Results | Ron Massey Cup Finals Week 1
Qualifying Final | Wentworthville Magpies v Hills District Bulls
The Ron Massey Cup Wentworthville Magpies proved much too strong in the battle of second-plays-third, trouncing the heavily-favoured Hills District Bulls 46 points to 12, inspired by hat-trick hero Joshua Minhinnick.
The flying three-quarter scored the first try of the match in just the fourth minute of play, bagging his second inside the match's opening quarter to set the Magpies on their way.
Outclassed from go-to-woe, the Bulls - boasting NRL experience in the form Ron Massey Cup Team of the Year members of Feleti Mateo and Heath L'Estrange - were no match for the high-octane Wentworthville outfit.
"We definitely put their heads on the chopping block," Minhinnick told NSWRL.com.au of Wentworthville's tactics to nullify the experienced Bulls attackers.
"We put an emphasis to shut those guys down, and that's what we did. It set our middle forwards on their way, and we were able to cross for points on the back of those efforts."
Wentworthville Magpies 46 (J Minhinnick 3, J Gammidge 2, D Barakat 2, J Walsh, A Gafa tries; J Rafferty-Butfield 5 goals) def. Hills District Bulls 12 (J Flavell, S Bristow tries; C O’Donnell 2 goals)
Elimination Final | Guildford Owls v Blacktown Workers Sea Eagls
The Guildford Owls have ended the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles Ron Massey Cup season in an all-engrossing style, running out 28 points to 14 victors in the pair’s Elimination Final at St Marys Leagues Stadium on Saturday (2 September) night.
The Owls raced out to an early 12-nil front, before the embattled Sea Eagles regrouped to make a fine fist of the contest.
Tries to Ben Fritz (24th minute) and Shaun Fitzgerald (41st minute) on either side of the half-time break had the Sea Eagles right back into the thick of the action, before a luck-filled try landed in the lap of Guildford half Lazarus Brown to once again steady the Owls’ flight.
Though such was the tale of the tape, Blacktown proved a tough task to shake, as they again drew within eight points thanks to a try courtesy of Peter Scanlan.
“It was a grind tonight, we made a few errors, but we got there in the end,” Guildford’s Brown told NSWRL.com.au post-match.
“We didn’t take it lightly, we trained hard, we knew they’d throw everything at us. Our middles were great tonight … we know we’ve got to keep working hard across the next couple of weeks.
“I think we’ve got the team that can go all the way in this competition.”
The win sees Guildford book a date with the loser of St Marys (1st) and Mounties (4th), who go head-to-head at St Marys Leagues Stadium on Sunday.
Guildford Owls 28 (H Hunt, J Farlow, J Camroux, L Brown, J Field tries; J Camroux 4 goals) def. Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles 14 (B Fritz, S Fitzgerald, P Scanlan tries; A Manu 1 goal).
