Dominant first half lays the platform for Newtown Jets victory

In the round seven NSW Cup match played in front of the season’s biggest crowd, Newtown defeated the Sydney Roosters 40-18 at Henson Park on Saturday.

Jets halfback Braydon Trindall turned on a Tour de Force performance, with a combination of judicious passing, superbly-weighted grubber kicks and well-directed end-of-set punt kicks that made life very difficult for the Roosters back three.

Newtown won the field position battle in the first half and the young Jets forwards took on and had the better of the Roosters pack that included several big names including Angus Crichton, Dylan Napa and Nathan Brown.

Second-rower Charbel Tasipale scored two tries in the first half for Newtown and showed the evasive footwork that won him selection in last year’s Lebanese World Cup team.

Winger Samuel Stonestreet finished off a well-constructed right-side passing rush, with centre Mawene Hiroti laying on the finishing touches. Left-side winger Matt Ikuvalu, making a comeback from an injury in last year’s finals, caught a perfectly-flighted kick from Braydon Trindall to score in the south-east corner, while the raw-boned back-rower Brad Fearnley ran onto a deft Billy Magoulias pass that gave the former Penrith Panther a “saloon passage” to the try-line right on halftime. Mawene Hiroti  converted four of the Jets’ five first half tries for Newtown to take a 28-0 lead into the halftime break.

Newtown coach George Ndaira rated the Jets’ first forty minutes as their best half of football so far this year and that it set up the game for the Jets. The young forwards had stood up and took on their more experienced opponents. Ndaira added that Newtown’s ball control and disciplined play in the first half enabled them to run up such a substantial halftime lead.

The Roosters gave the Jets a bit of a scare in the second half when several factors enabled them to get some momentum working in their favour. The Tricolours scored early in the second half but Newtown responded with a try to Jacob Gagan, who pounced on a well-placed grubber kick into the in-goal by hooker Jayden Berrell.

The sin-binning of Newtown forward Tuku Hau Tapuha and a succession of incomplete sets by the Jets gave the Roosters the “go-forward” they needed. Newtown also had several “six again” decisions given against them and the Roosters were back in the contest, trailing 34-18 with sixteen minutes left to play. Two lost try-scoring opportunities didn’t help the Jets’ cause either.

The Newtown forward rallied and started to make ground up the middle again. Five minutes from fulltime superb ball-play by Gagan, Kayal Iro and Magoulias saw the Italian World Cup five-eighth Daniel Atkinson slice through the tiring Roosters forwards to score the match-sealing try.

The livestream commentary team made a point of rating Braydon Trindall as being the key difference between the two teams. Berrell, Tuku Hau Tapuha, Magoulias, Caleb Uele and Fearnley had been the best of Newtown’s forwards, while fullback Connor Tracey, Ikuvalu, Iro, Hiroti and the quicksilver Atkinson had been Newtown’s best backs, in addition to the splendid Trindall.

The Jets travel to Accor Stadium next Saturday, 22nd April, for their second meeting with the competition leaders, Canterbury-Bankstown, this season. This match is timed for kick-off at 3.05pm and is to be televised live on Fox Sports.

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup – Round Seven
Saturday, 15th April 2023
Henson Park
Newtown v Sydney Roosters
Kick-Off: 3.00pm.

This match was livestreamed on the Newtown RLFC Facebook site: www.facebook.com/newtownrlfc 
(Commentary by Alby Talarico and Grant Chappell.)

Newtown 40:
Charbel Tasipale 2, Samuel Stonestreet, Matt Ikuvalu, Brad Fearnley, Jacob Gagan, Daniel Atkinson tries;
Mawene Hiroti 6 conversions
defeated
Sydney Roosters 18:
Thomas Deakin 2, Elie El-Zakham tries;

Sandon Smith 3 conversions.

Half-Time: Newtown led 28-0.

Referee: Jake Sutherland.

Touch Judges: Kieren Irons and Damian Brady.

Playing surface: Excellent
Weather: Sunny, some cloud cover, 23 degrees; humidity: 50%; NNE wind 16km/hr

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Highlights | Newtown Jets v Sydney Roosters – Round Seven:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2023/04/16/nsw-cup-highlights–jets-v-roosters—round-seven/

The NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup competition table after seven rounds:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/ladder/?competition=113&round=7&season=2023

Newtown’s team was:
Fullback: Connor Tracey
Wingers: Matt Ikuvalu, Samuel Stonestreet
Centres: Mawene Hiroti, Kayal Iro
Halves: Daniel Atkinson, Braydon Trindall

Lock: Billy Magoulias 9Captain)
Second-Rowers: Jordin Leiu, Charbel Tasipale
Front-Rowers: Caleb Uele, Rhys Dakin
Hooker: Jayden Berrell.
Interchange:
Jacob Gagan, Tyler Slade, Tuku Hau Tapuha, Brad Fearnley.
Reserve: Kyle Pickering.

Coach: George Ndaira.

Blue Shirt Trainer: Chris Moubarak
Yellow Shirt Trainer: Craig Tredinnick

Orange Shirt Trainer: Michael Nicolas.

Sydney Roosters:
Fullback: Corey Allan
Wingers: Allan Fitzgibbon, Jade Anderson
Centres: Ethan Clark-Wood, Noel Aukafolau
Halves: Joseph Taipari, Sandon Smith
Lock: Nathan Brown
Second-Rowers: Angus Crichton, Elie El-Zakham

Front-Rowers: Dylan Napa, Naufahu Whyte
Hooker: Tyler Moriarty

Interchange:
Thomas Deakin, Joshua (Siua) Wong, Joshua Bevan, Tayson Fakaosi

Reserve: Riley Meyn

Coach: Anthony Barnes
Blue Shirt Trainer: Brett Gillard
Yellow Shirt Trainer: Patrick Hollins
Orange Shirt Trainer: Declan Healy.

Match Timeline:
7th minute: Charbel Tasipale try.

Mawene Hiroti conversion.

8th minute: Newtown 6-0.

11th minute: Samuel Stonestreet try.

Mawene Hiroti conversion from the sideline.

12th minute: Newtown 12-0.

28th minute: Charbel Tasipale try.

Mawene Hiroti conversion.

29th minute: Newtown 18-0.

35th minute: Matt Ikuvalu try.

Not converted. Mawene Hiroti’s conversion attempt hit the right upright.
37th minute: Newtown 22-0.

38.30: Brad Fearnley try.
Mawene Hiroti converted.

40th minute: Newtown 28-0.

Half-Time: Newtown led 28-0.

Tuku Hau Tapuha sin-binned and placed on report.

44th minute: Elie El-Zakham  try

Sandon Smith conversion

45th minute: Newtown 28-6

54th minute: Jacob Gagan try
Mawene Hiroti conversion
55th minute: Newtown 34-6

61st minute: Thomas Deakin try
Sandon Smith conversion
62nd minute: Newtown 34-12
63rd minute: Thomas Deakin try
Sandon Smith conversion
64th minute: Newtown 34-18
Daniel Atkinson on report
75th minute: Daniel Atkinson try
Mawene Hiroti conversion
77th minute: Newtown 40-18.
Full-Time: Newtown won 40-18.

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup – Round Eight
Saturday, 22nd April 2023
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Canterbury-Bankstown (in first place) v Newtown (in third place)

Kick-Off: 3.05pm.