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

In-form Panthers maintain unbeaten run with dominant win

Stewart Moses

Game Summary

The Penrith Panthers have maintained their perfect start to the 2024 season, with a strong 40-14 win over Western Suburbs Magpies at BlueBet Stadium on Saturday.

The home side set up their sixth successive win with a dominant first-half performance, scoring five tries to one for a 30-4 lead at the break.

Penrith opened the scoring with smart play from hooker Luke Sommerton, feigning away from dummy-half to open up the gap for prop Preston Riki to steam through and score from close range. Five-eighth Jack Cole added the extras to give the home side the early 6-0 lead after nine minutes.

The Panthers soon had their second try of the afternoon when half Trent Toelau elected to run himself on the last, stepping his through the line to score from close range, with Cole converting from out wide to double the lead to 12.

An error from the Magpies 10 metres out from their own line invited the Panthers to take full advantage, when Sommerton strolled through the goal-line defence to give Penrith a commanding 18-0 lead midway through the first half.

Penrith’s dominance was highlighted on 28 minutes by arguably the try of the game. Some brilliant play on halfway enabled Toelau to break the line, finding Cole back inside who produced a flick offload to fullback Isaiah Iongi to score under the posts, leaving the Magpies trailing 24-0.

A Luron Patea offload 45 metres from the Magpies’ line put Sommerton into space, finding Niko Apelu in support with the interchange forward stumbling his way to score next to the posts and put the Panthers 30-0 up with seven minutes remaining to the break.

A Panthers error enabled the Magpies to attack deep in Penrith’s 20 and they were able to get on the scoreboard after some quick hands left enabled back-rower Asu Kepaoa to put winger Solomon Alaimalo over in the southeast corner with the last play of the half, leaving the visitors trailing 30-4 with Alex Lobb missing the difficult conversion attempt.

The Panthers were quick to resume control, when early in the second half Toelau took a wayward Jayden Sullivan chip in his own 20 to go the distance and score his second, allowing the home side to resume their 30-point lead.

Sullivan returned the favour when he took possession of a Jack Cole grubber to go 85 metres and score underneath the posts to give the Magpies their second try to trail 34-10 after 62 minutes.

The Panthers added to their score-line late in the second half when a Cole kick was brilliantly taken 20 metres out by winger Jesse McLean, who showed blistering pace to burst through the line and score behind the posts.

The Magpies scored on the stroke of full-time with a Sullivan cross-field kick finding centre Declan Casey in open space to score in the northeast corner, 40-14 the final score-line.

Talking Points

- In just seven matches played the Panthers have already had 18 try-scorers, with Trent Toelau’s second double for 2024 putting the half on top of the list with five tries.

- The 40-14 win ensures the Panthers remain the only undefeated side in 2024, maintaining their position at the top of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup ladder.

- The 30-4 halftime lead was important given the Magpies were more competitive in the second half, with both sides scoring 10 points each.

- Magpies’ Raymond Maroun has a nervous wait from the Match Review Committee after being placed on report for a second-half incident.

Key Moment

A brilliant interchange of passes on halfway enabled Trent Toelau to burst clear, before finding halves partner Jack Cole in support who looked set to be taken in a one-on-one tackle just metres out from the try-line. But somehow Cole produced a flick pass to Isaiah Iongi to finish off a team try for the ages.

What's Next?

The undefeated Panthers face a difficult away trip to take on the Warriors next Saturday, while later that day the Magpies look to regroup when they host the North Sydney Bears at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

St George Illawarra Dragons v Warriors

Warriors spoil Dragons’ comeback in heartbreaking finish

Bailey Whitton

Game Summary 

The Warriors have come out on top 26-24 in a thriller against the St George Illawarra Dragons in Figtree, with the visitors winning by a conversion after full-time.

The Dragons flinched first, giving away a penalty for holding on in the tackle and the Warriors a shot at the goal-line. They quickly capitalised on the opportunity with Maia Sands scoring the first try of the game.

Play resumed with the Warriors earning another penalty from a kick out on the full. The Warriors didn’t score in that set, but forced a drop-out, and the next set was enough to break through a second time with fullback Taine Tuaupiki dummying to his wing before going himself and pushing through to the line.

The teams got into an arm-wrestle for position but before long the Warriors found themselves back on the attack. A series of passes on the try-line caught the Dragons’ defence off guard enough for Jacob David Junior Auloa to dive through for the Warriors’ third try, putting pressure on the Dragons to come back from an 18-0 deficit.

