A Hot Afternoon’s Work for the Young Jets

The Newtown Jets fielded a relatively inexperienced line-up for their first NSW Cup trial match for 2015, which was played in warm conditions against the Illawarra Cutters at Henson Park last Saturday.

Twelve of the more experienced and higher-profile Jets players had been called up into the Cronulla Sharks NRL trial team that played Manly-Warringah on Saturday evening at Narrabeen. The Jets youngsters at the Henson Park trial were well led by front-row veterans Ray Moujalli and Andrew Pearn.

The Illawarra Cutters ran on a trial team with considerably more NRL and NSW Cup playing experience. The youthful Jets still made a real contest of it, leading 8-4 after twenty minutes and the scores were locked up at 12-all after forty minutes of play. The Cutters dominated in the third session and capitalised on Newtown’s errors, and led 28-12 after sixty minutes.

By agreement between the two sets of coaching staff and taking into account the hot playing conditions, the match finished after sixty minutes had elapsed. Jets head coach Greg Matterson and his staff were generally pleased with how the trial panned out and that the younger Jets triallists had the opportunity to press their claims for future selection.

Newtown was best served in the forwards by Ray Moujalli, Andrew Pearn, Jordan Galloway and Malakai Houma, while rugged centre Josh Davis, speedy winger Corey Brown and halfback Jake Watts stood out in the backs. Several players from Newtown’s Ron Massey Cup partnership club the Cabramatta Two Blues made useful contributions to the Jets in this trial.

The Jets play North Sydney in another NSW Cup trial game at Henson Park on Saturday, 14th February with this game timed to start at 6.00pm.

Illawarra Cutters 28:

Fraser Alcock, Blake Wallace, Nathan Smith, Beau Henry, Dylan Strickland, Jokatama Dokonivalu, Eli Roberts tries

defeated

Newtown Jets 12:

Jordan Galloway, Corey Brown, Tori Tuiletufuga tries.

Newtown’s team was:

Jamie Ingram, Luke Lavender, Josh Davis, Luke Simpson, Corey Brown, Saxon Fischer-Gray, Jake Watts, Andrew Pearn, Jordan Galloway, Ray Moujalli, Malakai Houma, Dave Samson, Jack Noble. Bench: Toni Tuiletufuga, Adrian Ha’angana, Mitchell Mammary, Jake Jackson, Jeremy Saffy, Nesiasi Mataitonga, Tarek El Masri, Rick Piggott.

The Illawarra Cutters team was:

Tyron Cranston, Nathan Smith, Junior Vaivai, Geoff Daniela, Eli Roberts, Beau Henry, Blake Wallace, Jokatama Dokonivalu, Craig Garvey, Fraser Alcock, Takina Vailea, Andrew McCarthy, Sam Coster. Bench: Hayden McCrae, Jacob Hind, Jackson Merritt, Harold Snell, Willie Stowers, Dylan Strickland.

Referees: Jeff Hartup, Drew Oultram.

Touch Judges: Brendan Lucas, Jay Farlow.

Here are the Newtown Jets pre-season squad members who were called up into the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks NRL trial team that played Manly-Warringah at Pittwater Rugby Park on Saturday evening:

Kurt Dillon, Leonati Feiloakitau, Tim Robinson, Jaden Clarke, Winstone Asotasi, Patrice Siolo, Cameron Eyles, Matt Evans, Blake Judd, Edrick Holmes, Kurt Kara, Daniel Abou-Sleiman.

Source: JETS Newsletter by Glen ‘Bumper’ Dwyer, 9th February, 2015