Bears narrow win over Newtown in first leg of the Frank Hyde Shield

Fortune dealt Newtown a double blow last Saturday – the Jets lost 29-28 to North Sydney after having led the Bears 22-6 at half-time; and the rainy weather wrought havoc on what is usually one of the Newtown club’s best crowd-drawing days.

The game itself bore an uncanny resemblance to the recent Canterbury versus Newtown match, where the Bulldogs had dominated the first half and Newtown the second forty minutes. The reverse applied on Saturday at Henson Park, with Newtown leading 22-6 and then being run down in the second half.

The Jets were certainly in a match-winning position at half-time, after taking an 18-0 lead after twenty-two minutes.

Lock and captain Billy Magoulias scored Newtown’s first try after six minutes when halfback Braydon Trindall had grubber-kicked into the Norths in-goal. Fullback Connor Tracey’s fourteenth minute try was a superb creation involving Braydon Trindall, Daniel Atkinson, Kayal Iro and Sam Stonestreet. The ever-scheming hooker Jayden Berrell sent Jacob Gagan over in the south-east corner in the twenty-first minute. Some ragged midfield defence then led to North Sydney’s first try, but Jets five-eighth Daniel Atkinson showed evasive brilliance to score in the last minute of the first half.

Newtown’s second half could perhaps be described as being blighted by handling errors, missed tackles and not finishing their sets of possession effectively. North Sydney in fact had more than twice as much possession as did Newtown in the second half, with the Jets having nine sets as opposed to twenty sets to the Bears.

North Sydney scored three tries in the first fifteen minutes of the second half to draw level at 22-all. Even then, Norths only took the lead for the first time in the game at the seventieth minute mark.

Kayal Iro’s determined try (which was converted from wide out by Mawene Hiroti) in the seventy-third minute enabled the Jets to draw level again at 28-all. A successful Norths field goal and a missed field goal attempt by the Jets in the game’s final minutes saw the Bears leading 29-28 when the full-time siren sounded.

Newtown’s best players had been Jayden Berrell, Jesse Colquhoun and Billy Magoulias. Jacob Gagan suffered what appeared to be a pectoral muscle injury, with the full extent to be disclosed early this week.

The Jets next game, in the tenth round of the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, is against the Penrith Panthers at the H.E.Laybutt Field, Blacktown at 11.00am on Sunday, 7th May.


NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup – Round Nine
Saturday, 29th April 2023
Henson Park

Newtown (in third place) v North Sydney (in fourth place)
Kick-Off: 3.00pm.

This match was livestreamed on NSWRL TV.
This match was also the first leg of the 2023 Frank Hyde Shield series.

Weather: 18 degrees, grey cloud cover, light rain falling
Playing surface: Excellent

Referee: Jake Sutherland
Touch Judges: Daniel Luttringer, Ben Teague

Match Result: –

North Sydney 29:
Junior Pauga 2, Ben Stevanovic, Billy Smith, Reuben Porter tries;
Jesse Marschke 4 conversions, 1 field goal

defeated
Newtown 28:
Billy Magoulias, Connor Tracey, Jacob Gagan, Daniel Atkinson, Kayal Iro tries;

Mawene Hiroti 4 conversions.

Half-Time: Newtown led 22-6.

Newtown’s team was: –
Fullback: Connor Tracey
Wingers: Josh Mansour, Samuel Stonestreet
Centres: Mawene Hiroti, Kayal Iro

Halves: Daniel Atkinson, Braydon Trindall
Lock: Billy Magoulias
Second Rowers: Jordin Leiu, Jacob Gagan

Front Rowers: Jesse Colquhoun, Tuku Hau Tapuha

Hooker: Jayden Berrell.
Interchange:
Charbel Tasipale, Tyler Slade, Caleb Uele, Brad Fearnley.
Reserve: Kyle Pickering.
Coach; George Ndaira.

North Sydney:
Fullback: Josh Bergamin
Wingers: Tuipulotu Katoa, Junior Pauga
Centres: Billy Smith, Toa Mata’afa

Halves: Jesse Marschke, Ben Stevanovic
Lock: Zach Dockar-Clay
Second Rowers: Reuben Porter, Dane Aukafolau
Front Rowers: Kurt De Luis, Terrell May
Hooker: Jake Turpin

Interchange:
Phillip Makatoa, Ben Thomas, Ben Marschke, Kieran Hayman

Reserve: Matt French
Coach: Jason Taylor.

NSWRL TV Highlights | Newtown Jets v North Sydney Bears NSW Cup – Round Nine
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2023/04/30/nswrl-tv-highlights–jets-v-bears-nsw-cup—round-nine/

Match Timeline: –

North Sydney kicked off to the northern end.
6 mins 30 secs: Billy Magoulias try.
8 minutes: Mawene Hiroti conversion. Newtown 6-0.
14 minutes: Connor Tracey try.

15 mins 30 sec: Mawene Hiroti conversion. Newtown 12-0.
20 minutes: Jacob Gagan try.

22 minutes: Mawene Hiroti conversion. Newtown 18-0.
29 minutes: Ben Stevanovic try.
31 minutes: Jesse Marschke conversion. Newtown 18-6.

39 minutes: Daniel Atkinson try.

40 minutes: Try not converted, Newtown 22-6.

Half-Time: Newtown led 22-6.

42 minutes: Junior Pauga try.

43 mins 30 sec: Jesse Marschke conversion. Newtown 22-12.

47 minutes: Billy Smith try.
48 minutes: Not converted. Newtown 22-16.

55 minutes: Junior Pauga try.
56 minutes: Jesse Marschke conversion. 22-all.

70 minutes: Reuben Porter try.
72 minutes: Jesse Marschke conversion. North Sydney 28-22.
73 minutes: Kayal Iro try.
74 minutes: Mawene Hiroti conversion. 28-all.

75 minutes: North Sydney miss field goal attempt.
76 minutes: Jesse Marschke field goal. 29-28.
78 minutes: Newtown miss field goal attempt.

Full-Time: North Sydney wins 29-28.

Match Statistics: –

Completions:
1st half: Newtown 17/19 (89%); North Sydney 13/15 (87%)

2nd half: Newtown 8/9 (89%); North Sydney 16/20 (80%)
Full-Time: Newtown 25/28 (89%); North Sydney 29/35 (83%).

Possession:
1st half: Newtown 77 tackles (60%); North Sydney 52 tackles (40%)
2nd half: Newtown 38 tackles (34%); North Sydney 73 tackles (66%)

Full-Time: Newtown 115 tackles (48%); North Sydney 125 tackles (52%).

Penalties:
1st half: Newtown 2, North Sydney 2.

2nd half: Newtown 2, North Sydney 2.

Full-Time: Newtown 4, North Sydney 4.

The NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup competition table after nine rounds:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/ladder/?competition=113&round=9&season=2023

Newtown’s next match details:

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup – Round Ten
Sunday, 7th May 2023
H.E. Laybutt Field, Blacktown
Newtown (in fourth place) v Penrith (seventh place).
Kick-Off: 11.00am.