The Newtown Jets secure a finals double-chance with narrow win over the Warriors

The Newtown Jets ensured themselves a double-chance in the 2024 NSW Cup semi-finals when they defeated the New Zealand Warriors 39-36 in the final home and away round played at Henson Park on Saturday.

With the Canberra Raiders losing in an upset to the Sydney Roosters, Newtown finished in second place on the NSW Cup premiership table, with North Sydney taking out the Minor Premiers title.

The Newtown-Warriors match was played in warm conditions with a good Reunion Day crowd in attendance. Both sides scored seven tries and only one conversion and a field goal provided the Jets with their three points winning margin.

The Warriors started the game with great confidence, scoring two unconverted tries in the first six minutes. Newtown didn’t have any possession at the Warriors end of the field until the 11th minute, when Jayden Berrell pounced on a Niwhai Puru grubber kick (that deflected off a couple of Warriors defenders) to score to the left of the southern end goal posts.

Newtown’s second try came from another grubber-kick into the in-goal, with the Jets captain Billy Burns doing the honours on this occasion. Jayden Berrell was certainly in top form, seizing upon a calamitous mistake by the Warriors at the play the ball, and romping in for Newtown’s third try of the afternoon.

Further tries followed with the flying winger Siteni Taukamo being sent over in the south-west corner. What was the try of the game came from an exhilarating sequence of high speed rugby league involving Liam Ison, Niwhai Puru, Khaled Rajab, Jackson Ferris (who deployed an exquisite back-flick pass) and Siteni Taukamo, who roved infield and picked up his fellow winger Tom Rodwell who ran a perfect angle at top speed to score.

At this point of a frantic first half, Newtown had scored five tries in just over twenty minutes, with four of these tries being converted. After trailing 8-0 after six minutes, the Jets had opened up a commanding 28-8 lead, bearing in mind that the Warriors had a strong wind behind them.

The New Zealanders hit back with a try in the last ten seconds of the first half, having been assisted by a run of three penalties in rapid succession. The Jets went into halftime with a 28-14 lead, but given the frenetic events of the first half, that did not necessarily constitute an insurmountable lead.

The Warriors began the second half similarly to their rapid fire start to the first forty minutes, scoring another try from a high kick into their left-side corner.  The Jets responded quickly, with Puru, Rajab and Ison combining superbly, topped off by Ison’s “harbour bridge” cut-out pass sending Taukamo racing in for his second try. The Jets continued to rebuild their substantial lead when Puru and Burns combined for Jordan Swann to power his way over in the north-west corner, much to the raucous delight of the big Club Reunion Day crowd.

Newtown had now opened up a 38-20 lead, but the Jets did not score another try in the remaining twenty-five minutes. A heavy penalty count to the Kiwis and three Newtown players on report ensured that the Warriors had plenty of momentum as they set about running down Newtown’s lead.

Trailing 38-32 with ten minutes remaining, the Warriors were full of running and confidence. Puru took the opportunity to snap a field goal for the Jets with seven minutes to play, giving Newtown the points buffer of a lead of more than six points.

The Warriors scored their seventh try four minutes from fulltime, but they didn’t get the opportunity to overhaul Newtown’s three-point lead.

The Jets best backs were Niwhai Puru, Khaled Rajab and Liam Ison, while the best forwards were Billy Burns, Jayden Berrell and Rhys Dakin, with lock Blake Hosking topping the tackle count.

Newtown now moves into a qualifying semi-final against the Canberra Raiders, with the winner advancing into the major semi-final against North Sydney. The Jets meet the Raiders on Saturday, 7th September at Leichhardt Oval, with this match timed to commence at 5.00pm.

The Jets-Raiders match will be livestreamed on NSWRL TV.

Match Details: –
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
Round 26
Saturday, 31st August 2024
Henson Park
Newtown (3rd place) v New Zealand Warriors (4th place)
Kick-Off: 3.00pm.
This match was livestreamed on NSWRL TV.

Weather: Sunny, 24 degrees. Wind: South/South-Easterly.

Playing surface: Excellent.
Match Result: –
Newtown 39:
Jayden Berrell 2, Siteni Taukamo 2,
Billy Burns, Tom Rodwell, Jordan Swann tries;
Niwhai Puru 5 conversions, 1 field goal
defeated
New Zealand Warriors 36:
Edward Kosi 2, Geronimo Doyle 2,
Setu Tu, Zyon Maiu’u, Bunty Afoa tries;

Motu Pasikala 4 conversions.
Half-Time: Newtown led 28-14.

The Teams: –
Newtown:
Fullback: Liam Ison
Wingers: Tom Rodwell, Siteni Taukamo
Centres: Jordan Swann, Jackson Ferris
Halves: Khaled Rajab, Niwhai Puru
Lock: Blake Hosking
Second-Rowers: Jordin Leiu, Billy Burns (Captain)
Front-Rowers: Rhys Dakin, Tuku Hau Tapuha
Hooker: Jayden Berrell
Interchange:
Kurt Dillon, Billy Magoulias, Joshua Cook, Brad Fearnley
Reserve: Tony Maroun

(Blue Shirt: Tom Haberecht, Yellow Shirt: Fletcher Graham, Orange Shirt: Chris Moubarak)
Coach: George Ndaira.

