Recap | The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup - Round Seven

Panthers produce clinical performance against Knights

Tayla Micallef - Panthers Media

Game summary

Penrith Panthers are back in the winner's circle with an impressive 48 -16 win over the Newcastle Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

A knock on from the Knights gifted the Panthers with their first attacking set within Newcastle territory. Off the back of the scrum, halfback Cogger found space within the defensive line early in the play, stepping past defenders to open the scoring.

Five-eighth Jack Cole converted Cogger’s try taking the score to 6-0.

Off the back of quick play the balls during their sets the home team marched down field and into Penrith’s half. Halfback Liam Sutton found the line in the 14th minute, opening the scoring for his team. The conversion attempt from lock Thomas Cant was unsuccessful leaving the score at 6-4.

The Panthers extended their lead with Jack Cole who pushed his way through the defensive line to cross over for Penrith’s second try of the day. Cole was unable to convert his own try leaving his team’s lead to six points.

A penalty to Penrith saw the visitors march back down into Knights territory and place some pressure on the defensive line. A no-look pass from fullback Isaiah Iongi to Jesse McLean saw the centre cross over in the corner for a four pointer. Cole’s conversion from out wide was successful extending the lead to 16-4.

The Panthers continued to pile on the points, adding another four pointer through prop Eddie Blacker who charged his way through defenders to find the line. Cole’s conversion rate was successful extending their lead out to 22-4

Penrith crossed over once more right on half time with winger Daeon Amituanai scoring close to the posts. Cole added the two points with Panthers heading into the break with a 24-point lead.

The Panthers started the second half how they finished the first with strong attack that tested the Knights defence on each play.

Penrith opened the scoring in the 45th minute with a set play which saw the ball shifted out to the right, creating an overlap on the right edge for winger Thomas Jenkins to cross over in the corner. Cole’s conversion was waved to the right leaving the score at 32-4.

A line break from the Knights saw the home team race down field before the ball was flicked out to halfback Liam Sutton who crossed for his second try of the day. The conversion attempt from captain Thomas Cant was successful taking the score to 32-10.

Newcastle went back-to-back with tries, scoring another four pointer through second rower Oryn Keeley who crashed over the line in the next to the posts. Cant successfully added the two points taking the score to 32-16.

The Panthers extended their lead through a kick chase on the fifth play which saw the ball regathered by the Tyrone Peachey and passed to McLean who crossed for his second try of the day. Kurt Falls converted McLean’s try extending the lead to 38-16.

Penrith scored once again off the kick off with interchange John Faimu pushing past defenders to score under the posts. Falls added the two, extending the lead out to 28 points.

Winger Thomas Jenkins scored his second four pointer of the day just on full time. Fall’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

Newtown Jets v Sydney Roosters

Jets fly high at Henson Park with big win over Roosters

Alex Hrissis

Game summary

The Newtown Jets hosted the Sydney Roosters on Saturday afternoon in Round 7 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup at Henson Park and it was a dominant win for the home team, defeating the traveling Roosters 40 - 18.

The home side struck first in this Round 7 clash when halfback Braydon Trindall kicked a tidy grubber to the right of the posts and backrower Charbel Tasipale dived over to claim himself a try.

Newtown found their second try of the afternoon when some slick passing along the right edge found Mawene Hiroti, who produced a bit of individual brilliance to beat several Roosters players and pass to a wide open Samuel Stonestreet who scored with ease. Hiroti converted the try to make the score 12 - 0.

Charbel Tasipale found his second try of the afternoon when he decided to back himself and run it straight, steamrolling past 3 Roosters players in the process to crash over and secure the Jets’ third try of the afternoon.

The Jets piled on the misery at Henson Park when Trindall kicked a perfectly placed ball into the left corner just before the tryline and winger Matt Ikuvalu leaped into the air to claim the ball and score himself a try in his first game of the season.

The home side extended their lead further when Brad Fearnley found himself with the ball, stepped past one Roosters player and spun past another to then leap over the tryline and score the first try of his career. Hiroti converted the try to make the score 28 - 0 heading into halftime.

Roosters bounced back early in the second half when a full set of 6 within the Jets’ 10m line resulted in Elie El-Zakham receiving the ball from dummy half and crashing over to score his side’s first points of the day.

It didn’t take long for the home side to respond when hooker Jayden Berrell kicked a delightful grubber for Jacob Gagan who dived over to ground the ball and claim a try. Hiroti converted with ease to extend Newtown’s lead to 34 - 6.

