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

Match Summary 

Stunning comeback win

Richard Becht & photosport.nz

A stunning second half onslaught propelled the One New Zealand Warriors to a remarkable 30-18 victory over the Newcastle Knights in Saturday’s round eight New South Wales Cup encounter at the Trusts Stadium in Waitakere.

The Knights had little to recommend them coming into the contest against the competition’s top side.

They’d won just once leaving them 11th on the ladder while the Warriors had lost only once.

Yet at halftime Newcastle had run up an 18-0 lead and seemed to be on track for a huge upset.

That was until the Warriors completely transformed the second half.

A late shot on Tanah Boyd was the catalyst.

It led to the Knights having second rower Francis Manuleleua sent to the sin bin – and the Warriors benefited immediately with tries in quick succession down the left edge to winger Edward Kosi and Moala Graham-Taufa.

That reduced the margin to 10-18 after 50 minutes before two more tries in the 66th and 69th minutes had the Warriors in front 22-18.

First Luke Hanson broke through and found Eddie Ieremia-Toeava in support before they struck from the restart, Sam Healey breaking clear from deep inside his own half and finding Te Maire Martin outside him for a superb try.

The home side completed a 30-point second half rampage with a Boyd penalty in the 75th minute followed by a Healey try from dummy half in the final moments to round off a recovery of epic proportions.

The Warriors’ sixth win of the season lifted them to 14 points.

They’re away to the North Sydney Bears next Sunday.

St George Illawarra Dragons v Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 

Match Summary

Dragons Bounce Back In Big Win Over Manly

Bailey Whitton

The St George Illawarra Dragons have found themselves back in the winners' circle today after defeating Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 36-6. 

The Dragons method came out on top early, forcing several of the Sea Eagles passes to miss their targets, floating forward or hitting the ground, keeping the ball in the Sea Eagles half for a majority of the half.

In the opening 20 minutes both teams failed to score however that was soon to change.

Following a close call from a Sea Eagles kick, the Dragons struck, hot potatoing the ball over the ruck, confusing the Manly defence and with a string of silky passes starting with Jonah Glover, Ben Rumble crossed for the first try of the game.

The Dragons make a series of plays down the left hand side, with Raymond Faitala-Mariner coming close to scoring twice only to be denied. A third time and he attempted an offload, only for it to be intercepted by the Sea Eagles.

However, the Dragons immediately took the ball back and passed to winger Nathan Lawson for their second try.

Manly were being overrun and their defence became sloppier, giving away a high tackle immediately after points to give the Dragons another shot before half-time.

The Dragons took it shifting left through Ramsey and getting Lawson an easy double to end the half 14-0.

Finding themselves back in the Sea Eagles half, the Dragons had a set restart on their last tackle and turned it into points through Faitala-Mariner crashing over an unprepared defence, taking the lead to 20.

Five minutes later the Dragons were on the board again, thanks to a silky kick from Lykhan King-Togia to the wing behind the defence, getting Lawson a hat-trick by the 53rd minute.

A Dragons penalty in the following sets gives Manly some life, going the full length of the field in a few tackles thanks to some risky offloads. They look likely to score but again, the dragons defence rushes and forces the error before the Sea Eagles could take advantage.

Lykhan King-Togia immediately made them pay for the missed try, slicing through the middle of the Sea Eagles defence before passing to Ramsey to score another, making it 32-0.

They added another shortly after with a shift to the right, Jonah Glover getting the last pass with a tap on, hitting the ground, but Nick Tsourgranis scooped up the loose ball and charged down the wing, unable to be stopped.

The Sea Eagles didn’t go home empty handed however, as with five minutes on the clock, Jake Arthur dove through a hole in the Dragons defence, caused by four defenders slamming the door on Lodge when he tried to plunge through, getting them on the scoreboard to end the game.

Talking Points

• The Dragons forwards looked eager to prove themselves, tackling and running hard and with purpose all game long, with Jacob Webster and Loko Pasifiki Tonga being especially noteworthy.
• Lykhan King Togia took the ball and made things happen around it. His pass selection and kicking game were on point, and are skills the Dragons first grade squad could use.
• Jake Arthur was a shining light in the Sea Eagles team. When he took control of the ball, the Sea Eagles shape noticeably improved, catching the Dragons defenders off footed repeatedly with the line selections.

Key Moment

The hot potato over the ruck was the moment the Dragons took the game by the horns. Prior to that the two teams were battling it out but neither was showing that extra spark in attack to break the other, the Dragons showed it there and carried it through for the rest of the game.

What’s Next?

Manly have the bye next week to reset before hosting the Roosters the week after, meanwhile the Dragons head to Sydney to take on the Magpies.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Parramatta Eels 

Match Summary

Parramatta Runs Riot at Redfern Mason Cernoy

Mason Cernoy

The Parramatta Eels have absolutely dominated the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern, making it three victories in a row for the blue and golds, while the Rabbitohs are in anguish after their seventh straight loss.

