NRL State Championship
Sunday 6th October
1:20pm
Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
Jets run into a perfect storm against the rampant Panthers
Newtown came into this game against Penrith with the best defensive record in the Intrust Super Premiership – but they took a fearful hammering from the Panthers to the tune of 60-6.
The Jets fielded a somewhat understrength line-up and then lost several key players with injury during the game, ending up with no replacements on their bench for the last 15 minutes.
NSWRL ISP NSW – 16th Round
Saturday, 25th June 2016
St Marys Leagues Stadium
Penrith v Newtown
Kick-Off: 3.00pm.
Penrith 60:
Corey Harawira-Naera 3, Zac Dockar-Clay 2, Will Smith, Dylan Edwards, Kaine Ellis, Jerry Key, Josh Hall tries;
Jamie Soward 10 goals
defeated
Newtown 6:
Anthony Moraitis try;
Jaline Graham 1 goal.
Half-Time: Penrith led 30-6.
Playing surface: Excellent.
Weather: Fine, sunny, clear, 14 degrees C.
Referee: Damian Briscoe. Touch Judges: Matt Damaso and Jay Farlow.
Newtown’s team was:
Mitch Brown (Capt), Brent Anderson, Travis Robinson, Matt Evans, Corin Smith, Josh Cleeland, Jaline Graham, Kurt Kara, Anthony Moraitis, Kurt Capewell, Harrison Muller, Matt McIlwrick, Jesse Sene-Lefao.
Bench: Malakai Houma, Kenny Niko, Tarek Elmasri, Saulala Houma.
Coach: Greg Matterson.
Penrith’s team was:
Dylan Edwards, Josh Hall, George Jennings, Will Smith (Capt), Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, Zach Dockar-Clay, Jamie Soward, Moses Leota, Corey Harawira-Naera, Kaide Ellis, Andy Saunders, Sione Katoa, Viliame Kikau.
Bench: Brendan Attwood, Oliver Clark, Paea Pua, Jerry Key.
Coach: Steve Georgallis.
Match timeline:
Penrith kicked off, with Newtown defending the Leagues Club end of the ground.
Josh Cleeland made a break on the last tackle and then got his kick away.
3rd min: Penalty to Penrith
Newtown’s first two sets were effective
4th min: Mitch Brown trapped in-goal, repeat set to Panthers
Newtown ruled to have knocked on a Jamie Soward bomb
Penrith on the attack in Newtown’s 20 metre zone
7th min: The weight of possession tells and Corey Harawira-Naera scores.
8th min: Converted by Jamie Soward, Penrith leads 6-0
Penrith knocks on from the kick-off
Newtown mount an attack inside Penrith’s 20 metre zone, but the ball goes over the sideline
Penrith makes big inroads in the next set, Newtown under pressure
13th min: Penalty to Penrith
Another penalty to the Panthers, and the Jets defence is under stress
16th min; Will Smith beats 3 defenders and scores
Soward converts, Penrith 12-0
18th min: Worrying signs for the Jets, Penrith looking polished
22nd min: Great break by Mitch Brown, good pass to Anthony Moraitis who scores
Jaline Graham converts; Penrith leads 12-6
Newtown knocks on in the next set; Penrith quickly on the attack
Matt McIlwrick snaps up a loose Penrith pass and makes a break
Penalty to Newtown
McIlwrick leaves the field for a concussion test
Jets lose the ball on the last tackle and the attacking opportunity is lost
Another penalty to Penrith
28th min: Dylan beats several defenders and scores
29th min: Soward converts, Penrith leads 18-6
Penrith players are making plenty of off-loads and the Panthers completion rate is high
32nd min: Soward, Jennings, Watene-Zelezniak all involved as Harawira-Naera scores
Soward converts, Penrith leads 24-6
Steele Sports commentary team say that “Newtown doesn’t appear to be on the same page”
Panthers are clearly winning the battle of the midfield
34th min: Jets concede another penalty
Undisciplined play is cruelling Newtown
38th min: More creative play by Soward and Dockar-Clay scores
Things are looking very grim for the Jets
38th min: Soward converts, Penrith leads 30-6
Halftime can’t come quickly enough for the Jets.
Half-Time: Penrith leads 30-6.
Greg Matterson tells his players to go back to the start; the second half starts at nil-all
Penalties had favoured Penrith 5-1 in the first half
Penrith’s coach urges his players to stick with what they are obviously doing well
Second half commences.
Another penalty to the Panthers in the first minute, but they then lose the ball
Newtown in turn also lose possession
Harawera-Naera scores his 3rd try, Panthers showing too much strength and power
Soward converts, Penrith 36-6
Newtown is clearly down in confidence and they are handling poorly
Wind is picking up in the second half and the temperature is falling
Errors and poor discipline dogging Newtown’s performance
52nd min: Another penalty to Penrith
Poor Jets defence as Soward sends Kaide Ellis in to score
54th min: Soward converts, Penrith 42-6
Kurt Capewell is off with what seems to be a knee injury
McIlwrick has not returned after leaving the field midway through the first half
Penalty count is 8-2 to Penrith
55th min: Another penalty to Penrith for stripping the ball
Kenny Niko is injured in the 56th min
Extended stoppage; Niko is stretchered off
58th min: Newtown’s pushed passes putting themselves under pressure
Referee Briscoe penalises Newtown again and lectures team captain Mitch Brown about the repeat offences
60th min: Soward kicks into the in-goal and Jerry Key scores
Soward converts, Penrith 48-6
Soward has been involved in virtually every try
Kurt Capewell is gone for the day
Penrith knock on and finally another penalty to Newtown
Josh Cleeland comes of with an ankle injury
No replacements left on the Jets bench
Jamie Soward nearly kicks a 40/20 but saved by Jaline Graham
One Newtown supporter remarks that it would be virtually impossible for any other form of misfortune to come Newtown’s way!
Jets defending on their own line
Soward’s in-goal kick goes dead
73rd min: Jets lose the ball at their end and Penrith immediately put them under pressure
Dockar-Clay scores again
Soward kicks his ninth goal, Penrith leads 54-6
76th min: Newtown allows a high kick to bounce; Josh Hall grabs the ball and scores
Soward converts, Penrith leads 60-6
Put Newtown’s situation down to defensive errors, handling errors, injuries, poor discipline and incurring penalties
Penrith had the majority of possession
Starting to get dark at St Marys Stadium
Full-Time: Penrith 60-6.
The Panthers have won their fifth game on end, and today threw down the gauntlet to all of the other top six ISP NSW teams.
Jamie Soward involved in seven try assists and kicked ten goals
He told Hawksbury FM that everyone in the Penrith team did their own job well and the team reaped the rewards today.
He was very pleased that the Panthers had only conceded one try.
Coach Greg Matterson emphasised today was a reality check.
Newtown’s repeated errors and high penalty count compounded all of their on-field problems.
If you take things for granted in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW competition, this is what can happen.
Newtown’s next game details:
NSWRL ISP NSW – Postponed match from Round 13
Friday, 1st July 2016
Henson Park
Newtown v Illawarra Cutters
Kick-Off: 7.00pm.
Newtown Jets respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the Land and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on and that the land area encompassing Henson Park traditionally belonged to the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.