The Roosters bounced back to double their score when the Jets’ defence was caught sleeping and utility Thomas Deakin dived straight between the posts after the ball was played from the ruck to secure his first try of the season.

Thomas Deakin made it back-to-back tries and gave his side a glimmer of hope when some slick passing alongside the right edge found the utility and he eyed a gap in the defence to score another try. Halfback Sandon Smith converted directly between the posts to make the score 34 - 18 with fifteen minutes on the clock.

Newtown put the final nail in the coffin with less than five minutes to play when five-eighth Daniel Atkinson received the ball five metres out from the tryline and stepped past two Roosters players to score his fourth try of the season.

Talking points

Angus Crichton made his long-awaited return to rugby league this weekend and it was a solid comeback for the representative back-rower with some handy offloads and solid, hard-hitting carries.

Another solid outing for halfback Braydon Trindall with his dangerous kicks troubling the Roosters defence all afternoon. He set up several tries that were crucial in Newtown’s win.

The speed and height of wingers Ikuvalu and Stonestreet was a defining factor in Newtown’s win with both players scoring a try.

Key moment

It was Charbel Tasipale crashing over in the 28th minute to score his second try of the day that set the tone for the game. Newtown used this effort to gain some momentum and proceeded to score another two before halftime alone.

What’s next

In round eight of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup the Newtown Jets will match up against Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, while the Roosters will host the St George Illawarra Dragons on Sunday afternoon at Wentworth Park.

Canberra Raiders v St George Illawarra Dragons

Game Summary

Tahlie Gavin

Raiders withstand Dragons comeback

The Canberra Raiders have managed to come out on top with a 20-18 victory in a nail biting finish against the St George Illawarra Dragons at GIO Stadium.

A strong start from the Raiders saw their heads up high heading into half-time with the lead. But the Dragons came around in the second half to bring the game to a two-point difference.

The Raiders were quick to add to the score board as Xavier Savage scored an eye-catching try in his return game from a broken jaw just six minutes into the game. Savage used his speed to run down the right wing and score the opening points with Schneider adding the extras.

An error from the Dragons Dan Russell saw the Raiders seek their next scoring opportunity, this time through Brad Morkos. Quick, efficient passing was rewarded with Morkos going through the right edge to score.

With a minute left in the first half, Dragons fullback Paul Turner broke through the Raiders defensive line and Treigh Stewart came forward for support to score the first points for the Dragons. As Jayden Sullivan successfully converted, the Dragons entered the second half trailling by four.

Raiders skipper Trey Mooney carried the Raiders throughout the second half, scoring a double to give the Raiders a comfortable lead. Mooney’s strength saw him hit the Dragons defensive line to get over on both occasions.

But the Dragons weren’t finished yet as their skipper Billy Burns ran through the middle, throwing a dummy pass to score a try in his 50th NSW Cup game.

In the 73rd minute, Treigh Stewart brought the game closer as he scored his second try. Sullivan converting three from three saw the Dragons chasing just two points to level scores with five minutes left of play.

Errors from both sides made the game a nail-biter with the Raiders coming away with a 20-18 victory, snapping a two game losing streak.

Talking Points

Nick Lui-Toso was put on report halfway through first half for his early tackle on Hohepa Puru.

Trey Mooney continues his stellar form in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, giving Ricky Stuart plenty to think about for the make up of his top 17.

Key Moment

Inside the final two minutes, the Dragons were only trailing by two in attacking field position. Things were looking good for the Dragons until a long cut-out pass from Jayden Sullivan saw the ball fly past winger Sione Finau and out of the field of play.

This error gave the Raiders possession to carry out the last minute of play and secure the two points.

What’s Next?

The Dragons will take on the Sydney Roosters at Wentworth Park on Sunday the 23rd of April, while the Raiders have the bye.

Parramatta Eels v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Bulldogs Outclass Eels in Comfortable Victory

Anthony Eltarraf

Game Summary

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs put on a clinic, withstanding plenty of pressure and showcasing attacking prowess to secure a comfortable 26-6 victory over the Parramatta Eels at CommBank Stadium.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the 16th minute after holding off a heap of pressure from the hosts. Blake Wilson split the defence open with a darting run from dummy half before offloading to Eli Clark who was tackled at the opposition 20. A quick play the ball saw the Dogs shift the ball left to Bailey Hayward who found Reece Hoffman with a clever kick in behind the Eels’ line.

Parramatta mounted more pressure on themselves when Ofahiki Ogden was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul, and the Bulldogs took full advantage of it, scoring through Blake Wilson who finished off a well-worked left-side shift to extend the lead to 10-0.

