The Newtown Jets staged a great second-half fightback, but fell short of running down the Raiders lead

The Newtown Jets have been eliminated from the 2025 Knock-On Effect NSW Cup semi-finals, going down 24-20 to the Canberra Raiders in the elimination final (4th place versus 5th place) played at Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah on Saturday afternoon.

The Raiders fielded a greatly-changed lineup as a result of a large number of players being rested from their NRL squad. Newtown’s main change was the absence through injury of their team captain and playmaker halfback, Niwhai Puru.

Newtown had the better of the first twenty-five minutes, but the Jets failed to make the best use of their points-scoring opportunities. If the Raiders Jersey Flegg squad members promoted into their NSW Cup semi-final team were overawed in any way by the occasion, they didn’t show it. It was very much a case of the longer that it took Newtown to score in the first half, the greater would be the self-belief and determination of the makeshift Raiders team.

The game broke open in Canberra’s favour in the latter stages of the first half, with the Raiders scoring two high speed tries through their right side, as well as a crash play try through their left side attack.

The Jets had been doing all of the attacking but none of the scoring, and the Raiders punished them with a burst of three converted tries in the space of just nine minutes.

The Raiders went into the sheds at halftime buoyant with their 18-0 lead, while the Jets had continued their indifferent form of the latter rounds of the NSW Cup competition. Whether the Raiders 18-0 lead would be the coup de grace for the defending premiers was going to be decided in the second half.

Newtown looked to be far more purposeful in the second half, and Hohepa Puru, Khaled Rajab, Riley Pollard, Riley Jones and Michael Gabriel swung into quick-hands action to send Sam Stonestreet over unopposed on the left side. Pollard’s conversion attempt hit the right hand upright and bounced through.

The Jets were now playing a more direct, straight and hard-running style, and just minutes later the tough middle forward Brad Fearnley bulldozed through several Raiders defenders to score, but Riley’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

Newtown made an error at their end of the field, gifting the Raiders valuable field position. Canberra scored in the next set, increasing their lead to 24-10 and providing themselves with a valuable points buffer of more than two converted tries to defend. The Raiders nearly scored again following another break up their right side, with a well-angled centre kick that more than one of the Raiders failed to gather in and score.

Newtown punished the Raiders for an error from a scrum at their own end. The Jets scored in the next set when Riley Pollard grubber-kicked through for Michael Gabrael to win the race to the bouncing ball. Pollard converted this try and Newtown now trailed by 24-16.

The Jets were able to advance well into Raiders territory, thanks to a blatant spear tackle on Kristian Dixon that saw a Canberra player placed on report.

Newtown scored in the next set with Michael Gabrael claiming his 19th try of the season, and with the Jets proving that well-timed flat passes and fast and determined running will usually pay off. Gabrael’s second try of the day wasn’t converted and Newtown now trailed 24-20, having scored 20 points to 6 in the second half.

Time was running out for the Jets, even though they made good ground into the Raiders red zone. Riley Pollard went desperately close to scoring in the 78th minute, and that was followed by a Jets crosskick right on the Raiders tryline that was snapped out of mid-air by a fearless Canberra defender.

In the last thirty seconds the Jets launched a raid up their left side, with Stonestreet’s centre kick being nullified by the Raiders defenders.

It was indeed a remarkable win by the Raiders with so many of their players being promoted upwards from their Jersey Flegg squad.

Newtown’s loyal fan base would have been disappointed with the Jets early exit from the 2025 finals, but their team’s form in the latter weeks of the NSW Cup competition had not been in keeping with a team looking to win their second premiership in a row.

Match Result:

Canberra Raiders 24:
Luke Tuialii, Mutua Brown,

Atini Tuialii, Jaxon Lavender tries;

Braydan Darmody 4 conversions
defeated
Newtown 20:
Michael Gabrael 2,

Sam Stonestreet, Brad Fearnley tries;

Riley Pollard 2 conversions.
Half-Time: Canberra Raiders led 18-0.

Video Materials:

NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Highlights || Newtown v Canberra Raiders:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2025/09/06/the-knock-on-effect-nsw-cup-highlights–elimination-final—jets-v-raiders/

NSWRL Newtown v Canberra Raiders match report:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2025/09/06/stunning-raiders-performance-eliminates-defending-premiers/

Newtown Jets coach George Ndaira’s post-match comments:
https://www.facebook.com/newtownrlfc/videos/694735663637437

Saturday’s teams were:

Newtown:
Fullback: Riley Jones
Wingers: Kristian Dixon, Sam Stonestreet

Centres: Chris Vea’ila, Michael Gabrael
Halves: Khaled Rajab, Riley Pollard
Lock: Hohepa Puru
Second-Rowers: Kyle Pickering, Dylan Coutts
Front-Rowers: Tuku Hau Tapuha, Max Bradbury
Hooker: Jayden Berrell (Captain)
Interchange:
Blake Hosking, Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa
Eli Clark, Brad Fearnley
Concussion Substitute: Jordin Leiu
Blue Shirt Trainer: Tom Haberecht
Yellow Shirt Trainer: Fletcher Graham
Yellow Shirt Trainer: Fletcher Graham

Orange Shirt Trainer: Chris Moubarak
Game Day Doctor: Dr Peadar MacSuibhne

Head Coach: George Ndaira.