Marschke quickly stepped up and get the Dragons back in the game. After receiving a penalty and getting near the goal-line, Marschke threw an overhead ball to winger Sione Finau, who fought through the scrambling defence to put the Dragons on the board with the last try of the half. 

The Dragons were back on attack in the second half, with Connor Muhleisen getting deep into the line, ducking a tackle and offloading to Toby Couchman. The Dragons quickly spread it left and grubbered through to the in-goal, with Benjamin Johnson refusing to give up on the chase and grounding the ball just before going dead.

The home side quickly got back to attacking, with Marschke lobbing a kick into the corner. The Warriors let the ball go as it looked to be going out, only to bounce back in at the last moment for another try through Feagai, taking the score-line to 18-14.

In the 68th the Warriors received a penalty after a Dragons high shot, adding two points from a penalty goal in front to extend their lead back to 6.

The Dragons were undeterred with Marschke putting up another attacking bomb, this one looking too deep with the Warriors winger positioned to take it, but the kick forced an error. The ball bounced into the hands of a desperate Dylan Egan diving to get his team another try, tying the game up 20-20 with 7 minutes to go.

The Dragons continued threatening the line, with Marschke holding up a pass before releasing through the hands to right winger Savelio Tamale, scoring in the corner and getting the Dragons the lead for the first time in the 77th minute.

The conversion attempt ricocheted off the upright but with barely more than a minute on the clock and the Dragons leading 24-20, it didn’t look like it would matter.

But the Warriors had other plans. After taking the short kick-off the Warriors prodded the line, with centre Sio Kali dodging around the defence before ducking back in to avoid the scramble. He drew all the defenders to him, leaving winger Setu Tu open to receive the ball over the top and run it around for a game-tying try on the buzzer. The Warriors' conversion from Tuaupiki soared through the posts and won them the game 26-24.

Talking Points

- Taine Tuapiki controlled the Warriors attack, steering them around the park wonderfully, with Jesse Marschke doing the same for the Dragons to great effect.

- The Dragons showed plenty of desperation in a lot of their tries, refusing to give up on chases to get the ball, and it paid off well.

- Jacob David Junior Auloa had to be taken from the field after suffering a head knock while making a tackle.

Key Moment

The never-say-die attitude by the Warriors right up until the buzzer was very impressive. With a minute on the clock and down by four after the Dragons had dominated the half, they refused to give up and regained possession to score, which won them the game in end.

What’s Next?

The Dragons will welcome the Sydney Roosters to Collegians next week. Meanwhile, the Warriors head back home to New Zealand to face the top-of-the-table Penrith Panthers.

Newtown Jets v Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles

Sea Eagles victorious over Jets in gritty affair

Alex Hrissis

Game Summary

Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles have overcome the harsh conditions to defeat Newtown Jets 14-10 at Henson Park, moving to seventh place on The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup ladder.

This Round Seven clash started off as a gritty affair with both sides struggling to adapt to the rainy conditions. The first clear-cut chance to score came when Joshua Cook fed the ball to Royce Hunt for a crash play, but the front-rower was held up by the Sea Eagles’ defence.

The home side struck first when Kade Dykes made a break down the blindside and passed back inside to captain Daniel Atkinson, who sprinted down the last 10 metres and dived over to score. Atkinson converted his try to put Newtown ahead 6-0.

Soon after, Mawene Hiroti made a break down the wing and attempted to offload to his centre but it was intercepted by the opposition. With the help of some momentum and crisp passing down the right edge, Lehi Hopoate found Clayton Faulolo outside, who barged past the Newtown defenders to get his side on the scoreboard.

Blacktown made it back-to-back tries to take the lead on the stroke of halftime when they found themselves in Newtown’s 10-metre zone. Jakob Arthur provided a stunning cut-out pass for Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega, who crashed over in the corner to put his team ahead. Brandon Wakeham converted from the sideline to make the score 10-6 heading into the sheds.

The Sea Eagles picked up where they left off after halftime as they scored their third try of the day. Some tidy passing along the left edge found Kobe Rugless pushing through to score and put his side ahead 14-6.

Newtown bounced back in a last-ditch attempt to keep the game alive as some passing along the right edge found Jordin Leiu who crashed into the corner to score. However, the conversion sprayed wide to leave Newtown trailing 14-10 with 10 minutes on the clock.

A last-minute sprint down the right wing from Hiroti gave Newtown some hope, but the ball was ultimately fumbled to leave the score at 14-10 and hand Blacktown the two points.

