Recap | The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup - Round 23

Eels, Panthers unable to break stalemate in golden west shootout classic

Stewart Moses

Game Summary

The Penrith Panthers have missed a golden opportunity to temporarily move into the top five but at least salvaged a competition point with a come-from behind 22-all draw with their local rivals the Parramatta Eels at a wet and slippery CommBank Stadium this evening.

The Panthers despite withdrawing Luron Patea before kick-off, welcomed back Isaiah Iongi and David Fale for the clash and led 12-0 before the Eels narrowed the gap with back-to-back tries of their own late in the first half to trail 12-10 at the main break.

But the tenth-placed Eels who came into this game having lost their last four games had other ideas in the second half, dominating their opponents and looked set to win the contest when they led 22-16 with only minutes remaining.

However, the Panthers conjured up a 79th minute long range try to Brad Schenider, converted by Jack Cole to level the scores and leave the Panthers at least one point out of the top five with the drawn result.

The Panthers, having already threatened with an early line-break to winger Asu Kepaoa, scored in the fourth minute of play following an error from the home side 20 metres out from their own line. A couple of plays later and an outside-inside play between the Panther halves Jack Cole and Brad Schneider enabled the latter to reach out and score from close range and Cole’s easy conversion gave Penrith a dream 6-0 start.

The Panthers may have lost key lock forward Riley Price to what looks to be a potentially serious leg injury midway through the first half but doubled their lead on the 26th minute after a quick shift left enabled skipper Tyrone Peachey to put Kepaoa on a 20 metre charge to the south-east corner, with Cole landing the difficult sideline conversion (12-0).

Having missed a few try-scoring opportunities of their own earlier in the half, the Eels finally opened their account in the 29th minute when a last tackle deft kick from dummy half Matt Arthur at the tryline found an unmarked Morgan Harper to score in the north-west corner, converted by half Ethan Sanders to reduce the gap to six.

Two minutes out from halftime, the Eels were in again when Sanders and Zachary Hunter combined to put Ethyn Martin over with a peach of a floating pass found the unmarked winger, who slid over in the north-east corner to reduce the gap to two going into the main break.

The Panthers came out of the main break producing key errors in the opening minutes of the second half, and were eventually punished when a quick shift right found Penrith’s left edge napping and Martin was over for his second try of the night to give the home side their third unanswered try and the lead for the first time 14-12, despite Sanders again missing his conversion attempt from out wide.

The Eels on the back of a relieving penalty regained the lead for the second time when fullback Lorenzo Mutiliano went on a scorching diagonal run to score in the southeast corner from 25 metres out despite the best attempts of the Panthers cover defence to put him into touch. Sanders this time converting from the eastern touchline giving the home side an 20-16 lead with ten minutes remaining.

A high tackle in the ensuing set 35 metres out enabled Sanders to extend Parramatta’s lead out to 22-16 after 72 minutes which they looked likely to hold to with two minutes remaining.

However, Brad Schneider had other ideas, firstly putting backrower Harrison Hassett into a gaping hole from halfway, before backing up inside to score next to the posts, enabling Cole to level the scores with less than a minute remaining.

Despite Cole attempting an audacious long range field goal to seal an unlikely win with seconds remaining, both sides in fairness deserved a share of the competition points in an absorbing local derby.

Talking Points

• Penrith’s Riley Price was taken from the field with a potentially serious leg injury.
• Parramatta’s Toni Mataele and Penrith’s Falefa Letoi both put on report in the first half.
• Penrith came into the game winning four of their last five, while the Eels had lost four games in succession.
• The 22-all draw was Penrith’s second draw of the season.

Key Moment

The Panthers left it late but came up with the play to the night to potentially salvage their finals hopes when Schnieder combined with Harrison to score a long-range try that broke the hearts of the home side.

What's Next?

The Parramatta Eels host the Newcastle Knights next Saturday at Eric Tweedale Stadium, while the next day, the Penrith Panthers make the long trek to North Sydney Oval to take on the ladder-leading Bears in a game that the Panthers must win to keep their finals hopes alive.

Canberra Raiders v Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles 

Raiders dominate Sea Eagles at GIO Stadium

Tahlie Gavin

Game Summary

The Canberra Raiders have displayed a dominant 52-12 performance over the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles today at GIO Stadium.

The home team opened the score early, through Mitch Henderson who crossed in the opening minute after fullback Chevy Stewart and centre James Schiller combined to race down the field before passing to Henderson to score (6-0).

The Raiders found themselves with another four pointer only three minutes later through forward Jordan Martin who crashed over the line (12-0).

Playing his first game back from an ankle injury, Chevy Stewart was the next Raider to find the line in the 13th minute before setting up another try for his Schiller who scored underneath the posts (22-0).

The Raiders continued their first half dominance with two back-to-back identical tries. Danny Levi scored in the 28th minute after receiving a pass from five eighth Manaia Waitere before Levi scored yet again in the 31st minute replicating his previous try (34-0).

The Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles finally found their way over the line with twp minutes left in the first half. Fullback Clayton Faulalo threw a dummy before his amazing footwork bamboozled the Raiders as he dived over the line to bring the score to 34-6 at half time.  

