Live Coverage | The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Round 3

Mitchell Farrugia

Brilliant Bears charge away to victory over the Bunnies with a dominant second-half display.

The North Sydney Bears have kept traditional rivals, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, winless in 2021 with a runaway 30-12 victory at Stadium Australia. 

A flurry of tries kicked off the match as both sides were eager to start on the front foot. The first points went the way of the Bears in the third minute, with second-row enforcer Harrison Edwards crashing over. Sam Walker was able to add the two points. 

The Bunnies responded with a try of their own only five minutes later as youngster Jacob Gagai scored in the corner. As only two points separated the sides, neither could be breached after strong defensive efforts. 

It took a brilliant cut-out ball from Sam Walker to winger Sione Hopoate to extend the score in favour of the Bears. With the lead out to six points, South Sydney hosted multiple attacking sets in the back end of the second half before Jacob Gagai picked up his second try of the match.

With two minutes remaining in the first half, a fast attacking move down the left looked promising for Souths. Unfortunately, young fullback Rahim Mundine sustained what appeared to be a leg injury. A sour note to end what was an exciting first half, as the Bears lead 10-8 over the Rabbits. 

North Sydney, after only two minutes of the second half picked up where they left off, as centre Tony Satini was too hard to contain close to the line after a barnstorming run.

Almost like deja vu, South Sydney looked to hit back moments later, only stopped by Joseph Suaalii’s close-range defensive effort as he wrapped himself under the ball. 

Breaking away down the middle of the park from the forty-meter line, Souths had the Bears defence broken to the left. Trent Peoples was able to barge his way over to pick up four points, as North’s lead shrunk to just two points.  

Moments later, down the left-hand side the Bears were able to race away and push their lead back out to eight points, with the try going to fullback Brad Abbey. South Sydney tried their best to bring back the score when an attacking cross-field kick backfired, as Tom Carr raced ninety meters to score for the Bears. 

Late in the match, the game continued to open up for the Bears who capitalised through interchange lock Elih Jacksonwho toughed his way over the try line.  

In the end, the Bears second-half display was enough to wrap up a comprehensive win, their second of the season as they defeated South Sydney 30-12.

Canberra Raiders v Mounties 

Finn Williamson

Raiders suffer Mounties defeat

The Mounties have defeated the Canberra Raiders 34-10 in a huge win at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The experience of Mounties captain Lachlan Lewis proved the difference through his kicking and game management. The visitors were able to stay in control from start to finish.

Mounties struck first through fullback Declan Casey who crossed the line off-the-back-of a linebreak from winger Watson Heleta. This gave the visitors a 4-0 lead in the opening 5 minutes.

Mounties centre Falakiko Manu finished off a great Mounties backline play to continue the momentum for the Mounties. Aaron Schoupp converted to increase the lead to 10-0.

Lock-forward Chris Smith crashed over for the Mounties under the posts to further extend the lead to 16-0 in the opening 15 minutes.

Mounties hooker Bradley Deitz darted from dummy-half to break the Raiders line of defence. Deitz drew the fullback and passed to teammate Declan Casey who then passed back to the hooker to finish off his own try. The conversion was successful, giving the Mounties a 22-0 lead.

The Canberra Raiders crossed the line for the first time of the afternoon through winger Semi Valemei, finishing off a great offload from Corey Horsburgh. That took the score to 22-4 with 15 minutes remaining in the first half.

Mounties captain Lachlan Lewis bounced off a few tackles to dive under the posts for a try before halftime. This gave the Mounties a 28-4 lead heading into halftime.

The Raiders were the first to open the scoring of the second half through backrower Kai O’Donnell who ran a great line to cross for a try. The Raiders trail 28-10 to the Mounties.

Canberra centre Harley Smith-Shields left the field in the opening minutes of the second half with a suspected torn bicep.

Mounties five-eighth Lachlan Lewis put his left backrower Matt Doorey over for a four-pointer to extend the visitor’s lead to 34-10 heading into the final 20 minutes of the match.

The Mounties controlled the final passage of play to come out on top of the Raiders winning 34-10.

Parramatta Eels v Newtown Jets 

Stewart Moses 

Eels survive late Jets comeback

The Parramatta Eels opened their 2021 NSW Cup account with a 22-20 win at Bankwest Stadium over a Newtown Jets side that threatened to steal at least a share of the competition points, having comeback from 22-0 down early in the second half.

For the relatively inexperienced victors, five-eighth Jordan Rankin led the way setting up two tries, while Bronson Garlick was enormous for the gallant Jets, scoring two tries and setting up another.

Parramatta got off to a great start scoring in the 12th minute through their winger Haze Dunster, who outleapt the Jets’ outside backs to score off a Rankin cross-field kick in the south-west corner and with Rankin’s sideline conversion, the home side led 6-0.

