Jets move back into second place on the NSW Cup premiership table

The Newtown Jets won a vital top four NSW Cup showdown against Canterbury-Bankstown on Saturday, a win that has propelled the Jets into clear second position on the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup competition table.

The match was played at CommBank Stadium, Parramatta as a curtain-raiser to the Canterbury Bulldogs v Cronulla Sharks NRL fixture.

Heavy rain fell throughout much of the game and not surprisingly the handling of both teams deteriorated somewhat in the latter part of the second half.

Newtown turned on a rousing second half performance, running out 28-16 winners after having trailed 16-12 at halftime. The Jets’ strong defence and dominance of possession in the second half contained the Bulldogs to scoring less than twenty points in a game for the first time in several weeks.

Newtown’s first half tries were scored by centre Kayal Iro (running off well-directed passes from Billy Magoulias and Jayden Berrell), and the second by front-rower Caleb Uele, who also so benefited from another good pass from Berrell.

The Jets had slightly the better of the first half, with the Bulldogs third try receiving the benefit of a questionable decision.

Newtown dominated possession and field position in the second half, with the Bulldogs beset by handling errors in the slippery playing conditions.

Jets halfback and captain Braydon Trindall scored early in the second half, running off Berrell’s precise third try assist. Newtown’s fourth try, smartly finished by winger Tyla Tamou, came on the end of quick hands from Berrell, Lachlan Miller, Trindall and Mawene Hiroti.

The Jets fifth and final try resulted from a well-worked set play from the scrum-base involving Berrell, Kade Dykes, Trindall and Hiroti, with the latter player cutting back through the grain of the Bulldogs defensive line to score.

With rain falling heavily in the final twenty minutes, the Bulldogs handling errors limited their efforts to overhaul Newtown’s lead.

Trindall added a penalty goal in the 66th minute that completed Newtown’s scoring for the match.

Braydon Trindall had an excellent all-round match, combining a kicking game that deployed short, long and high kicks along with a display of crafty passing.

This was one of Newtown’s better performances of the 2022 season and every player made worthwhile contributions to this valuable victory.

Along with Trindall, Newtown’s best players were Lachlan Miller, Thomas Hazelton, Jesse Colquhoun, Jayden Berrell, Kade Dykes and Kayal Iro.

The win put Newtown back into second place on the competition table, with the top four now reading as: Penrith 24 points; Newtown 23; and Canterbury and Norths both on 22.

Newtown’s next match is against Mounties on Saturday, 9th July at the Aubrey Keech Reserve, Hinchinbrook at 3.00pm.
 

Saturday’s match details:

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup – 16th Round
Saturday, 2nd July 2022
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
Canterbury-Bankstown v Newtown
Kick-Off: 12.40pm.

Newtown 28:
Kayal Iro, Caleb Uele, Braydon Trindall, Tyla Tamou, Mawene Hiroti tries:
Braydon Trindall 3 conversions, 1 penalty goal
defeated
Canterbury-Bankstown 16:
Matt Dufty, Joshua Cook, Bailey Biondi-Odo tries;
Bailey Hayward 2 conversions.

Half-Time: Canterbury-Bankstown led 16-12.

Highlights of Saturday’s NSW Cup match:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2022/07/03/nsw-cup-highlights–bulldogs-v-jets—round-16/

Knock-On Effect NSW Cup competition table: 
https://www.nswrl.com.au/ladder/?competition=113&round=16&season=2022

Weather: 14 degrees, heavy rain throughout most of the game.

Playing surface: Perfectly grassed, very wet underfoot.

Referee: Cameron Paddy.

Touch Judges: Jake Sutherland and Benjamin Teague.

Newtown’s team was:
Fullback: Lachlan Miller
Wingers: Matt Ikuvalu, Tyla Tamou
Centres: Kayal Iro, Mawene Hiroti
Five-Eighth: Kade Dykes
Halfback: Braydon Trindall (Captain)
Lock: Billy Magoulias
Second-Rowers: Myles Lee-Taueli, Kayne Kalache
Front-Rowers: Thomas Hazelton, Jesse Colquhoun
Hooker: Jayden Berrell.
Interchange: Rhys Davies, Tyler Slade, Caleb Uele, Liam Harris.
Reserve: Jensen Taumoepeau.
Coach: Greg Matterson.

Canterbury-Bankstown:
Fullback: Matt Dufty
Wingers: Isaac Lumelume, Jayden Okunbor
Centres: Braidon Burns, Creedence Toia
Five-Eighth: Bailey Hayward
Halfback: Bailey Biondi-Odo (Captain)
Lock: Lipoi Hopoi
Second-Rowers: Reece Hoffman, Jackson Topine
Front-Rowers: Samuel Hughes, Phillip Makatoa
Hooker: Joshua Cook.
Interchange: Ryan Gray, Matt Doorey, Harrison Edwards, Epeli Sukanaivalu
Reserve: Khaled Rajab
Coach: David Tangata-Toa.

