Jets Return to Winning Form with Victory Over Warriors

The Newtown Jets claimed two valuable competition points in defeating the New Zealand Warriors 26-18, in the Round 20 NSW Cup match played at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland on Sunday afternoon.

It is worth noting the historical oddity that the Jets played the Warriors on an impeccably manicured playing surface, less than 24 hours after the All Blacks and Springboks had done battle in a Rugby Union Test match on the same playing field on Saturday evening.

Newtown’s fullback Daniel Atkinson was returning from injury, but he made his presence felt just three minutes into Sunday’s match when he burst onto a trademark Braydon Trindall pass and cut through to score.

The Warriors responded quickly, scoring from a high kick into the in-goal area in the seventh minute of the game.

The big Jets prop Caleb Uele was back on home soil in Auckland and he celebrated with a remarkably determined driving run from ten metres out in the 16th minute, beating four tacklers to stretch out and score near the goal posts.

Newtown had a bigger share of possession in the first half, with a higher completions rate and receiving more penalties. The Warriors had to do considerably more tackling than the Jets in the first half, but they still managed to score a try from a kick into Newtown’s in-goal in the 38th minute.

The Jets took a narrow 10-8 lead into the half-time break.

The Warriors began the second half at high speed, creating space for their winger to crash over in the north-western corner in the 42nd minute. The Jets knew they had a real game on their hands, trailing 12-10 against the team only one place behind them on the competition table.

Newtown received a penalty for a tackle infringement on Daniel Atkinson in front of the Warriors goal posts. Mawene Hiroti kicked the penalty goal and the score was 12-all with thirty minutes left to play.

The Jets set up what proved to be a match-winning lead with three tries in a fifteen minute period. The first of these tries came from a splendid individual effort by the impressive young hooker Sam Healey, who displayed guile and speed to score to the right of the southern goal posts. Mawene Hiroti’s conversion attempt bounced away off an upright, but Newtown had regained the lead by 16-12.

Strongly-built Jets winger Tom Rodwell scored Newtown’s next two tries in quick succession. The first was a thrilling spectacle involving a tremendous break by Kayal Iro who was supported by Rodwell, and then in turn by Niwhai Puru, Mawene Hiroti, Kyle Pickering and ultimately Tom Rodwell again who had a clear run to the line. Mawene Hiroti’s conversion attempt from wide out astonishingly also hit the upright and ricocheted away, but Newtown had extended their lead to 20-12.

The Sky Sports NZ commentators enthused over the quality of the try, with Kayal Iro’s original breakout being made more than eighty metres out from the Warriors tryline.

Another penalty to Newtown put the Jets in a favourable attacking position once again, with the ball being shifted quickly to the left side and a top class cut-out pass by Kayal Iro which sent Tom Rodwell over in the south-east corner. Mawene Hiroti converted from wide out and Newtown now had a substantial 26-12 lead with just over ten minutes to play.

The Warriors scored in the 71st minute from a cross-kick into the left-side corner that was brilliantly caught and grounded. The conversion kept the Warriors in the game, trailing 26-18 with eight minutes remaining on the clock.

Time ran out for the Warriors and no doubt many thousands of viewers of Fox Sports back in Australia would have been relieved at the Jets breaking their run of losses.

With players of the quality and experience of Billy Magoulias, Jayden Berrell, Jordin Leiu, Sam Stonestreet and Josh Mansour all unavailable through injury, this was most certainly a fine win against very capable opposition.

Newtown had benefited from winning the penalty count, having to make fewer tackles than the Warriors and by registering an amazing completion rate of 17 sets out of 17 in the second half.

The Sky Sports NZ commentators had praised Newtown’s halves Braydon Trindall and Niwhai Puru for varying their plays and running the big Warriors forwards around. Daniel Atkinson was also commended for his clever running with the ball and for his defusing of Warriors kicks in behind the Jets defensive line.

Jets coach George Ndaira said that the Jets had played out the full eighty minutes and there was a fierce resolution by the team members to overcome the problems associated with key players being out with injury.

The Jets NSW Cup coach also praised Newtown’s middle forwards for their work rate, Sam Healey for his standout performance, as well as Kayal Iro, Jensen Taumoepeau and Daniel Atkinson.

The Newtown Jets are back at home at Henson Park this Saturday, 22nd July, when they face another in-form team in Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles (Manly-Warringah’s NSW Cup partners) who have a number of players in their team with recent NRL match experience.

