Newtown Rugby League Football Club - Established 1908
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Match details3.00 pm, Saturday, 19 May 2012WIN Stadium #2, Cnr Crown & Harbour Streets 2012 Newtown Jets players & staff Browse moment-by-moment game action in Gary Sutherland's match gallery. Match summaryNewtown Jets 32 [Kane Evans 2, Daniel Tupou, Justin Carney, Mark Kheirallah, Josh Ailaomai tries; Mark Kheirallah 4 goals] Half-time: Cutters led 12-13 with a field goal after the siren. Officials: Referee, Jon Stone; Touch Judges, Peter Crombie-Brown, Matt Damaso.
Match reportThe St George-Illawarra VB NSW Cup partnership club, the Illawarra Cutters, made the Newtown Jets earn their 32-17 victory at WIN Stadium last Saturday. The Jets have had an ordinary record in road-trip away games in recent seasons and things looked ominous when the Jets trailed the Cutters 12-0 after twenty minutes. Newtown were down 13-12 at halftime but scored four tries in the game's third quarter to eventually win by a fifteen-points margin. Tense struggle in first halfThe Jets dominated territory and possession early in the first half but failed to breach the Illawarra defences. The Cutters scored from a well-placed cross-field kick the first time they came towards the Jets end of the field, and they scored a second try in the 20th minute after Newtown had been unable to break through solid Cutters defence on their own line. The Jets first try was scored by rugged front-rower Josh Ailaomai, who was also involved in Newtown's second try, an impressive display of teamwork that was completed by centre Justin Carney. The Cutters former New Zealand Test half Jeremy Smith snapped a field goal that gave the South Coast team a 13-12 halftime lead. Coach's challenge at half timeJets coach, Greg Matterson, laid the challenge down to his forwards at the halftime break. He demanded more push and aggression through the middle, quicker play the balls and greater depth in running onto the ball. The Cutters had scored three times by advancing downfield on the back of Newtown's penalties and errors, while the Jets had taken a long time to register points despite being at Illawarra's end of the ground for an extended period. Players respond to half-time rev upThe Newtown coaching triumvirate of Matterson, Darryl Neville and Dan Wortley would surely have been impressed with the Jets power-packed response after halftime. The points came in quick succession in the third quarter, with tries to the eagerly-supporting halfback Mark Kheirallah, a double to towering young prop forward Kane Evans, and one to winger Daniel Tupou following splendid approach work by backrower Andrew Pearn and centre Adam Henry. The Jets ran up a 32-13 lead by the 60th minute mark, with the Cutters adding one more try fifteen minutes out from fulltime. Coaching team assessmentThe Jets coaching staff acknowledged the team's strong second half performance, especially the whirlwind of points in the third quarter. It was duly noted that the Cutters were under-strength due to call-ups to cover the Dragons representative commitments. The coaching staff made special mention of the top games turned in by the young trio of front-rowers in Isaac Liu, Josh Ailaomai and Kane Evans. Unfortunately Ailaomai received his marching orders for an incident in the last thirty seconds of the game and he will very likely face a period of suspension. Mercurial fullback Alofa Alofa suffered an ankle injury that may keep him out for at least one game. Next matchThe Newtown Jets have a bye this coming weekend (26/27 May) and the players and staff will certainly enjoy the break after 15 games in succession, including trials. Newtown's next match will be when they confront Wentworthville at Henson Park on Saturday, 2 June, with this 14th round VB NSW Cup match timed for kick-off at 3.00pm. |
Who played?
Interchange
Coach: Greg Matterson
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