Lady Luck turns a blind eye to the Jets

Details of the Newtown v Wests Tigers ISP NSW match played at Henson Park on Saturday, 24th June 2017.

Good fortune was somewhat scarce for the Newtown Jets on Saturday when they went down 18-12 to Wests Tigers at Henson Park. The teams were locked up at 6-all at half-time, and the Jets paid a heavy price for repeated errors in the final twenty minutes.

Five-eighth Luke Jurd (from the Cronulla Sharks Holden Cup squad) was named to make his senior rugby league debut with Newtown on Saturday, but suffered a leg injury in the pre-game warm-up and had to withdraw. Jets fullback Matt Evans, who has been in career-best form this season, was having a strong game but left the field early in the second half with a dislocated elbow. Big Saulala Houma appears to be struggling with a leg injury and took very little part in the game. Coach Matteson summed up the overall tone of Newtown’s afternoon in saying that there was no lack of effort and courage by his players on Saturday, but their repeated errors in the last twenty minutes brought the team undone.

NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership NSW – 16^th Round

Saturday, 24^th June 2017

Henson Park

Newtown v Wests Tigers

Kick-Off: 3.00pm.

Wests Tigers 18:

Watson Heleta, Jackson Williams, Nathan Milone tries;

Veiru Mapesone 3 goals

defeated

Newtown 12:

Matt Evans, Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga tries;

Matt Evans 1 conversion, Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga 1 penalty goal.

Half-Time: 6-all.

Referee: Chris Treneman. Touch Judges: Darren Burtenshaw, Joseph Eid.

Weather: Mostly clear, sunny, some scattered clouds, 18 degrees. Slight southerly breeze.

Playing surface: Very good.

Newtown’s team:

Matt Evans, Edrick Lee, Jesse Ramien, Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga, James Tuitahi, Luke Jurd, Penani Manumalealii, Jaimin Jolliffe, Jack Williams, Sam Tagataese, Kurt Dillon, Kurt Kara, Jeremy Latimore.

Bench: Jayden McDonogh, Tepatasi Fuiavailili, Jordan Galloway, Saulala Houma, Leigh Higgins.

Coach: Greg Matterson.

Wests Tigers:

Watson Heleta, Ryland Jacobs, Nathan Milone, Veiru Mapesone, Luke Garner, Bayley Sironen, Jack Littlejohn, Darcy Cox, Joel Edwards, Ashley Nisbet, Wes Lolo, Jack Wheelhouse, Alex Twal.

Bench: Jaleel Seve-Derbas, Jordan Grant, Jackson Williams, Tevita Tatola.

Coach: David Heath.

The Newtown RLFC extends best wishes to Daniel Mortimer, who travels to England this week to take up a contract with the Leigh Centurions (https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/) in the UK Super League. Daniel acquired virtual cult status in his time with the Newtown Jets, and he will be forever remembered for his outstanding contribution to Newtown’s 2012 NSW Cup premiership victory. Godspeed, Daniel – you will always receive a warm welcome back at Henson Park.

Match Timeline: –

First half:

Newtown kicked off, running to the northern end.

Newtown spent most of the first ten minutes in Wests Tigers half but were unable to break through to score.

11^th min: Midfield penalty to Newtown proves useful. The ball was worked to the right , Matt Evans dummied and cut through to score 10 metres in from the north-east corner. He converted his own try.

Newtown 6-0. (13^th min)

Good defence by Wests Tigers on their own line, midway through the first half.

22^nd min: Jeremy Latimore chip kicks ahead, regathers and goes very close to scoring – not often seen from a front-rower!

26^th min: Try to Wests Tigers. Heleta is the try-scorer and it is converted by Mapesone. 6-all after 27 mins.

Wests Tigers not adverse to a couple of late shots that weren’t picked up by referee and touch judges.

Good Newtown attacking opportunity in 31^st min is wasted by a forward pass.

Jets do well to shut down a strong attacking raid by Wests Tigers in 32^nd min.

Jack Williams goes close to scoring in the 35^th min.

Newtown looking a bit vulnerable up their right-side defence.

Hooker Jordan Galloway makes a good midfield dash in 37^th min but the break isn’t fully exploited.

Half-Time: 6-all.

Completions: Wests Tigers 16/18; Newtown 17/20.

Matterson calls on players for greater effort in second half. This game will be won by the team that most wants to win. Discipline and energy needed in second half.

Second Half:

Matt Evans is off with a dislocated elbow early in the second half.

Penalties favour Newtown 7-2 at the 46^th minute.

Newtown’s small errors are going to prove costly.

Leigh Higgins has gone to fullback and Kurt Kara to five-eighth.

53^rd min: Tremendous try to young centre Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga who is also on debut from the high-flying Cronulla Sharks Holden Cup squad.

Try was scored in the south-western corner.

Not converted. Newtown leads 10-6.

Penalty goal to Besse Aufaga-Toomaga in 57^th min.

Newtown 12-6.

Jets lose the ball from a high Wests Tigers kick in 9^th min.

It looked like Jesse Ramien had been tackled in mid-air, but there’s no penalty.

61^st min: Well worked play as Wests Tigers Jackson Williams runs on to a short ball from Jack Littlejohn and scores under the posts.

Converted by Mapesone. 12-all in 62^nd min.

Great carry by James Tuitahi as he takes the ball out from his own tryline to the 40 metres line, but loses the ball in a tackle (66^th min)

Jets knock on 30 metres out from their own tryline – errors like this will prove costly (68^th min)

Grubber kick by Littlejohn into the in-goal is well weighted and Milone scores.

Converted by Mapesone. Wests Tigers 18-12 after 71 mins.

Jesse Ramien and Edrick Lee exchange passes, and Lee races to the tryline and veers inwards to get closer to the goal-posts – and is prevented from grounding the ball by a Wests Tigers defender.

Lee is adamant later that he grounded the ball.

Referee Treneman chose to call it “held up in-goal”. (75^th min)

Newtown’s errors in off-loads continue to prove costly.

Penalty to Wests Tigers for Jets pass off the ground wraps up proceedings.

Full-Time: Wests Tigers win 18-12.

Matterson’s post-match comments:

Too much dropped ball in the back end of the game.

Great effort and courage shown by Newtown players but the frequent errors in the last twenty minutes brought the Jets undone.

Best players: Matt Evans, Kurt Dillon, Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga, Jeremy Latimore.

Second half completions: Newtown 55%; Wests Tigers 90%.

Newtown’s next game details:

NSWRL ISP NSW – 17^th Round

Saturday, 1^st July 2017

Central Coast Stadium, Gosford

Wyong v Newtown

Kick-Off: 12.40pm

This match will be televised live on Fox Sports