It is also the day of the annual Beer, Footy and Food Festival which promises to be a record-breaking occasion.


Match Details from Sunday, 16th July: –

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
20th Round
Sunday, 16th July 2023
Go Media Stadium, Auckland

New Zealand Warriors v Newtown

Kick-Off: 11.30am AEDT

Newtown 26:
Tom Rodwell 2, Daniel Atkinson, Caleb Uele, Sam Healey tries;

Mawene Hiroti 2 conversions, 1 penalty goal

defeated
New Zealand Warriors 18:
Setu Tu, Patrick Moimoi, Sanele Aukusitino, Selumiela Halasima tries;

Ronald Volkman 1 conversion.

Half-Time: Newtown led 10-8.

Playing surface: Excellent
Weather: Fine, 17 degrees.

NSW Cup Highlights | New Zealand Warriors v Newtown Jets – Round 20, Sunday, 16th July 2023:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2023/07/16/nsw-cup-highlights–warriors-v-jets—round-20/

The NSW Cup competition table after 20 rounds:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/ladder/?competition=113&round=20&season=2023

Newtown’s team was:
Fullback: Daniel Atkinson
Wingers: Jensen Taumoepeau, Tom Rodwell

Centres: Mawene Hiroti, Kayal Iro
Halves: Braydon Trindall (Captain), Niwhai Puru
Lock: Brad Fearnley
Second Rowers: Kyle Pickering, Charbel Tasipale
Front Rowers: Caleb Uele, Rhys Dakin
Hooker: Sam Healey
Interchange:
Kurt Dillon, Blake Hosking, Tuku Hau Tapuha, Trentham Petersen
18th Man: Kai Parker

Coach: George Ndaira.

New Zealand Warriors team:
Fullback: Taine Tuaupiki
Wingers: Setu Tu, Sanele Aukusitino
Centres: Moala Graham-Taufa, Patrick Moimoi

Halves: Ben Farr, Ronald Volkman

Lock: Maia Sands
Second Rowers: Jacob Laban, Selumiela Halasima
Front Rowers: Tanner Stowers-Smith, Zyon Maiu’u

Hooker: Michael Sio (Captain)

Interchange:
Isaiah Vagana, Eiden Ackland, Matthew Whyte, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava

18th Man: Presley Seumanu-Tigafua

Coach: Slade Griffin.

Match Timeline:

First half:
Newtown kicked off, running to the northern end of the stadium.

2 mins 40 secs: Daniel Atkinson try
Not converted. Newtown 4-0.

7:00 mins: Setu Tu scores from ma kick into the south-western corner
Not converted. The score is 4-all.
16 mins 40 secs: Caleb Uele scores after driving towards the tryline from ten metres out

16: 40 mins: Caleb Uele scores a very determined try after driving hard towards the tryline from ten metres out
Converted by Mawene Hiroti. Newtown 10-4.

38:00 mins: Patrick Moimoi try
Not converted. Newtown led 10-8.

Half-Time: Newtown 10 v New Zealand Warriors 8

Second Half:
42:00 mins: New Zealand Warriors get possession from a Newtown error
43:00 mins: Sanele Aukusitino try in the north-west corner.

Not converted. New Zealand Warriors lead 12-10.

47:00 mins: New Zealand Warriors penalised for tackle infringement.
47:40 secs: Mawene Hiroti kicks a penalty goal. 12-all.
53:00 mins: Sam Healey cuts through to score reasonably close to the southern end goal posts

Not converted. Newtown 16-12.

59:00 mins: Great break by Kayal Iro and interchange of passes
59:30 mins: Try to Tom Rodwell to the left of the southern end goal posts.

Not converted. Newtown leads by 20-12.

66:00 mins: Decisive ball movement to the left side, excellent cut-out pass by Kayal Iro sees Tom Rodwell score in the south-east corner
Converted from wide out by Mawene Hiroti. Newtown leads 26-12.

71:00 mins: Try to Selumiela Halasima to the left of the northern end goal posts
Converted by Ronald Volkman. Newtown leads 26-18.

Full-Time: Newtown 26 defeated New Zealand Warriors 18.

Newtown’s next match:
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
21st Round
Saturday, 22nd July 2023
Henson Park
Newtown v Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles
Kick-Off: 3.00pm
This is the day of the 2023 Beer, Footy & Food Festival.