Talking Points

- The late inclusion of Jakob Arthur provided a spark for the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles with the half bringing a strong kicking game and setting up a try.

- The Sea Eagles picked up back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Key Moment

The Sea Eagles were trailing 6-4 late in the first half until a Mawene Hiroti offload was intercepted by Blacktown. This provided a huge momentum shift for the away side and led to a try minutes after.

What’s Next?

In Round Eight of the NSW Cup the Jets will travel to Canberra to take on the Raiders, while the Sea Eagles will host Parramatta Eels.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Newcastle Knights

Bulldogs put bite on Knights in 10-try thrashing

Anthony Eltarraf

Game Summary

The Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs scored an impressive nine tries to defeat the Newcastle Knights 52-6 at Accor Stadium today.

It was a strong start for the hosts, who scored within two minutes through Reece Hoffman following a line break by Joash Papalii.

The early dominance continued for the Bulldogs with Jeral Skelton racing down the right wing and offloading to Hayze Perham to score, before Liam Knight crashed over a few minutes later to give the Dogs an 18-0 lead.

Kitione Kautoga then followed up with a first half double, reeling the ball in with one hand to touch down over the try line before scoring between the posts following a line break and offload by Joseph O’Neil.

The home side were threatening with every attacking set, and they were able to secure a 36-point lead when Harry Hayes got them rolling down the field with yet another line break, before a left side shift saw Eli Clark dive over.

With just eight minutes remaining in the first half, the Knights finally got themselves on the scoreboard when a dropped ball from the Bulldogs allowed centre Kyle McCarthy to pick up a loose ball and race away 80 metres to score. With both sides converting all tries, the Bulldogs went into half-time with a commanding 36-6 lead.

The Bulldogs carried their momentum into the second half, adding a second try for Reece Hoffman following a brilliant tap-back from Kautoga off a bomb.

Skelton and Eli Clark also secured their own doubles, scoring in their respective corners to put the exclamation mark on a convincing win.

Talking Points

• The Bulldogs dominated the Knights in the middle of the field, with the forwards laying a solid platform for their halves to work.
• The defence shown by the Dogs was just as impressive as their attack, holding firm on their line, hitting hard and forcing errors.
• Skelton and Toby Sexton continue to make strong claims to be included in the first grade side with constant impressive performances this season.

Key Moment

The first try of the afternoon for the Bulldogs, which came within two minutes gave the hosts early momentum and laid the foundation for a strong showing for the eighty minutes. Joash Papalii broke through the Knights line before drawing the fullback in and offloading to Reece Hoffman who touched down over the line.

What’s Next?

The Bulldogs look forward to a well-earned bye next week, while the Knights host the South Sydney Rabbitohs as they look to bounce back from a disappointing performance.

North Sydney Bears v Canberra Raiders

Bears Best Raiders In Sunday Afternoon Clash

Mason Cernoy

Game Summary 

After finding themselves down 12-2, 15 minutes into the contest, The North Sydney Bears scored three unanswered tries to come out 20-12 victors.

There aren’t many better sights than a Sunday afternoon on the hill of North Sydney Oval, and the stage was set for a day of cracking rugby league.

After some strong opening sets from both sides, Bear second rower Riley Meyn was collected high by his opposing number in Noah Martin in front of the posts. The Bears decided to open their account early, taking a 2-0 lead.

A mix up off of the kick off gifted Canberra a scrum from 20 metres out. The visitors made the most of their first attacking set when forward Luke Webley poured through a gaping hole to score the first try of the match in the 8th minute.

Not long after, Nick Cotric made a break through the middle of the field and put the Raiders right on the front foot, allowing them to perfectly execute a right side shift, where Manaia Waitare put Mitchell Spencer through for their second just five minutes later.

The Bears found some rhythm through centre Josh Bergamin who scooped up the ball in the his in goal to dash out to the 40. On the next play, fullback Jake Toby skipped across field before placing a perfect chip over the defence which found winger Allan Fitzgibbon, who streaked away to score a brilliant Bears try.

North Sydney, who spent most of the first half defending their line took plenty of confidence from this, and began marching down field in the sets which followed, until Josh Bevan had the ball illegally stripped from him and the Bears were gifted a set from 10 metres out.

HookerTyran Wishart hit forward Ben Talty with a great ball from dummy half, allowing him to muscle over the line and send his side into the sheds with the lead at halftime (14-12).

Heading back out with their tails up, The Bears were gifted a penalty off the opening set of the half, putting them right back on the attack.

