Jets claim national title with a sensational try in the game’s final seconds
AsNews Limited journalist Paul Kent said on the NRL 360 program on Fox Sports TVlast night (Monday, 7th October), “in all probability, the NewtownJets are the rugby league story of the year.” Having seen Newtown’s twolast-ditch victories in the Canterbury Cup NSW grand final and the NRL StateChampionship final on successive Sundays, and remembering that Newtown finishedseventh on the final competition table, Paul Kent’s assertion makes perfectsense!
TheNewtown Jets can indeed lay claim to being the best rugby league team inAustralia and New Zealand (excluding the NRL competition), following theirextraordinary last-minute win in the NRL State Championship Final played at ANZStadium on Sunday, 6th October.
Newtowndefeated the Queensland Cup premiers Burleigh Bears 20-16, after having trailed10-2 at half-time and 16-2 with twenty-seven minutes left to play.
TheQueenslanders looked to be well in control when they extended their lead to16-2 early in the second half. The Jets hit back with two spectacular tries towinger Sione Katoa, with these tries being either side of a runaway try tocentre Jackson Ferris, who raced fifty metres to score after snapping up acharged-down kick by Billy Magoulias.
Fatedecreed that five-eighth Billy Magoulias would once again be involved in amatch-winning sequence of play, just as he had been in the Canterbury Cup NSWgrand final against Wentworthville on the previous Sunday.
Thirteenseconds from the full-time siren, Magoulias summed up his available options andlaid on a superbly-directed chip kick that bounced diabolically for theBurleigh Bears defenders. Jackson Ferris, the Pride of Palmerston North, seizedthe awkwardly-bouncing ball and sprinted forty-five metres to score under theposts.
Bedlamensued as the full-time siren sounded, with Jets fans roaring in triumph andBurleigh Bears supporters left reeling in a world of dystopian pain.
Front-rowerGreg Eastwood was given the final conversion attempt in view of his probableretirement, and the former Kiwi international and 2008 World Cup winner made nomistake to extend Newtown’s winning margin out to four points.
Jetsfront-rower Toby Rudolf was deservedly named as man of the match, and hereceived strong support from Magoulias and Eastwood, along with hooker BlaykeBrailey, fullback Will Kennedy (who had some outstanding moments in this game)and the flying winger Sione Katoa.
NewtownJets CEO Stuart McCarthy observed after this remarkable game that winning theCanterbury Cup NSW premiership and claiming the NRL State Championship title(all within the space of eight days) has most assuredly made 2019 the greatestyear in the club’s second life in rugby league since 1991.
Matchdetails:
NRLState Championship Final
Sunday,6th October 2019
ANZStadium
Newtown(NSWRL Canterbury Cup NSW Premiers) versus Burleigh Bears (QRL ISC Premiers)
Kick-OffTime: 1.35pm.
Referee:Todd Smith
AssistantReferee: Tyson Brough
TouchJudges: Ben Teague and Jacob Whitehouse
SeniorReview Official: Ashley Klein
ReviewOfficial: Ben Lowe.
Playingsurface: Excellent.
Weather:22 degrees, cloudy, slightly humid.
Newtown20:
SioneKatoa 2, Jackson Ferris 2 tries:
BraydonTrindall 1 penalty goal;
GregEastwood 1 conversion
defeated
BurleighBears 16:
AnthonyDon 2, Jamal Fogarty tries;
JamalFogarty 2 conversions.
Half-Time: Burleigh Bears led10-2.
Matchtimeline:
18thminute: Braydon Trindall penalty goal. Newtown 2-0.
21stminute: Anthony Don try, not converted. Burleigh Bears 4-2.
29thminute: Anthony Don try, Jamal Fogarty conversion. Burleigh Bears 10-2.
37thminute: Ronaldo Mulitalo sin-binned.
Half-Time:Burleigh Bears led 10-2.
46thminute: Jamal Fogarty try and conversion. Burleigh Bears 16-2.
53rdminute: Sione Katoa try, not converted. Burleigh Bears 16-6.
62ndminute: Jackson Ferris try, not converted. Burleigh Bears 16-10.
75thminute: Sione Katoa try, not converted. Burleigh Bears 16-14.
79thminute and 47 seconds: Jackson Ferris try, Greg Eastwood conversion. Newtown20-16.
Full-Time:Newtown won 20-16.
Newtown’steam was:
WillKennedy, Sione Katoa, Matt Evans, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Luke Polselli, BillyMagoulias, Braydon Trindall, Greg Eastwood, Scott Sorensen (Capt), JaysonBukuya, Toby Rudolf, Blayke Brailey, Jimmy Jolliffe.
Bench:Teig Wilton, Jackson Ferris, Wes Lolo, Daniel Vasquez.
Coach:Greg Matterson.
Burleigh Bears:
Kurtis Rowe, Tyronne Roberts-Davis, Sami Sauiluma, Josh Berkers, Anthony Don, Dylan Phythian, Jamal Fogarty, Sam Coster, Hayden Schwass, Blake Leary, Luke Page (Capt), Pat Politoni, Jack Buchanan.
Bench:Matt Robinson, Josh Rogers, Api Noeme-Matenga, Jeff Lynch.
Coach:Jim Lenehan.
Matchhighlights: https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/10/08/match-highlights-newtown-v-burleigh/
MagicMagoulias does it again: https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/10/06/magic-magoulias-does-it-again/
NRLStatistics:
Newtownhad 57% of possession
Completionrates: Newtown 70%; Burleigh Bears 72%
Penalties:Newtown 8-5
BurleighBears were forced into five goal-line drop-out situations.