The visitors left-side terrorised the opposition again when Wilson went over for a double just three minutes after his first, showcasing his speed to get around his opposition winger to score in the corner.

Two successful conversions from three attempts from Bailey Hayward took the Bulldogs into the sheds, 16 points ahead of the Eels.

The first try of the second half came 15 minutes in, when a Jacob Arthur chip found an outstretched Jack Murchie who went over next to the posts to break the Eels’ dead-lock.

In similar fashion to the first half, the Bulldogs withstood goal line pressure before adding to their tally through Eli Clark who toed the ball forward to score between the posts after Jordan Rankin failed to collect a grubber.

Even with the victory secure, the visitors sought more points, which they scored just before full-time through Khaled Rajab, who slipped through the line after a powerful Jeral Skelton break. Another successful conversion form Bailey Hayward sealed a dominant 26-6 victory over the Eels at CommBank Stadium.

Talking Points

The Bulldogs took full advantage of the Ogden sin binning, scoring two tries on their left side through Wilson.

Young Wilson is proving to be a player to watch this season, playing a role in all three tries in the first half, and showcasing his speed and explosiveness with the ball in his hands.

The Eels came so close to scoring twice in the second half on either wing, however two brilliant try-savers in the corner from Rajab, along with Hayward on the second occasion saw the Dogs hold on.

Key Moment

With the Eels building a heap of pressure in the second-half following their first try, the Bulldogs needed to swing momentum back their way and they did just that when an alert Clark toed the ball forward after Rankin failed to collect it to score between the posts and reclaim his side’s sixteen point lead.

What’s Next?

The Eels travel to Auckland next week as they look to bounce back against the Warriors, while the Bulldogs seek to continue their run of form against the Newtown Jets at Accor Stadium.

North Sydney Bears v South Sydney Rabbitohs

Bears hammer the Bunnies with a second-half try scoring blitz

Pranav Harish

Game Summary

The North Sydney Bears crushed the South Sydney Rabbitohs to win 40-14 in round seven of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.

The home side went on a try scoring raid in the second half to set up the win in emphatic fashion.

Junior Pauga scored twice in 10 minutes in the second half while Ben Stevanovic and Regan Hughes also grabbed four pointers of their own which was enough to put the Bunnies away.

Both sides played set-for-set early in the first half as the Bears outside backs were heavily involved in getting their sets started through strong ball carries from the backfield. 

The two teams, however, conceded several penalties for high tackles and for crowding the ruck which halted momentum from being generated in the game.

Poor ball control was also exhibited from both sides as possession became an issue for both sides in playing out a clean set of six.

Bears back-rower Sitili Tupouniua scored the first try of the match to take the Bears to a 6-nil lead after running onto a crisp pass from Stevanovic.

Stevanovic made a line break as the Bears created an overlap near the eastern touchline off the back of a penalty for a high tackle awarded to the home side.

The Bunnies errors continued to mount as the referee blew the whistle to penalise the visitors for being offside.

Souths hit back with a try to Richard Kennar who scored down the western touchline after the Rabbitohs shifted their attack down the right edge.

The try came on the back of a Bears error when Tuipulotu Katoa threw a forward pass to Josh Bergamin, after making a brilliant line break from well inside the Bears end of the field.

Both sides continued conceding penalties after Souths scored their first try. The Bears started to get sloppy with their defence as they infringed the ruck and gave away penalties for high tackles.

They began to be more conservative with the football after conceding points and lost possession of the footy on several occasions during their attacking sets. 

The Bears grabbed a try with just thirty seconds left in the first half after Paul Momirovski went over untouched down the eastern touchline. The try came off the back of a line break made by Jake Turpin well inside the Bears end of the field near the western touchline.

The ball then made its way out to the right edge as the Bears moved quickly to get players to outnumber the Souths left edge defence. Momirovski’s try helped the home side take a 10-4 lead after the first 40 minutes play.

The Bears came out firing in thesecond half. Stevanovic crossed for a try under the posts just minutes into play after Hughes made a line break in the middle of the field to set up his halfback.

Pauga scored minutes later to put the Bears in front 22-4 as the home side stretched their lead over the Bunnies.

The back-to-back tries renewed the Bears’ attack as they began to carry the ball with intent. Each hit up in the following attacking plays made a dent in the Souths defensive line.

Not content with his masterful line break from earlier, Hughes bagged a try of his own. The forward muscled his way over meters out from the Rabbitohs try line to put the ball down.

The game slowly started slipping away from the Bunnies at this stage. Their defensive line struggled to contain the Bears attacking sets as North Sydney started making breaks at will. 