From the opening whistle it was clear that it wasn’t South Sydney’s day, as they were called offside from the kick-off. With Parramatta beginning play just 25 metres out, they were straight on the attack, and Ronald Volkman and Deans Hawkins combined to get the ball out to Joash Papalii, who sent Jordan Samrani over in the first set of the match.

Toni Mataele knocked it on in the hit-up off the kickoff, and thus it was the Rabbitohs’ turn to attack. Josh Schuster wasn’t afraid to chance his arm and put a risky grubber through early in the count, but it paid off, resulting in a dropout. As a result, he ended up icing a lovely face ball to Declan Casey, who sent Max Lehmann over with ease.

For the third time in the match, the trend of errors in the set following the kick-off continued when Ashton Ward was crunched and lost possession in the act of playing the ball. The Eels were straight back on the attack as a result and took back a lead that they’d hold onto for the rest of the match. Volkman squared up the defence nicely and put his captain Dan Keir through a gap, who was too fast and powerful to be stopped at the line.

Hawkins attempted a 40/20 that deflected off the South's defensive line. Bryce Cartwright was the first to react, scooping up the ball and finding his halfback on the inside, who did incredibly well to stroll down the field with a big focus on running speed, slowing down as defenders approached to keep them engaged and hitting Samrani on the outside for his second of the day.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back, as Parramatta started rolling up the field with ease. Two short side raids in quick succession saw their lead grow in a flash as Volkman and Mohamad Alammadine crossed three minutes apart from each other. They put the icing on the first half cake when Ryan Matterson came up with an impossible offload that ended up with Bryce Cartwright, who pirouetted before fashioning a lovely cross kick to Samrani who chalked up a first half hat-trick, sending his side into the sheds up 32-6.

As both teams came out for the second half, it felt as if South Sydney were no chance. After receiving a penalty in the first set of the half however, they found themselves on the board first thanks to some genuine x-factor shown by Schuster, who put in a chip-style crosskick for Leonard Skelton, who caught the ball at full speed and raced into the corner to score.

Jordan Plath came onto the field soon after, and was providing his teammates with some much needed energy. Thanks to his spark they began moving up the field with less difficulty in the first half, and it was Ashton Ward’s turn to let the boot talk. He forced a dropout after perfectly placing a bomb for Alammadine, who, upon taking it, was rocked by a great shot from Skelton and ended up in the in-goal.

Another attacking opportunity was seized by the Souths, when Ward put the ball up near the posts, where Plath, possibly the shortest man on the field, rose above everyone else in the contest to snatch the ball and notch up another try for the Bunnies.

After Parramatta were given some field position via a penalty, they were looking to break their second half drought. They had bombed some chances, but finally added to their total through some one-two action with Hawkins and Cartwright, when Hawkins put Cartwright through a gap and he found Hawkins on the inside to finish it off.

The Rabbitohs were dominating the first 20 minutes of the second half but this try put a pin in their balloon, as they conceded another to Papalii just minutes later, who was able to go himself off the wrap lines he’d been running so well all day when Volkman’s sleight of hand opened up the defence.

Schuster’s boot created more points late in the match for Javier Pitovao, who dove on a sneaky grubber that he slid through after convincing everyone at Redfern Oval that he was going to pass the ball. It was too little too late however and the deception of Volkman came to the forefront once more, when he slid through the line untouched and found Saxon Pryke in support to bring up 50 points for the blue and gold.

Talking Points

• There was a lot to love about Parramatta’s attack this afternoon, from forwards like Matterson and Mataele laying a great platform, Hawkins steering the ship with ease, touches of brilliance from their most creative players; Volkman and Cartwright, and outside backs putting the finishing touches on, most notably Samrani, who bagged a first half hat-trick
• Josh Schuster may not have won his team the game but his ability to play adlib footy is next level. Kicking early never fazed him and as a result he picked up two forced dropouts, along with two try assists from his boot.
• Jordan Plath was a shining light for the Rabbitohs, bringing the energy, scoring a try, and delivering on all the intangibles, coming up with some quality cleanup work often.
• The two halfbacks performed exceptionally. Ashton Ward came up with a few good plays, forcing a dropout and assisting a try with his boot, but Dean Hawkins was even better, setting up tries, scoring them, and was an instrumental asset in his side’s dominant victory today.

Key Moment

The Rabbitohs were really working their way back into the game in the second half after looking done and dusted, but Dean Hawkins’ try, which was Parramatta’s first of the second half shut down their momentum and allowed his side to get on with the job, going on to crack the half-century against the red and green.

What’s Next?

Both sides have a more even match on their hands next week, with Parramatta heading to Henson Park to take on the high-flying Jets in what promises to be a ripper contest.