Manaia Waitere began the second half with a well-deserved try to himself with the Raiders shifting the ball out left for the playmaker to score (40-6).

Martin crossed for his second try of the day as the Raiders continued to pile the points on to now extend their lead out to 40 points.

The Raiders final try of the day game in the 70th minute with Waitere crossing for a second half double and bringing the home side to half a century on the score board (52-6).

Blacktown found their second try of the night, through Matt Lodge who charged at Raiders defence just managing to put the ball over the line scoring his first try for the season. Paulo added the extras but with under 5-minutes remaining it was too late for a comeback as the Raiders carried out the 52-12 victory.

Talking Points

• Chevy Stewart returns to fullback for the Raiders just intime for the race to the finals
• Matt Lodge on report early in the first half
• Jordan Martin and Josh Billing were placed on report during the second half
• James Schiller was ruled out to begin the second half with his second failed HIA in two games. Big concerns for Schiller as he will now miss next week’s game due to the stand down period protocols.
• Josh Billing was activated as 18th man

Key Moment

It was a huge afternoon at GIO Stadium as the Raiders put on another impressive performance at home. The Raiders governed the Blacktown Worker Sea Eagles in a high-scoring game. Danny Levi’s double off the back of Manaia Waitere’s efforts blew everyone away. It looked like an exact replay of the try before with Waitere passing off the Levi to score. Back-to-back identical tries was definitely a key moment.

What’s Next?

Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles will head back to 4 Pines park to host The One New Zealand Warriors on Saturday the 17th. The Canberra Raiders will road trip to Wollongong to take on the St George Illawarra Dragons the following day.

St George Illawarra Dragons v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 

Dragons outclass Bulldogs in Kogarah

Anthony Eltarraf

Game Summary

The St George Illawarra Dragons put on a clinic to defeat the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in a dominant 30-6 victory at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

The Dragons drew first blood in just the fifth minute with Mathew Feagai breaking the Bulldogs’ line before handing the ball off to Lyhkan King-Togla to finish between the posts (6-0).

Hamish Stewart found himself on the end of a short ball just five minutes later, powering through the defence to double his side’s lead (12-0).

With half time approaching, Dylan Egan sliced right through the heart of the visitors’ defence to set up a well-earned try for halfback Jonah Glover. The Dragons’ third converted try saw them go into the sheds at half time with a healthy 18-0 lead over the Bulldogs.

With the Bulldogs desperate to score first, they piled plenty of pressure on the Dragons but couldn’t seem to find an opening until just after the hour mark. A set play on the left edge finished off and converted by Eli Clark brought the Bulldogs back within two converted tries (18-6).

Errors plagued both sides throughout the second period, however a high shot by Jeral Skelton saw the Bulldogs winger sent to the sin bin with just eight minutes remaining, allowing the Dragons to extend their lead to 20-6.

A late double for a powerful Mikaele Ravalawa sealed a dominant 30-6 victory for the Dragons over the Bulldogs at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

Talking Points

• The Dragons’ outside backs did a great job getting their team on the front foot at the start of their sets, laying the platform for a dominant performance.
• The forward pack of the Dragons were powerful and clever in their movement and decision making, breaking the line and offloading on numerous occasions throughout the match.
• The Bulldogs found themselves down on their luck, losing both Lachlan Vale and Blake Wilson to injuries before Jeral Skelton was sent to the sin bin for a high shot.

Key Moment

With just two converted tries separating the two teams, the Jeral Skelton sin bin that allowed Jonah Glover to kick the penalty goal was the crucial play of the game. While the Bulldogs struggled to break the Dragons’ line the game was still very much in the balance, but a mistimed high shot by Jeral Skelton saw him sent for an early shower with just eight minutes remaining on the clock. The penalty gave the Dragons an easy opportunity to extend their lead to 14, which Glover did perfectly.

What’s Next?

The Dragons host the Canberra Raiders in Wollongong next week, while the Bulldogs find themselves on the road again as they come up against the Sydney Roosters.

Warriors v South Sydney Rabbitohs 

Newcastle Knights v Western Suburbs Magpies 

Western Suburbs edge Newcastle in tight affair

Mason Cernoy

Game Summary

After posting one first-half try to keep the match at an arm's reach, the Western Suburbs Magpies came out of the blocks in the second half to produce three tries in rapid succession, holding onto their lead to beat Newcastle Knights 20-12 at McDonald Jones Stadium.

It was a tightly contested first half, with both sides turning up in defence from the kick-off. The Magpies were building pressure early off the back of Jayden Sullivan’s kicking game and a better completion rate, but the Knights proved harder to defend in the opening stages with the Hastings and Pryce combination creating two tries in the 15th and 25th minute for Hayden Sutton and David Armstrong, respectively.

As the minutes ticked down in the first half, Western Suburbs refused to take a backwards step and eventually got rewarded for it, following a penalty conceded by Jackson Hastings. They executed a slick play which saw Heath Mason sweep out the back to hit Josh Feledy, who produced a fend and found his way to the try-line (8-6).