A forward pass deep inside the Eels 20 was duly punished with a blindside raid that put Dunster away on a long break down the touch line, before Will Penisini dummied outside to crash over out wide to put the home side 10-0 ahead in the 18th minute which they took into half time.

An Andrew Fifita error early in the second half allowed the Eels to extend their lead to 16 when back-rower Elie El-Zakhem stepped his way through some tiring Jets defence to score next to the post.

In the very next set the Eels made it 22-0 with a long range try finished off by Nathaniel Roache after Rankin broke through the Jets’ left edge defence from inside his own half.

The Jets finally opened their account in the 53rd minute when back-rower Bronson Garlick stepped his way through the Eels defence to score untouched behind the posts and with Trindall’s conversion the Jets had a sniff at 22-6.

The Jets’ ability to create pressure inside the Eels 20 through repeat sets was rewarded in the 58th minute with Brock Gray crashing over out wide, putting Newtown back in the game at 22-10.

The Jets capitalised on a no-try decision against the Eels with 13 minutes remaining to score a converted long-range try of their own through Trindall in the 72nd minute, who was the beneficiary of a marvellous inside pass from Garlick.

The Jets, now playing with plenty of purpose and energy, scored their fourth unanswered try with five minutes left through Garlick, who stormed onto a short pass to score his second, but crucially Trindall couldn’t level the scores with his conversion attempt from out wide.

Despite a last ditch two-point field goal attempt from the Jets, the tiring Eels managed to hold on 22-20.

Newcastle Knights v Western Suburbs Magpies 

James Ward

Magpies hand Knights heavy defeat

The Knock-On-Effect NSW Cup Newcastle Knights side were heavily defeated 50-6 by the Western Suburbs Magpies today at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Magpies ran in nine tries to one to inflict a huge defeat on the Knights.

The away side started the strongest with Jake Simpkin crossing for the first points of the match in the ninth minute.

The Magpies would have a second through second-rower Kelma Tuilagi in the 18th minute to put the Knights on the back foot.

Kiah Cooper and Edenn Rogers-Smith both scored tries.

Jock Madden rounded out a strong opening half for the visitors with a well put together team try on the stroke of half-time.

The Magpies began the second half with the same intent and quickly tallied up the points.

Tries to Reece Hoffman, Kelma Tuilagi, Allan Fitzgibbon and Kiah Cooper achieved the half-century mark for the Magpies.

McKenzie Baker scored the sole Knights try with a runaway effort in the 58th minute.

Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles v St George Illawarra Dragons 

Anthony El

Dragons soar past Sea Eagles for their first win in 2021

St George Illawarra Dragons came from behind in a dominant second-half display to defeat the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles 44-18, at HE Laybutt Field in Sydney.

The Sea Eagles started strong, forcing the Dragons to defend their own line within the opening ten minutes, and wasted little time converting their opportunity into points through Bilal Maarbani, who finished off a smooth team spread in the corner. Five-eighth Brad Keighran converted the first try of the game to take his side out to an early 6-0 lead.

The Dragons were quick to respond however, with a try of their own five minutes later through Max Feagai who found his way over, before a successful conversion by fullback Siti Moceidreke levelled the game.

The tries kept coming in short succession, as Sea Eagles hooker Denzal Tonise barged his way through to touch down next to the posts, giving Keighran an easy conversion to take the home side’s lead out to a converted try yet again.

The Sea Eagles continued their run of momentum through Morgan Harper, who found his name on the scoresheet after some dazzling footwork got him over the line to extend his side's lead to ten. Brad Keighran again successfully added the two.

As the home side looked to keep the momentum rolling, the Dragons showed their grit, finding themselves attacking the Sea Eagles' line before a beautiful looping pass to winger Shaun Sauni-Esau saw the away side score their second try of the game. Moceidreke converted again, bringing his side to only a converted try behind.

With half time approaching, the Sea Eagles looked to head into the sheds six points in front, however a strong effort in the corner by Dragons winger Jordan Pereira saw the away side just two behind with a kick to come. A missed conversion from the Dragons' fullback kept the score at 18-16 at half time, but the Red V carried all the momentum going into the second half.

The second half began similarly to the end of the first, with the Dragons dominating and scoring in the first set through second-rower Charly Runciman. A second consecutive missed conversion from Moceidreke kept the Dragons two points in front.

It was all the Dragons from then on, with Pereira getting two more tries to complete his hattrick, and five-eighth Zeik Foster getting his name on the scoresheet through a beautiful team try. With all three of these tries converted, the Dragons extended their lead by a comfortable twenty points.

With less than five minutes to go, the Dragons showed no sign of slacking off as they scored yet again through Jackson Ford to seal their comeback victory with a dominant 44-18 win over the Sea Eagles.