South Sydney on the other hand will host the Newcastle Knights, as both sides continue to search for their second victory of the season.

Western Suburbs Magpies v Newtown Jets 

Match Summary 

Jets Outmuscle Magpies in Gritty Win at Lidcombe Oval

Anthony Eltarraf

The Newtown Jets continued their strong start to the season by securing a hard-fought 18-6 victory over the Western Suburbs Magpies.

Looking to bounce back from their loss last week, the Magpies drew first blood after piling the pressure on the Jets, through Izaac Tu'itupou who found himself at dummy half before powering his way over.

The hosts looked in control, however a small lapse in defence allowed the Jets to break through on the left, allowing Michael Gabrael to cross over, levelling the score before Niwhai Puru converted to give his side a two-point lead.

With less than five minutes remaining of the first half, a penalty allowed Kurt Falls to level the score, taking both sides into the break, six points-a-piece.

The second half remained a real fight, and the deadline was broken when another left side shift found Eli Clark who managed to stretch out and plant the ball down in the corner. Puru successfully converted again to extend his side’s lead to a converted try.

Poor discipline plagued the Magpies and with just three minutes remaining, Braden Hamlin-Uele sealed the victory for the Jets, coming back against the grain to barge his way over between the posts. An easy third conversion for Puru saw the Jets secure a hard-fought 18-6 victory over the Magpies.

Talking Points 

• The Jets’ left edge proved the difference this afternoon, scoring two of their three tries down the left flank and exposing the Magpies’ right side defence.
• Braden Hamlin-Uele dominated through the middle, proving a handful for the Magpies’ defenders.
• The Magpies looked stronger this game, holding the Jets off for most of the game, but poor discipline put too much pressure on the hosts for them to handle.

Key Moment 

With less than four minutes remaining and a converted try the difference, an inside ball from Niwhai Puru found a raging Braden Hamlin-Uele, who scored between the posts to seal the game for the Jets as they ran away with the game.

What's Next? 

The Magpies welcome the St George Illawarra Dragons next week again at Lidcombe Oval, while the Jets head back home to host the Parramatta Eels.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Penrith Panthers

Match Summary

Bulldogs prove too good for Panthers 

Alex Hrissis

Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs have defeated the Penrith Panthers 34-18 at Belmore Sports Ground in Round Eight of The Knock On Effect NSW Cup to improve their good run of form and move them up to fifth spot on the ladder.

The home side scored first points at Belmore on Saturday afternoon when some clean passing along the left edge found Jethro Rinakama who dived into the corner to score for his side. The kick was waved away to leave the score at 4-0.

Bulldogs scored back-to-back tries after a scramble on the 10 metre line saw a few sneaky offloads find Luke Smith who found a gap in the line and crashed over to score. The kick was converted to put the home team ahead 10-0.

It was one way traffic as Canterbury Bankstown scored again. Emerging front rower Lipoi Hipoi made a strong line break and blitzed down the field before finding Kurtis Morrin inside of him who scored underneath the posts with ease to give the home side a 16-0 lead.

Panthers bounced back halfway through the first half through David Vale. The outside back made a run down the wing and skipped past several players before busting through a tackle and making it all the way to the tryline. The kick was nailed from the sideline to make the score 16-6.

The away side scored back-to-back tries to shorten the Bulldogs’ lead. Following a repeat set Penrith found themselves mounting pressure on the opposition and they were rewarded with a try. Passing down the left edge found Jack Cole who played a tidy short ball to Harrison Hassett who stormed through the line to score. The kick was converted to make the score 16-12.

The Bulldogs scored right on the stroke of half time to extend their lead over Penrith through in form winger Blake Wilson. Some long passes down the right side found Taaffe who tapped the ball along to Wilson who dived in the corner to score a try and send his team into the sheds with a 22-12 lead.

The home side extended their lead over Penrith with some dangerous movement down the left edge. The ball found utility Drew Hutchison who threw a tasty dummy to the Panthers defender and cut through the line to score. Taaffe converted to extend the lead out to 28-12.

Panthers wouldn't go down without a fight however as they scored halfway through the second period to try and get back into the game. Trent Toelau threw a cutout pass to a wide open Asu Kepaoa who looked to score for all money but was nearly dragged out by the opposition. He managed to get a pass away which fell directly into the hands of Harry Armstrong who scored the try. Toelau nailed the conversion to tighten the score to 28-18.

Bulldogs all but confirmed the victory over Penrith as some slick passing down the ridge edge found Jonathan Sua who bursted through the line to score his first try of the day. The kick was slotted by Taaffe to make the final score 34-18.