The second half saw a change of fortune when the Knights spent three sets attacking Wests' line with no results. The Magpies scored three tries back-to-back directly afterwards, all set up by Jayden Sullivan, who squared up the defence and took the right options for Lachlan Broederlow and Declan Casey’s tries, and created an opportunity for Faaletino Tavana to score off of a towering bomb that David Armstrong couldn’t reel in.

This saw the Magpies rocket out to a 20-8 lead in a matter of minutes, with the Knights being starved of possession in this stage of the game. The Western Suburbs looked all but sure to cross for a fifth time in the match after winning a short kick-off and being awarded a penalty, but an error let the Knights off the hook and allowed them to attempt to wrestle their way back into the match.

After a tight period of play between the two sides, Sullivan put a dangerous-looking bomb up, but Armstrong busted two tackles and offloaded to Hayden Sutton who produced a quick play-the-ball. Off the back of it, Riley Jones was able to slip through the defenders on the short side and go all the way to make it an eight-point game once more. The 20-12 score remained until full-time.

Talking Points

• Jackson Hastings was impressive at No.13, allowing for an attacking structure that posed more threats with both halves interchanging between first and second receiver more frequently, unlocking their running games. David Armstrong’s try, in particular, was beautiful Rugby League from the Knights.
• The Wests youngsters were impressive, with Jayden Sullivan creating three tries and kicking Newcastle into corners all afternoon, and Heath Mason being everywhere on both sides of the ball and really bringing the energy for his side.
• After losing eight-straight matches between Rounds 11-18, the Western Suburbs Magpies have won three of their past five.

What's Next?

The Magpies will be looking to maintain their recent positive record against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at home, and the Knights are off to Eric Tweedale Stadium in Sydney to take on the Parramatta Eels.

North Sydney Bears v Newtown Jets 

Jets outlast the Bears in a Frank Hyde Shield thriller

Daneie Geddes

Game Summary

In a nail-biting clash at North Sydney Oval, the Newtown Jets retained the Frank Hyde Shield in a gripping 18-8 triumph over the North Sydney Bears.

The win sees the Jets surge closer to the top of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup ladder.

The game got off to an electrifying start as the Bears wasted no time making their mark. Just five minutes in, Kieran Hayman took advantage with a two-point penalty goal to put North Sydney on the scoreboard.

Newtown were quick to respond just seven minutes later, when Niwhai Puru found a gap in the Bears' defence for their first try. A successful Mawene Hiroti conversion swung the lead 6-2.

Both teams went set for set trading blows for the next 20 minutes. The Jets came agonisingly close to extending their lead when Liam Ison made a hit at the right edge, set up by Puru. Puru’s offload created a prime opportunity for Khaled Rajeb, but the Bears' defence held firm.

Newtown weren't to be denied when they capitalised on a weakened Bears right side once again in their next set, with Kyle Pickering bulldozing over the line to extend the Jets’ lead to 10-2 into halftime.

The Bears came back out firing when Jayden Yates made a daring run from dummy-half, but a crucial tackle by Ison snuffed out the attack.

Undeterred, the Bears looked set to score again when Katoa was in position for a try on the left edge, but their hopes were dashed as the touch judge ruled a forward pass. Adding to their woes, the Bears fell to 12 men after Tepai Moeroa was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.

The Jets capitalised through a Kyle Pickering chip-chase to force a goal-line drop-out, putting the Bears under further pressure.

The next 15 minutes saw both teams trade sets with neither managing to break the deadlock, until a penalty against the Bears provided the Jets with a golden opportunity. Samuel Healey then went over score. With the conversion successful, the Jets extended their lead to 16-2 as they rolled into the final quarter of the match.

The Bears remained in the contest and Sualauvi Faalogo’s chip-chase forced another drop-out, giving them a chance to claw back some points. However, their efforts were thwarted once again by a knock-on and the Jets’ defence held firm.
With 15 minutes left, North Sydney’s Allan Fitzgibbon muscled his way through for a crucial try and Hayman’s conversion brought the score to 16-8.

Despite a final push, the Bears couldn't close the gap, with the Jets grabbing a late two-point penalty goal to secure a 18-8 win as the final siren rang out.

Talking Points

• The Jets' defence was a standout feature of the match. Despite the Bears’ relentless pressure and several close calls, including Jayden Yates’ near-try and Katoa’s disallowed attempt, Newtown’s defence held firm.
• The Bears’ 10-minute reduction to 12 men proved pivotal after Tepai Moeroa’s sin-bin allowed the Jets to exploit their right side.
• Allan Fitzgibbon’s powerful try and Sualauvi Faalogo’s chip-chase were pivotal in keeping the Bears in the game.

Key Moment

Kyle Pickering’s chip-chase to force a goal-line drop-out, combined with a crucial penalty against the Bears, allowed Samuel Healey to score extending Newtown’s lead to 16-2. It gave them the upper hand heading into the final quarter of the game.

What's Next?

The Jets will enjoy a well-deserved break with a bye in Round 24, allowing them plenty of time to regroup before their clash against the Dragons. Meanwhile, the Bears will shift their focus to their upcoming match with the Penrith Panthers at North Sydney Oval next week.