last ditch defence from the Magpies. But the Magpies couldn't hold on and the scoring commenced at the 13th minute when poor defence around the scrum saw halfback Masada Iosefa put fullback Haydon Hodge through a huge gap near the Wests tryline for an easy four pointer. Hodge missed the conversion attempt.

The next ten minutes saw a stop start affair with string of penalties to both sides and Mounties made the most of their possession when centre Sami Sauiluma scored at the 23rd minute after great lead up work from winger Dimitri Pelo. Accepting a cut out pass on his own 20m line, Pelo easily beat his opposite number with a thundering run down the touchline before stepping back inside to find Sauiliuma in support for an easy run to the line. Hodge again missed the conversion but the signs were not looking good for Wests and so it proved when Pelo scored just three minutes later when he chased a kick through into the ingoal, where the a Wests player slipped whilst trying to gather in the ball and Pelo was able to dive on the loose ball. Dean Springfield took over the goal kicking duties but he too was unable to convert. 12-0 in favour of Mounties.

From the ensuing kickoff, Mounties were able to work the ball deep into Wests territory and centre Drury Low scored out wide at the half hour mark. Iosefa took over the goal kicking duties and duly landed Mounties first goal of the afternoon. Mounties 18 Wests 0.

Wests only try of the game came six minutes before halftime when winger Greg Davis took an intercept on his own 20m line and out paced the converging defence to score near the posts. Nigel Millgate added the extra for an 18-6 scoreline.

Mounties scored in the final minute of the first half on the back of a penalty when former Manly and Cowboys winger Michael Bani scored after a simple one on one missed tackle by his opposite. Iosefa missed the conversion for a half time score of Mounties 22 Wests 6.

Any hint of a Wests comeback in the second half were totally torpedoed by Mounties with tries in the 45th, 48th and 50th minute. The first was by Matt McIIwrick who score after a scrum win on Wests 20m line after good lead up work from replacement forward, John Leiataua who played with the Magpies at the start of the year before being granted a release. Scott Jones was now handed the goal kicking duties and added the extras. The next try in this period was by former Cabramatta player Nick Kassis after Iosefa held up a pass to find Kassis who crashed over the line. Jones again converted and the next try was scored by Sauiliuma after another short pass by Iosefa on Wests 40m line. Sauiliuma still had a bit of work to do but was able to spin out of a tackle and race over the line. Jones missed the conversion but it was now 38-6 and the game was as good as over.

Mounties next try at the 57 minute mark was a result of poor marker defence when McIIwrick scored his second of the afternoon when he scooted out from dummy half on his own 40m line and went straight through the middle of the forward pack to score under the posts without a hand being laid on him. Jones converted for a 44-6 scoreline.

McIIwrick repeated the effort at the 77 minute mark with another dummy half scoot this time on the half way line and again scored under the sticks without a hand being laid on him. Hodge came back to do the goalkicking and added the extras for a final score line of 50-6 to Mounties.

For Mounties, Masada Iosefa was outstanding and its little wonder the Wests Tigers are interested in securing his services as a back up for Robbie Farah for the remainder of the season. His passing game was superb and backed it up with a great kicking display in general play. Matt McIIwrick had number 13 on his back but played dummy half for most of the game and just had too much pace for the Wests marker defence to handle. Front rower Paul Vaughan was always in the thick of the action carting the ball up whilst Dimitri Pelo on the wing made several long range runs.
Coach Steve Ghosn used his interchange to perfection with Tere Glassie and in particular John Leiataua and Nick Kassis causing problems for the tiring Wests defence with their solid runs and offloads.

For Wests, front rower Jay Maseuli keeps improving as the season wears on and made several inroads with his charges into the Mounties defence whilst also having a strong defensive game as well. Lightweight lock forward Daniel La Manna never stopped trying in defence whilst Chris Nay made a successful return from his round 1 injury with a solid game in both attack and defence. Big Seffa Silafu and Mundarra Weldon made inroads outwide wide in defence and this is something coach Trevor Schodel can certainly work on.

Next Sunday, Western Suburbs play host to arch rivals Balmain/Ryde-Eastwood at Campbelltown Stadium as the first game in a triple header for the Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys NRL clash. Kick off is at 10.30am.

Mounties 50 (McIIwrick 3, Sauiliuma 2, Hodge, Low, Pelo, Bani, Kassis tries: Jones 3, Iosefa 1, Hodge 1 goals) def Wests 6 ( Davis try: Millgate 1 goal)

Half time Mounties 22 Wests 6

Goal kickers - Mounties - Jones 3/4 attempts, Hodge 1/3, Iosefa 1/2, Springfield 0/1: Wests - Millgate 1/1

Penalties - Wests 9 Mounties 8

Wests
1 Zoram Watene
2 Micjael La Manna
21 Tuki Jackson
4 Michael Lekkas
5 Greg Davis
20 Chris Nay
7 Nigel Millgate (c)
8 Jay Maseuli
18 Terence Green
15 Henry Iuta
16 Mundarra Weldon
12 Seffa Silafu
13 Daniel La Manna

10 Todd Makejev
14 Keanu Rogers
24 Adrian Trunzo
25 Henry Godinet

Mounties
1 Haydon Hodge
2 Dimitri Pelo
3 Sami Sauiliuma
4 Drury Low
5 Michael Bani
18 Dean Springfield
7 Masada Iosefa
8 Mark Ioane
9 Glen Buttriss
10 Paul Vaughan
11 Scott Jones
12 Pat Galea
13 Matt McIIwrick

14 Tere Glassie
16 John Leiataua
20 Suni Fatialofa
21 Nick Kassis