Talking Points

• Lipoi Hipoi had himself another standout game for the Bulldogs, notching up several line breaks, tackle busts and a try assist
• The victory over Penrith makes it three wins in a row for the Bulldogs and moves them up to fifth place on the ladder

Key Moment

Bulldogs scored in just the third minute of the game through Rinakama which laid the platform for the win over a strong Penrith outfit who have won five of their last six games.

What’s Next?

In Round Nine of the KOE NSW Cup the Penrith Panthers will host Canberra Raiders while the Bulldogs will play the Roosters.

Canberra Raiders v North Sydney Bears 

Gutsy Raiders strike again at home

Tahlie Gavin

Match summary

The Canberra Raiders have ended the North Sydney Bears’ three-game winning streak in a close encounter in the nation’s capital.

After a big win for the Canberra Raiders NRL team at GIO Stadium, an inspired The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup side ran out to put on four tries to one in the first half. The Bears began to find their feet in the second half, but the Raiders proved too strong as they carried out the 36-26 victory.

The Bears came out raring to go with a try after four minutes to winger Matt Komolafe. Over in the corner, Komolafe overcame a tussle with Raiders defenders to get the ball down and give the Bears an early lead. A failed conversion from Harradyn Wilson saw them with an early four-point lead.

The Raiders got the ball rolling 10 minutes later as lock Myles Martin cemented their first points for the afternoon. A quick pass from Danny Levi at dummy-half saw Martin take the Bears defence across the line with him. Adam Cook added the extras taking the Raiders to a 6-4 lead.

Danny Levi was next to find the line for the Raiders as he rummaged his way under the Bears defence to find the try-line halfway through the first half. Cook successfully converted taking the Raiders to an eight-point lead.

As the Raiders got the ball moving down their right-hand side, Cook put in a kick over to the left that saw Trey Mooney throw a basketball styled lob pass over to Michael Asomua who ran towards the try-line. Cook added two more points to the Raiders lead.

With seven minutes left to play in the first half, returning fullback Chevy Stewart continued the Raiders’ first half ambush as a high kick from Adam Cook saw Stewart sprint his way to contest, winning the battle and scoring under the posts. A successful conversion saw the Raiders lead by 20 points. A failed penalty goal attempt for the Raiders to end the first half saw them head into the sheds ahead 24-4.

The Bears came up with first points in the second half through halfback Harradyn Wilson. Stepping through a defensive gap, Wilson ran his way over the line in an attempt to start the Bears’ second half comeback. Wilson successfully converted his own try taking the score to 24-10.

The Bears found a way to get the ball moving again just three minutes later, as a beautifully visioned grubber kick from Bears’ Nathaniel Roach saw skipper Jesse Marschke dive, as he managed to ground the ball in-goal just before going dead. An unsuccessful conversion saw the Bears back in the contest and only trailing by 10-points.

Moments after being placed on report, Danny Levi put in a quick play from dummy-half which saw him burrow his way through the Bears’ defence to get the Raiders back on the board in the second half. A successful conversion from Adam Cook saw the Raiders leading 30-14.

The Bears found some momentum with 18 minutes left in the game as fullback Jake Toby’s grubber kick was played at as it came back to him. He managed to pass off to Marschke who got a quick inside pass to prop Ben Talty, who rolled over the Raiders’ defence to score. Wilson converted the try, bringing the Bears back to 10 points behind.

A messy last-tackle play by the Bears saw Matt Komolafe come up with his second try of the night. A kick off the deck from Jesse Marschke with seven minutes left, saw the Bears regain the ball as they managed to get the ball out left for Komolafe. The Canberra Raiders, not convinced by the try, were under immense pressure as a successful conversion saw the Bears just four points behind with six minutes on the clock.  

Four minutes later, the Canberra Raiders sealed the deal with a well-earned try to prop Trey Mooney. A run from Manaia Waitere saw the Bears’ defence scrambling, as a quick play-the-ball saw Ethan Alaia spin round before passing off to Mooney who barged his way over. A successful conversion from Cook saw the Raiders walk away with a 36-26 win.

Talking points

• Raiders Danny Levi and Michael Asomua were placed on report, whilst Mitchell Prest was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Matt Stimson.
• Bears’ Ofahiki Ogden was placed on report for two separate offences.
• Raiders’ Jed Stuart and Bears’ Matt Stimson were both taken from the field at different times in the second half for a HIA, and neither returned.

Key moment

Late inclusion prop Trey Mooney had an enormous game for the Green Machine. Powerful runs, line-breaks and strong defence saw him get a well-earned, match-winning try in the 78^th minute.

The Raiders were under enormous pressure in the final minute as the Bears were on the hunt to complete the comeback just four points behind. But as the Raiders found themselves attacking, the Bears defensive line was no match for Mooney as his strength saw him come up with the match-winning try for the Raiders.

What’s next?

In Round Nine of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup the Bears return home to take on the first-placed Warriors, while the Raiders are off to Penrith to take on the Panthers.