New Zealand Warriors:
Fullback: Ben Farr
Wingers: Motu Pasikala, Edward Kosi
Centres: Moala Graham-Taufa, Setu Tu
Halves: Luke Hanson, Paulie Roache
Lock: Kalani Going
Second-Rowers: Jacob Laban, Leka Halasima
Front-Rowers: Eddie Ieremia, Bunty Afoa
Hooker: Makaia Tafua
Interchange:
Tanner Stowers-Smith, Geronimo Doyle, Harry Durbin, Zyon Maiu’u

Reserve: Caleb Laimen

(Blue Shirt: Patrick Gibson, Yellow Shirt: Cullen Le Roy, Orange Shirt: Dillon Lai.
Coach: David Tangata-Toa.

NSWRL TV Highlights || NSW Cup || Newtown Jets v New Zealand Warriors || Henson Park || Saturday, 31st August 2024:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2024/08/31/nswrl-tv-highlights–nsw-cup-jets-v-warriors—round-26/

The NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup competition table after the completion of the 2024 competition rounds:

https://www.nswrl.com.au/ladder/?competition=113&round=26&season=2024

Match Timeline: –
First Half:
Newtown kicked off, running to the Sydenham Road end of Henson Park.
2m30s: Edward Kosi try
Not converted. NZW 4-0.
6m30s: Setu Tu try.

Not converted. NZW 8-0.
11th minute: Jayden Berrell try.

Converted by Niwhai Puru. NZW 8-6.
20th minute: Billy Burns try.
Converted by Niwhai Puru. Newtown 12-8.
23m30s: Jayden Berrell try.
Converted by Niwhai Puru. Newtown 18-8.
26m30s: Niwhai Puru 40/20 kick.
27m30s: Siteni Taukamo try.
Not converted. Newtown 22-8.
33rd minute: Tom Rodwell try.
Converted by Niwhai Puru. Newtown 28-8.
39m50s: Zyon Maiu’u try.
Converted by Motu Pasikala. Newtown 28-14>
Half-Time: Newtown led 28-14.
Second Half:
43rd minute: Edward Kosi try.

Converted by Motu Pasikala. Newtown 28-20.
48th minute: Siteni Taukamo try.
Converted by Niwhai Puru. Newtown 34-20.
52m30s: Jordan Swann try.
Not converted. Newtown 38-20>
55th minute: Interchange – HIA – No return.
Ben Farr (NZW) off, Geronimo Doyle (NZW) on.
66th minute: Geronimo Doyle try.

Converted by Motu Pasikala. Newtown 38-26.
68m40s: Bunty Afoa try.

Converted by Motu Pasikala. Newtown 38-32.
71st minute: Niwhai Puru field goal.
Newtown 39-32.
74th minute: Geronimo Doyle try.
Not converted. Newtown 39-36.
Full-Time: Newtown 39 defeated New Zealand Warriors 36.

Match Statistics: –
Abbreviations: Newtown (N), New Zealand Warriors (NZW).

Player Statistics:
Blake Hosking (N) – most tackles – 29
Jordan Swann (N) – most run metres – 163
Tom Rodwell (N) – line breaks – 2.

Possession: N 50%, NZW 50%
Time in possession: N 20m04s, NZW 20m39s
Completion rates: N 87%, NZW 71%
All runs: N 144, NZW 172
All run metres: N 1216, NZW 1436
Post contact metres: N 356, NZW 374
Line breaks: N 5, NZW 5
Tackle breaks: N 36, NZW 39
Average set distance: N 39.24m, NZW 44.88m
Kick return metres: N 72, NZW 69
Average play the ball speed: N 3.38s, NZW 3.21s
Offload: N 6, NZW 9
Receipts: N 298, NZW 310
Total passes: N 168, NZW 171
Dummy passes: N 9, NZW 13
Kicks: N 13, NZW 8
Kicking metres: N 347, NZW 148
Kick defusal: N 60%, NZW 50%
40/20: N 1, NZW 0
Bombs: N 4, NZW 2
Grubbers: N 3, NZW 0
Effective tackles: N 83%, NZW 85%
Tackles made: N 256, NZW 261
Missed tackles: N 39, NZW 36
Ineffective tackles: N 13, NZW 9
Errors: N 4, NZW 11
Penalties conceded: N 11, NZW 5
Ruck infringements: N 0, NZW 1
Inside 10 metres: N 2, NZW 0
On report: N 3, NZW 0

Interchanges: N 8, NZW 7
HIA: N 0, NZW 1.

Newtown Jets players on report:
Rhys Dakin, Billy Burns, Jayden Berrell.

Newtown’s next match: –
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
Qualifying Semi-Final
Saturday, 7th September 2024
Leichhardt Oval
Newtown (2nd place) v Canberra Raiders (3rd place)
Kick-Off: 5.00pm.
This match will be livestreamed on NSWRL TV.