Being well and truly camped on Canberra’s line after being awarded a set restart, centre Matt Stimson shook and shimmied his way around Canberra’s right edge before finding a pass for Fitzgibbon, who claimed his second try just three minutes into the second half.

The stage of the game that followed saw the match devolve into a sequence full of penalties and errors, where neither side managed to gain any ascendancy.

As the minutes continued to tick down, Canberra began taking more and more chances in attack through a series of threatening kicks off the boot of Adam Cook, but the Norths kept winning their aerial contests and absorbing the pressure.

Talking Points

• Bears fullback Jake Toby was extremely dynamic, being absolutely everywhere on both sides of the ball, as well as getting through plenty of work for his side.
• Some of the forwards on display were an absolute joy to watch this afternoon, running with plenty of sting and adding lots of punch to their side, with Hohepa Puru, Phillip Makatoa, and Peter Hola being the main standouts
• The defence of North Sydney was impressive in the second half, shutting out Canberra entirely for zero second half points

Key Moment

Allan Fitzgibbon’s first try was the key moment of this match, not only because it turned the momentum of the game entirely, with Bergamin’s break coming off the back of multiple sets off line defense with the Bears still being down 12-2, but because it was also an absolutely stellar try to watch, and a brilliant effort from Bergamin, Toby, and Fitzgibbon.

What’s Next?

The North Sydney Bears can enjoy the win in front of their home faithful as they prepare for their trip to Campbelltown next Saturday, as the Raiders return home for their Sunday afternoon clash with the Newtown Jets.

Sydney Roosters v Parramatta Eels

Savala, Gromek heroics as Roosters prevail over Parramatta.

Mitchell Roese

Game Summary

The Sydney Roosters have jumped back into the winner’s circle with a gallant 24-20 victory over the Parramatta Eels on Sunday afternoon at Wentworth Park.

Roosters halfback Hugo Savala starred in the fixture while an inspirational effort right at the death from fullback Callum Gromek secured the win at home to conclude round seven of the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.

The hosts capitalised on a ‘six again’ penalty, where Savala faked a kick on last tackle to split the defence and score the opener in the sixth minute.

Eels’ fullback Zac Cini levelled the score five minutes later as he showed his leaping ability for the high ball, taking an incredible grab above all before finding his feet and then the line.

Maika Sivo could not be stopped as he sent his opposing number flying to literally walk over the try line. Ethan Sanders then added the extra two points with a perfect sideline conversion.

Parramatta veered closer to edging further in front, but a loose ball on a fast break saw the Roosters quickly turn defence into attack as fullback Callum Gromek darted 80 metres downfield for the try.

On the stroke of half time, the tricolours prevailed for the go-ahead try as Savala again used his trademark show and go to catch the defenders napping on the line and give his side an 18-12 lead at the half.

The visitors came close to scoring from the first set out of half time when Sivo was given ample room down the left edge, but his pass inside couldn’t be secured.

The Fijian international had no issues finding his support on Parramatta’s next attacking set.

The ball was swung all the way from the right edge, as Sivo then shrugged off multiple defenders to free his arm and gift Ethan Sanders a try.

He wasn’t done yet. Ethan Sanders chipped to the left corner, where Sivo went aerial to secure the goods and offload to Cini who stretched his arm over to bag his second.

With their backs against the wall with the game slowly fading away, the Roosters pounced in the 73rd minute.

Savala again dummied and stepped his way through the tired defensive line and found his support in Benaiah Ioelu on the inside to re-take the lead.

Going to their international superstar, Sivo looked destined to score the match winner and sink the Roosters.

However, Gromek put his slightly smaller frame in the way of Sivo and saved a sure try, securing a 24-20 win for the Chooks.

Talking Points

• The 24-20 victory is the Roosters first since round two this season and marks the first for the tricolours over Parramatta in the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.
• Hugo Savala was paramount to the victory, individually scoring 16 points (two tries and four goals), while his kicking game and play-structure organisation guided his team around the park.
• Maika Sivo was impressive throughout the contest, coming up with a try two huge assists inside 10 minutes to take a timely lead in the second half.

Key Moment

Roosters fullback Callum Gromek was seemingly the difference between Maika Sivo scoring the matchwinner and the Roosters second win of the season, as he launched his body at all 100 plus kilograms at the winger to save a near certain try.

What’s next?

The Roosters victory boosts them off the bottom of the competition ladder and will meet St George Illawarra Dragons on Saturday afternoon.

Parramatta Eels venture away on Sunday afternoon to face Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles.