Match details
3.00 pm, Saturday, 19 June 2010
Campbelltown Stadium, Pembroke Rd, Leumeah
Meet the players
Photographic highlights
NSW Cup ladder [end of last round]
An against the odds second half performance enabled the Newtown Jets to turn a 10-nil halftime deficit into an 18-16 win against the Western Suburbs Magpies, in the NSW Cup match played at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday 19 June.
Newtown's forwards showed the way in the second half fightback, prompting Jets coach Greg Matterson to describe the win as one of the team's best efforts for the season.
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Blow-by-blow from a keen Jets supporter at Campbelltown
Ben Jones in Jets
Magpies had ball for 8 minutes and 3 sets on our line - we still held out
Ben [Jones] stopped 100 metre break. Magpies have 70% of ball - Jets exhausted with tackling.
Magpies in in corner with 8 mins 20 seconds to go. [4-0]
Ray Moujalli in clear, exhausted, passes and pass goes to Maggies but no score.
Maggies in with 1 min 22 seconds to go on clock.
Half-time, Maggies lead 10-0
Mr T [Tinirau Arona] scores. 10-6
[Johnathon] Ford in. [10 all]
Ben Jones scores 95 metre try in corner. [10-14 to Jets]
Aidan [Guerra] over [10-18 to Jets]
Jets win 18-16. Maggies score on full-time siren.
Ben [Jones] TV man of match.
18-16 to Jets. We can't kick goals. |
Jets under the pump in first half
Wests had their old foes on the rack in the first half, as the Magpies enjoyed a huge surplus of possession and extended favourable field position.
The Jets compounded their problems with dropped ball on the few occasions they were in an attacking situation, plus some fairly ordinary kicks at the end of some of their sets of possession.
Newtown defended resolutely in the difficult circumstances but tired towards the end of the half, with Wests scoring in the 32nd and 38th minutes.
Newtown's online defence was all the more commendable given the number of repeat sets gained by the Magpies.
Jets turn tables in second half
The second half prospects looked bleak for Newtown, going in 10-nil down at the break and having failed to take any advantage of the stiff breeze that had been in the Jets' favour in the first forty minutes but they responded well to the challenge in front of them, registering a much better completion rate in the second half.
Backrower, Tinirau Arona, scored Newtown's first try in the tenth minute, following clever lead-in work from winger, Chris Tuatara-Morrison and halfback, Liam Foran.
Lanky Jets five-eighth, Johnathon Ford, speared in between the Wests defenders to score in the 18th minute after the Jets had gained territory from a midfield penalty.
Fullback, Ben Jones, in his first appearance with the Jets since 2008, snapped up a Wests dropped ball and dashed 90 metres to score to give Newtown a 14-10 lead with fifteen minutes remaining and late in the second half, second-rower, Aidan Guerra, applied the coup de grace when he ran off a slick pass from Tinirau Arona.
Aiden Gerra's try extended Newtown's lead to a match-winning 18-10, which the Magpies were unable to pass despite scoring a runaway try in the game's final minute.
A great team performance
Jets prop, Martin Kennedy, led from the front in the second half resurgence, topping the stats in metres gained and figuring prominently in the tackle count as well. His fellow forwards, Aidan Guerra, Tinirau Arona, Ray Moujalli and Khalid Deeb, all made valuable ground in the second half, but Kennedy was deservedly the man of the match.
Backrower, Brad Barrett, lock and captain, Jason Baitieri and hooker, James Aubusson, all turned in busy defensive efforts, especially in the first half when Wests had several opportunities to establish an unassailable lead.
Halves, Liam Foran and Johnathon Ford, also gave strong defensive performances while the rest of the backs were solid. Winger, Troy Savage, fielded one soaring high kick into his corner while he was under great pressure and looking directly into the sun.
Match summary
Newtown Jets 18 [Tinirau Arona, Johnathon Ford, Ben Jones, Aiden Guerra tries; Tu'u Maori goal]
Western Suburbs Magpies 16 [3 tries, 2 goals]
Half-Time: Western Suburbs led 10-0.
Officials: Referee, Chris Sutton; Touch Judges, Nick Beashel, Jimmy Oliveira.
Next game
Newtown is back at Henson Park next Saturday, 26 June, against the much-improved Central Coast Centurions, who have been reinforced with several Newcastle Knights NRL squad members.
Saturday's 16th round NSW Cup fixture will be preceded by Cronulla-Sutherland taking on Western Suburbs at 1.00pm, with the Newtown-Central Coast match timed for kick-off at 3.00pm.
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Who played?
Interchange
| 14 |
Ray Moujalli
Sponsored by Dave Nelson |
| 15 |
Keith Peters
Sponsored by BRI Ferrier |
| 16 |
Tinirau Arona [T1]
Sponsored by Medi-Print Australia |
| 17 |
Ryan Verlinden
Sponsored by Trevor & AJ Folsom |
| 19 |
Jason Wells [DNP]
Sponsored by De Bortoli Wines |
| 21 |
James Koloamatangi [DNP]
Sponsored by Craig Leonard |
| 22 |
Russell Aitkin [DNP]
Sponsored by Undercover Music |
Coach: Greg Matterson
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