Jets win another elimination semi-final against the odds

TheNewtown Jets have survived another week of sudden-death Canterbury Cup NSWrugby league, having seen off the North Sydney Bears 30-28 in a thrillingelimination semi-final played at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.

Northsare partners with the powerful Sydney Roosters NRL club, and several RoostersNRL squad members turned out with North Sydney in this elimination semi-final.

Thissemi-final was played in the middle of the day to accommodate live televisioncoverage requirements, and both sets of forwards felt the pinch of theunseasonably warm conditions.

TheBears opened up an early 14-0 lead and then led 20-6 after they had dominatedpossession for most of the first half. A superb try to Jets captain Jack A.Williams that involved several players kept Newtown in the contest by trailing20-12 at half-time.

TheNewtown players lifted their defensive intensity in the second try, plus twotries to fullback Will Kennedy put the Jets in the lead by 24-20. The Bears levelledthe scores but a critical penalty goal kicked by halfback Braydon Trindall putthe Jets back in front at 26-24.

TheJets increased their lead to 30-24 through a try to skilful lock forward BillyMagoulias. The Bears hit back with their sixth try, but their goal-kicker sentthe ball wide of the posts from close range.

Newtownsurvived several anxious moments to hang on to their two-points lead andadvance to next weekend’s preliminary final round.

Newtown’sbest players were lock Billy Magoulias, fullback Will Kennedy, second-rowersToby Rudolf and Siosifa Talakai and centre Matt Evans. Braydon Trindall’s fourconversions and penalty goal provided a vital edge for the Jets.

Newtownnow plays St George-Illawarra in a Canterbury Cup NSW preliminary final atNetstrata Jubilee Stadium (Kogarah) on Sunday, 22^nd September at3.10pm.

TheJets and Bears have met three times in second tier-level rugby leaguesemi-finals and they have been thrillers on each occasion. In 2011 Norths won17-16, and in 2012 Newtown won 32-30 with Daniel Mortimer kicking a long-rangepenalty goal in golden point extra time. In the 2012 game the Bears had led24-6 in the 51^st minute! Sunday’s thriller clearly continued thistradition.

Matchdetails:

Newtown 30:
Will Kennedy 2 (48^th minute and 51^st minute), Tyrone Phillips (19^th), Jack A. Williams (35^th), Billy Magoulias (70^th) tries;

BraydonTrindall 4 conversions and 1 penalty goal

defeated

North Sydney 28:
Sitili Tupouniua 2 (4^th minute and 26^th minute), James Tuitahi (8^th), Kieren Moss (12^th), Asu Kepaoa (56^th), Billy Smith (75^th) tries;

DrewHutchison 2 conversions.

Inkeeping with the almost unbearable tension of this elimination semi-final,Braydon Trindall’s attempted conversion of Billy Magoulias’ try hit the right-handupright, ricocheted across and hit the left-hand upright and then fell on thewrong side of the cross-bar!

Half-Time: North Sydney led20-12.

Referee: Todd Smith.

AssistantReferee:Cameron Paddy.

TouchJudges:Adam Reid and Benjamin Teague.

TheLeichhardt Oval playing surface was excellent.

Weather: 27 degrees Celsius,sunny, clear skies, very little breeze.

Newtown’s team was:
Will Kennedy, Sione Katoa, Matt Evans, Jackson Ferris, Tyrone Phillips, Jack A. Williams (Capt), Braydon Trindall, Jayson Bukuya, Scott Sorensen, Siosifa Talakai, Wes Lolo, Blayke Brailey, Jimmy Jolliffe.

Bench:Teig Wilton, Billy Magoulias, Daniel Vasquez, Toby Rudolf.

Coach:Greg Matterson.

North Sydney:
Kieren Moss, Asu Kepaoa, Billy Smith, James Tuitahi, Ryan Hall, Lachlan Lam, Drew Hutchison, Max Bailey, Sitili Tupouniua, Tom Freebairn, Poasa Faamausili, Bradley Deitz, Lindsay Collins.

Bench:Elih Jackson, Ben Thomas, Egan Butcher, Jerry Key.

Coach:Jason Taylor.

Hereare the highlight’s from yesterday’s game: https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/09/16/highlights--north-sydney-v-newtown/

Andhere are the match statistics:  http://rugbyleague-reports.stats.com/nrl-match-report.php?matchId=20191132620

Someinteresting statistics to emerge from these figures: - 

Northscompleted at 87% in the first half and 69% in the second half; Newtowncompleted at 76% in the first half and 94% in the second half!

WillKennedy ran 193 metres, the most of any player on the field; Jets second-rowerScott Sorensen ran 169 metres. Newtown missed 31 tackles and Norths missed 55.

Newtown’snext game:

NSWRLCanterbury Cup NSW – Preliminary Final (Finals Week 3)

Sunday,22^nd September 2019

NetstrataJubilee Stadium (Kogarah)

StGeorge-Illawarra  v Newtown

Kick-Off:3.10pm

Thismatch will be televised live on Channel 9.