Canberra Raiders:
Fullback: Ethan Alaia
Wingers: Luke Tuialii, Jensen Taumoepeau
Centres: Antini Tuialii, Mutua Brown
Halves: Shaun Packer (Captain), BJ Darmody
Lock: Myles Martin
Second-Rowers: Jordan Uta, Jaxon Lavender
Front-Rowers: Mitchell Prest, Vena Patuki-Case
Hooker: Malachi Smith
Interchange:
Sylas Simon, Caleb Garvie
Jake Clydsdale, Jai Purser

Concussion Substitute: Luke Cannon
Blue Shirt Trainer: Mick Howard
Yellow Shirt Trainer: Angus Whittle
Orange Shirt Trainer: Claire Nicholls
Game Day Doctor: Dr Martin Schutte
Head Coach: Chris Lewis.

Match Timeline:

First half:
Canberra Raiders kicked off.

Newtown Jets were running to the southern end.
28th minute: Luke Tuialii try.

Converted by Braydan Darmody. Raiders 6-0.

32nd minute: Mutua Brown try.
Converted by Braydan Darmody. Raiders 12-0.
37th minute: Atini Tuialii try.
Converted by Braydan Darmody. Raiders 18-0.
Half-Time: Canberra Raiders 18 led Newtown 0.
Second half:
Newtown Jets kicked off and were running to the northern end.

47th minute: Sam Stonestreet try.

Converted by Riley Pollard. Raiders led 18-6.
52nd minute: Brad Fearnley try.
Not converted. Raiders led 18-10.
56th minute: Jaxon Lavender try.
Converted by Braydan Darmody. Raiders led 24-10.
63rd minute: Michael Gabrael try.

Converted by Riley Pollard. Raiders led 24-16.
68th minute: Michael Gabrael try.
Not converted. Raiders led 24-20.

Full-Time: Canberra Raiders 24 defeated Newtown 20.

Match Statistics:

Newtown player statistics:
Kyle Pickering: Most Tackles: 37 tackles.
Michael Gabrael: Most metres run: 253 metres.
Sam Stonestreet: Most line breaks: 4 line breaks.

Team Statistics:
Newtown: N; Canberra Raiders: R.

Possession: N 58%, R 42%
Time in possession: N: 29m; R 22m

Completions: N 85%, 35/41; R 75%, 24/32.

Runs with the ball: N 200, R 143
Metres run: N 1816m, R 1394m
Post contact metres: N 597m, R 412m
Line Breaks: N 7, R 6
Tackle breaks: N 36, R 31
Average set distance: N 44.5m, R 43.6m
Kick return metres: N 156, R 108
Offloads: N 8, R 9
Receipts: N 470, R 302
Total passes: N 276, R 144
Dummy passes: N 18, R 11

Kicks: N 22, R 16
Kicking metres: N 465, R 561
Forced drop outs: N 1, R 1
Kick defusal: N 75%, R 56%
Bombs: N 6, R 2
Grubbers: N 7, R 1
Tackles made: N 259, R 344
Missed tackles: N 31, R 36
Intercepts: N 0, R 1
Errors: N 6, R 12

Penalties conceded: N 3 R 7
In side 10 metres: N 1, R 0
On reports: N 0, R 1
Interchanges: N 7, R 8.

Newtown’s NSW Cup elimination semi-final match details were:
NSWRL Knock-On Effect NSW Cup
Elimination Semi-Final
Saturday, 6th September 2025
Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah
Newtown (4th place) v Canberra Raiders (5th place)
Kick-Off: 2.00pm.
The NSW Cup elimination semi-final was livestreamed on BarTV NSWRL.(NSWRL Jersey Flegg Semi-Final Curtain-Raiser:
Cronulla Sharks v Canberra Raiders: 12.00 noon kick-off.)

Weather: 19 degrees, sunny.Playing surface: Excellent.

Match Officials for Saturday’s elimination semi-final:
Referee: Daniel Luttringer
Touch Judges: Brad Kiehne, William Greatbatch
In-Goal Judges: Louis Matheson, Lachlan Greenfield