Saturday’s Match Timeline:

Newtown Jets kicked off to the southern end of CommBank Stadium.

Braydon Trindall kicks a 40/20 in the 6th minute

13th minute: Matt Dufty scores wide out to the right
Not converted, Bulldogs 4-0 (!4 minutes)
17th minute: Coming off a Billy Magoulias off-load, Kayal Iro scores near the left-side corner

19th minute: Braydon Trindall converts from wide out; Newtown 6-4

26th minute: Bulldogs lose the ball at their end; Caleb Uele crashes over to the left of the goal-posts in the next set
27th minute: Braydon Trindall converts; Newtown 12-4.

29th minute: Bulldogs gain possession at Newtown’s end.
30th minute: Joshua Cook scores under the posts for Canterbury.
31st minute: Try converted by Bailey Hayward; Newtown 12-10.

Fox League Commentators make note of the expansive ball-play by both teams despite the wet conditions.

35th minute: Bailey Biondi-Odo scores a rather dubious try wide out

36th minute: Try converted by Bailey Hayward. Bulldogs 16-12.

39th minute: Bailey Biondi-Odo misses a two-point field goal attempt.

Tyler Slade left the field for a HIA. Ended up staying off the field with a knee injury.

Half-Time: Canterbury-Bankstown 16 led Newtown 12.

TV commentary team noted that this was a high-quality NSW Cup match despite the difficult conditions.

Both teams had scored from errors made by their opponents at their own end of the field.

45th minute: Good ball-play by Newtown in Bulldogs 20 metre zone.

The ball was kept alive. Great dummy-half dash by Jayden Berrell puts Trindall over to score near the southern-end goal posts.

Bulldogs had originally lost the ball from a high kick.

Try was not converted. 16-all after 48 minutes.

51st minute: Jets move the ball through several pairs of hands for Tyla Tamou to score in the south-eastern corner.

Commentators praise the Wanganui-born Tamou for his versatility and great service to the Newtown club.

Try not converted by Trindall. Newtown leads 20-16 in the 52nd minute.

Rain continued to fall heavily in the second half.

53rd minute: Great chase by Kade Dykes to run down Bulldogs winger Jayden Okunbor.

Bulldogs defence holds solid despite repeated handling errors by Canterbury.

58th minute: Mawene Hiroti steps past defenders to score to the right of the posts.

Try converted by Trindall. Newtown 26-16. 61st minute.

Jets make a handling error at their own end in the pouring rain.

Tremendous defensive effort by several Jets tacklers to take Bulldogs winger Isaac Lumelume out at the corner.
Trindall forces an in-goal drop-out (64th minute).
Bulldogs drop-kick doesn’t go the required ten metres

Trindall kicks the penalty goal. Newtown 28-16 (66th minute).

Dogs get the ball back from the kick-off from another doubtful refereeing decision.

Commentators note that there have been only four penalties awarded in the game (at the 72nd minute mark).

Commentators note that Lachlan Miller has made 17 carries and has run 145 metres.

The work-rate and metres gained by Jesse Colquhoun are commented by Fox League’s Mark Carroll.
Bulldogs have been held scoreless in the second half; Newtown has pinned them in their own half for much of the second half.

Mark Carroll rates Braydon Trindall as the man of the match and also praises Lachlan Miller, Thomas Hazelton, Jesse Colquhoun, Jayden Berrell and Kayal Iro.

Full-Time: Newtown 28 defeated Canterbury-Bankstown 16.

The win puts Newtown back into second place on the competition table. (The competition table top four is now: Penrith 24; Newtown 23; Canterbury 22; North Sydney 22.)

Match Statistics: –

Completions::

1st half: Newtown 14/19 (74%) Canterbury 14/18 (78%)

2nd half: Newtown 14/22 (64%) Canterbury 7/15 (47%)

Full-Time: Newtown 28/41 (68%) Canterbury 21/33 (64%)

Possession:

1st half: Newtown 64 tackles (46%) Canterbury 75 tackles (54%)

2nd half: Newtown 75 tackles (64%) Canterbury 43 tackles (36%)

Full-Time: Newtown 139 tackles (54%) Canterbury 118 tackles (46%)

Penalties:

1st half: Newtown 1 Canterbury 1

2nd half: Newtown 1 Canterbury 1

Full-Time: Newtown 2 Canterbury 2.

Newtown’s next game details:

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup – 17th Round
Saturday, 9th July 2022
Aubrey Keech Reserve, Hinchinbrook
Mounties v Newtown
Kick-Off: 3.00pm.