All the best action from Round 3 of the NSWRL’s junior representative competitions.
Bears steal victory from Sharks
The UNE Harold Matthews Cup saw an unbelievable fightback to kick off Round 3 as the North Sydney Bears overcame a three-try deficit to beat Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24-20 at PointsBet Stadium.
After 23 minutes the Sharks led 14-0 with tries for outside backs Koby Douglas, Chevy Stewart and Osca Catton before the visitors put themselves on the scoresheet through No.14 Moustafa Dirani prior to the break.
The Bears scored a second four-pointer immediately after halftime as No.17 Philip Talaileva crossed but the Sharks reclaimed the lead with a converted try for Catton.
Ultimately the Bears went on to score two more tries in the final 15 minutes through wingers Benjamin Zahra and Tomasi Tupou while five-eighth Jacks Rule’s 100% conversion rate was also crucial in securing North Sydney the four-point win.
Click here for other results from the UNE Harold Matthews Cup.
Faalogo hat-trick seals Thunderbolts comeback
The Victoria Thunderbolts scored two tries with 10 minutes remaining – including a match-winning third for fullback Sualauvi Faalogo – to earn a 28-26 win over Western Suburbs Magpies in the UNE SG Ball Cup.
The two sides were trading blows in the first half to go into the break with the Magpies leading 14-12. Western Suburbs increased their lead at the 37-minute mark through hooker Jarney Proctor-Harwood before Faalogo hit back for Victoria with his second try of the afternoon.
Magpies fullback Jahoiyakim Afoa scored in the 49th minute and converted his own try to give the home team a 10-point buffer, but within five minutes Thunderbolts captain Tui Ieremia and Faalogo both scored with Noah Natapu’s added conversion sealing the victory.
Click here for other results from the UNE SG Ball Cup.
Standout top three in Johns and Daley Cups
After three weeks of competition and with two rounds to be played before the finals series, the top three sides remain undefeated in the SLE Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups.
In the Johns Cup the Illawarra South Coast Dragons beat Monaro Colts 18-12 to move into second place, Central Coast Roosters edged out Riverina Bulls 22-18 and North Coast Bulldogs maintained top spot with an 18-0 shutout over NMR Knights.
The Daley Cup saw the Western Rams and Central Coast Roosters keep up their undefeated streaks in convincing fashion with winning margins of 50-16 and 38-12 respectively, while Monaro Colts scored two late tries to beat the Dragons 30-22.
Click here for other results from the SLE Andrew Johns Cup.
Click here for other results from the SLE Laurie Daley Cup.
Dragons into top four with dominant result
The St George Dragons have moved into the top four for the first time this season with an ominous 40-0 win against the Parramatta Eels in the Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup.
The Dragons stamped their authority in the Red V’s opening win for 2021, scoring four tries on either side of halftime.
Winger Courageous Afoa and halfback Rayven-Jodeci Boyce starred for St George with two tries apiece while fullback Rosemarie Beckett converted four from eight off the boot.
Click here for other results from the Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup.