Pauga scored his second try next to the posts as the Bears sailed out to a commanding 34-4 lead with over 20 minutes left in the game.

The Rabbitohs did manage to put points on the scoreboard points at the back end of the second half courtesy of Maila Chan-Foon and Shannon Gardiner as the visitors managed to build on their only try scored in the first half.

It wasn’t enough to stop the Bears putting on 40 points though, as five-eighth Jesse Marschke capped off a sublime afternoon for the Bears after he crossed over under the sticks to seal another win for the red and black. 

Talking Points

The Bears were bolstered by the return of several big names into the starting 13 with Paul Momirovski and Jake Turpin both in action for home side.

It was Tom Carr’s first game back at North Sydney Oval against the Bears, this time as a Rabbitoh. 

Key Moment

With the game hanging in the balance for most of the first half Momirovski’s try on the stroke of half-time helped the Bears take the lead heading into the sheds before North Sydney got on with the job in the second half to secure victory.

What’s Next?

The Bears will be back home again to take on the Knights next Sunday afternoon while the Rabbitohs will take on the Panthers in Accor Stadium next Thursday.

Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles v Warriors

Warriors storm home to overcome Sea Eagles in high scoring affair

Hugo Lumb

Game Summary

The Warriors have gotten their fifth win of the season over the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles side in a high scoring affair in round seven of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.

Blacktown started poorly, giving away a penalty in the first tackle of the game. This granted the Warriors early field position which they immediately capitalised on, with a sweeping backline movement finished off by winger Sanele Aukusitino in the first minute of the match.

The Sea Eagles responded, receiving a penalty of their own and marching down the field. Thanks to a mix up in the Warriors back three, Lock Zac Fulton dived on a loose ball to score in the fifth minute to level the scores.

The Sea Eagles backed this up with winger Clayton Faulalo being the beneficiary of a lovely Jake Toby cut-out ball, diving over in the corner in the 13th minute to give Blacktown a four-point advantage.

10 minutes later it would be the Warriors that were next to respond, with five-eighth Ronald Volkman crafting a lovely short-ball that found Demitric Sifakula who muscled his way to the line.

The final 15 minutes of the half saw Faulalo cross for his second four-pointer of the day and a penalty goal from five-eighth Jamie Humphreys, giving the Sea Eagles a 18-12 lead at the break.  

The Warriors bounced back early in the second half, receiving a penalty early on that enabled them to camp the ball within the Sea Eagles 20m line. This eventually resulted in Setu Tu spectacularly diving over in the corner. Volkman went on to level the scores.

Yet, this dead-locked score line was short-lived, with halfback Troy Dargan placing a lovely kick for his winger Cameron Brown to cross in the far corner.

Unfortunately for Dargan, he would succumb to injury, leaving Blacktown a man down in defence. With play being able to continue and only 12 men at the time defending, the Warriors immediately capitalised with Volkman scoring next to the upright to level the scores.

With now only two members of their original starting spine remaining, and an injury to Joshua Stuckey, the Sea Eagles were extremely vulnerable in defence.

Allowing the Warriors to put the game to bed with a late flurry of tries to Sanele Aukusitino, Ali Leiataua, and Demitric Sifakula. A consolation try to the versatile Faulalo, who crossed for his third of the day, moved the end scores to 40-30. 

Talking points

The Warriors are starting to stake their claim as a threat in the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, scoring more than six tries for the second week running.

With Jake Toby off with a suspected hamstring injury, Sea Eagles winger Clayton Faulalo was forced to move into fullback. With already two tries next to his name, Faulalo illustrated his versatile nature with some lovely ball playing, strong defence, and explosive ball running.

Warriors five-eighth Ronald Volkman had a match to remember, finishing the game off with multiple try assists and 16 points to his name.

Key moment

With the game in the balance after a topsy-turvy first 55 minutes, Sea Eagles halfback Troy Dargan would succumb to a knee injury.

With Dargan down in back play and the game being allowed to continue, the Warriors marched down the field. Some smart thinking from Volkman meant that he ran straight into the defensive channel where Dargan would have been, striding through a gaping hole in the defensive line.

Volkman converted his own try to move the score line to 24-24, but it was this try that marked the turning of the tide, with the Warriors gaining complete ascendency for the remainder of the game. 

What’s next?

The Warriors will be hoping to gain their third straight win when they face the Eels back home in Auckland. Blacktown will be looking to return to winning ways when they face the Western Suburbs Magpies at Campbeltown Sports Stadium on Sunday afternoon.