Match details
3.00 pm, Saturday, 14 april 2012
Mt Pritchard Oval, Humphries Rd, Mt Pritchard
2012 Newtown Jets players & staff
NSW Cup ladder
Browse moment-by-moment game action and game highlights in Gary Sutherland's photo gallery.
The Newtown Jets turned on their best performance of the 2012 season with an authoritative 30-4 win against the competition’s joint leaders Mounties, at the Mt Pritchard Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon.
The Mounties RLFC has entered into a partnership with the Canberra Raiders NRL franchise and Newtown’s opponents on Saturday were drawn almost exclusively from the Green Machine’s playing ranks.
With the Raiders head coach David Furner looking on, Newtown led 4-0 at halftime after a torrid opening forty minutes, and then stepped up their intensity and precision of execution to seize control of the game, putting on five tries in the twenty-five minutes following the break.
First half tug-of-war
The first half was played with all the physical intensity and ferocity of an elimination semi-final, and giant Jets prop Mose Masoe was on the receiving end of a swinging arm in the third minute of the game.
The first half was a trial by fire for Newtown’s contingent of former Toyota Cup youngsters who all came through the cauldron admirably. The nil-all deadlock wasn’t broken until the 35th minute when Jets five-eighth Daniel Mortimer hoodwinked his opponents and darted over in the corner.
The humid conditions had slowed both sets of forwards down marginally but the Jets had looked the more creative with the ball in the first session.
Coach challenges players to step up
Jets coach Greg Matterson impressed on his players that this was an occasion when the gauntlet had been thrown down, and that the second half would be a great physical and mental challenge. Matterson urged his players to grab this opportunity to prove themselves and to use the second half as a benchmark for further improvement.
Rarely has a team responded more positively. Powerhouse centre Justin Carney broke through several tackles in an inspiring forty metres burst, ending in a try to centre Adam Henry after halfback Mark Kheirallah guided a well-weighted grubber kick into the Mounties in-goal.
In a period in which the Jets dominated possession and territory, tries were added by wingers Daniel Tupou and Samiu Latu, front-rower Isaac Liu and finally by second-rower Tom Symonds who strode majestically into a defensive gap after accepting a slick pass from Daniel Mortimer.
Summing up
Neither side incurred a penalty in the second half and Newtown had received four penalties to one in the first session. Nor did either side record a high completion rate but Newtown appeared to make the Mounties pay a more severe price for their errors.
One telling statistic was that Newtown had 56 per cent of overall possession and they choked the Mounties out of the game in the game’s third quarter. One second half highlight was when chunky centre Justin Carney soared high over his opponents to defuse a well-placed Mounties high kick.
The Jets coaching staff would take plenty out of this win, especially through the developmental experience extended to the younger members of the Newtown squad. The resolution these players showed in the tough first half and the quality of their execution and accurate kicking that led to five tries in the second half proved what they’re capable of.
Newtown’s best forwards were Andrew Pearn, Kurt Kara, Ahmad Ellaz and Nick Ehsman, while Justin Carney, Jack Littlejohn, Daniel Mortimer and Mark Kheirallah were the best of the backline.
Next game
There’s a huge program of VB NSW Cup Rugby League at Henson Park next Saturday, 21 April.
In what has been billed as the Foundation Challenge round, four of the NSW Rugby League’s 1908 foundation clubs will be on show. North Sydney and Western Suburbs play at 12.45pm, with Newtown and Balmain providing the main game at 3.00pm.
This Jets-Tigers 8th round VB NSW Cup encounter is also the first leg of the 2012 Trevor Ryan-Neil Pringle Shield challenge series.
Match summary
Newtown 30 [Daniel Mortimer, Adam Henry, Daniel Tupou, Samiu Latu, Isaac Liu, Tommy Symonds tries; Jack Littlejohn 3 goals]
Mounties 4 [Haydon Hodge try].
Half-time, Newtown led 4-0.
The game through supporters' eyes
So many Jets supporters cannot get to away games but not all have the luxury I enjoyed when the Jets took on the Mounties at Mt Pritchard - passionate supporters texting highlights of the game with such enthusiasm that I just sat still, waiting for the next text.
Alan was at Mt Pritchard; Wayne was receiving a constant stream of texts from another supporter friend, Sandra; and Bumper kept me abreast of the score by text & phone, while he took copious notes for his match report.
It must have been a great game.
In Darwin, I waited patiently as the minutes ticked by from kickoff… at least 30 minutes gone of the match and no news of the game. We all knew the game would be a hard one. What’s happening? A disaster?
Then the texts started to flow – I share them here to give everyone the game as I experienced it.
[A] We lead 4-0 after 35 minutes. Morts in corner.
[A] Now half-time. We lead 4-0. No clock here – makes Wenty look like Wembley. They are even sitting on the field at half-time, the teams I mean.
[W] Half-time, Jets 4, Mounties 0. Morts scored in corner. Reports of Mounties lying all over everyone and head highs. Real arm wrestle.
[W] [Description from Mt Pritchard] Scoreboard still says 0-0 at H-T. No clock. No hooter. We are having half-time in the middle of the field. Beer being sold in the cricket nets.
[A] Yeh! Beach Ball [Justin Carney] makes a big break and [Adam] Henry scores. Not converted, 8-0. 5 minutes gone, 2nd half.
[A] Daniel Tupou scores. Amazing run. Tip toed down side line. Not converted 12-0.
[W] Repeat set. Daniel Tupou scores in corner. Now 12-0.
[A] Samiu Latu now in. Converted 18-0.
[W] Samiu Latu scores. Killer [Halfback, Mark Kheirallah] finally a conversion. 18-0. [Actually was Jack Littlejohn who took over from Mark for fourth conversion.]
[A] Killer missed 2 from sideline. Easier one hit post. [Explanation of who was kicking] GET OFF HIS HEAD, MATE, ‘comment’ by Newtown supporter, reported by text.
[A] Isaac scores, next to posts on left. Littlejohn converts. 24-0. Maybe 20 to go?
[W] Isaac Liu barges over & Jack Littlejohn converts. Now 24-0.
[A] Now Tommy Symonds scores. 28 nil. Now Littlejohn kicks. And gets it! 30-0.
[W] Tommy in. Jack kicks again. Now 30-0.
[W] The 2nd half is better. Matto must be happy.
[From me] Must have said something strong at half-time.
[W] Whatever it is, should be bottled.
[Bumper] Jets 30-0.
[A] Mounties score. 30-4. Ten to go.
[W] They drop ball over line and ref rules a try????????? 30-4.
[W] Jets win 30-4.
[A] Full-time, 30-4. Great result.
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