Newtown Rugby League Football Club - 1908-2008
Auckland's power and strength prevail against the Jets [32-12]

Match details

12.45 pm [NZ], Saturday, 2 August

Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland

NSW Cup ladder  [end of last round]

Jets play first game in new away strip

Back row [standing, left to right]
Michael Habib (Coaching Staff), Greg Matterson (Head Coach), Ray Moujalli, Rory Kostjasyn, Daniel Green, Ben Green, Khalid Deeb, Rhys Pritchard, Tevita Folau, Tyrone Shelley, Danny Howard, Trent Touma, Toshio Laiseni, Sean Rudder, Mick Dabela (Manager), Luke Ellis (Coaching Staff).

Front row [sitting, left to right]
Hep Cahill, Shaun Foley, Steve Meredith©, Donny Thompson, Damon Alley-Tovio.

Match report

The Auckland Vulcans outclassed and outmuscled the Newtown Jets in the VB NSW Cup match played at the Mt Smart No. 2 oval on Saturday.

The Vulcans had control of the match at halftime with a 22-6 lead and ended up winning by 32-12. This wasn't Newtown's strongest team line-up this season but the Jets simply didn't have the strike power nor did they use the conditions to their best advantage.

Newtown scored first through a leap and catch try from winger Tevita Folau that halfback Ben Green converted from the sideline.

The powerful and aggressive Vulcans forward pack then asserted their authority and five-eighth Michael Witt kept the pressure on the Jets through some towering bombs. The Jets paid the price for poor ball control in their own territory and the Vulcans spent most of the second quarter of the match at Newtown's end.

Jets centre Damon Alley-Tovio was a first half casualty with a probable medial ligament injury and front-rower Ray Moujalli was involved in a full-blooded body clash that left him with a badly broken nose. Moujalli gamely re-entered the fray in the second half.

Fullback Donny Thompson fielded several well-placed high kicks and centre Toshio Laiseni and winger Rhys Pritchard combined well for Newtown's only second half try.

Backrower Sean Rudder looked creative when in possession but was well contained by the Vulcans defence.

Newtown had the use of a strong breeze in the second half but other than one 40/20 kick from five-eighth Shaun Foley the Jets didn't use the conditions effectively.

Injured team captain, Jimmy Andersen, travelled with the touring party to Auckland and performed a valuable role as part of the coaching support staff.

The Jets were down to "the last man standing" in this fixture and competed gamely in tough circumstances.

Next match

The Newtown Jets are back at Henson Park this Saturday (9th August) and will be playing the Melbourne Storm's partnership club the Central Coast Storm. Kick-off is at 3.00pm

Match summary

Newtown: 12
2 tries, 2 goals
Auckland Vulcans: 32
6 tries, 4 goals

Weather: Cold, windy, light showers.
Playing surface: Surprisingly firm despite several days of rain.
Referee: Luke Williamson
Touch Judges: Daniel Caddy, Aaron Donald

NSW Cup ladder
[end of last round]

Who played?

Coach: Greg Matterson