There was a big crowd and plenty of media presence at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday afternoon, but Wests Tigers made the second half their own

Details of the 20th Round ISP NSW match between Wests Tigers and Newtown, played at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday, 23rd July 2016 by Glen ‘Bumper’ Dwyer.

NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership – 20^th Round

Saturday, 23^rd July 2016

Leichhardt Oval

Wests Tigers v Newtown

Kick-Off: 3.00pm.

Newtown’s team on Saturday afternoon was:

Travis Robinson, Joshua Tuilagi, Jordan Drew, Matt Evans, Jacob Gagan, Kurt Kara (Capt), Josh Cleeland, Anthony Moraitis, Malakai Houma, Kurt Capewell, Junior Roqica, Matt McIlwrick, Jesse Sene-Lefao.

Bench: Jason Schirnack, Kurt Dillon, Saulala Houma, Harrison Muller.

Coach: Greg Matterson.

And Wests Tigers fielded this team:

Watson Heleta, Charlie Taylor, Chance Peni, Michael Chee Kam, Josh Addo-Carr, Jack Littlejohn (Capt), Justin Hunt, Curtis Sironen, Jackson Williams, Tyler Cassel, Jordan Grant, Robbie Farah, Wesley Lolo.

Bench: Manaia Cherrington, Jeremy Marshall-King, Rod Griffin, Dallas Graham.

Coach: Paul Stringer.

Wests Tigers 42:

Josh Addo-Carr 2, Tyler Cassel, Jack Littlejohn, Jordan Grant, Justin Hunt, Curtis Sironen tries;

Justin Hunt 7 goals

defeated

Newtown Jets 24:

Jesse Sene-Lefao 2, Anthony Moraitis, Jordan Drew tries;

Kurt Capewell 4 goals.

Half-Time: 18-all.

The star attraction of the afternoon was the inclusion of State of Origin hooker Robbie Farah in the Wests Tigers team, which helped draw an estimated crowd of 3000 and plenty of media attention. A highlight of the afternoon was the vociferous chanting of support for Farah and the hundreds who mobbed him on the field at fulltime. One Newtown official described the afternoon as being an almost surreal experience – the events of the day seemed to take on a life-force of their own and that it was hard to imagine similar events occurring on such a scale again in the ISP NSW competition.

Referee: Daniel Olford. Touch Judges: Jimmy Oliveira and Philip Sung.

Playing surface: Excellent.

Weather: Mostly sunny, 16 degrees C, south-easterly breeze.

Joshua Tuilagi from the Cronulla Sharks NYC team was on debut for Newtown. Mitch Brown was a late withdrawal from the Jets team. He has been cleared to join the Leigh RLFC in the UK Kingstone Press Championship and everyone at the Newtown RLFC extends good wishes to Mitch for the future, and we thank him for his sterling performances and onfield leadership over the past two seasons.

Other ISP NSW results this weekend:

Mounties 32 d New Zealand Warriors 22; North Sydney 32 d Manly-Warringah 18; Canterbury-Bankstown 30 d Illawarra Cutters 0; Wentworthville 30 d Wyong 22.

Newcastle Knights and Penrith had byes.

The NSWRL ISP NSW competition table after 20 rounds reads as follows:  http://www.nswrl.com.au/intrust-super-premiership-nsw/ladder1.html

Details of Newtown’s next match:

NSWRL ISP NSW – 21^st Round

Saturday, 30^th July 2016

Henson Park

Newtown (in 5^th place and on 25 points) v Penrith (in 6^th place and on 24 points)

Kick-Off: 3.00pm.

Timeline of Saturday’s game:

Wests Tigers kicked off, with Newtown defending the northern end of the ground.

Wests Tigers receive a penalty in the second minute.

Farah sets up an early sortie by the Tigers.

Newtown knock on midfield in 4^th min.

Newtown defence put under pressure.

Jets work their way downfield.

Josh Cleeland’s kick hits the goal-post and is brilliantly scooped up by Jesse Sene-Lefao who scores. (8^th min)

Converted by Kurt Capewell. Newtown 6-0 after 9 mins.

Matt McIlwrick had been prominent in the lead-up to the try.

Penalty to Newtown in 10^th min.

Jordan Drew sends Jesse Sene-Lefao in to score in the 12^th min.

Junior Roqica involved in lead-up work.

Kurt Capewell converts from the sideline. Newtown 12-0 after 14 mins.

Another Newtown knock-on.

Jets forced into a goal-line drop-out.

WT force a repeat set.

Farah sends Tyler Cassel in to score in 19^th min.

Converted by Justin Hunt. Newtown 12-6 after 20 mins.

Jets finding it hard to get out of their own half.

WT dominating possession and territory.

Farah puts Littlejohn over to score in 23^rd min.

Hunt converts. 12-all after 25 mins.

WT receive a run of penalties, Jets really under the cosh.

Penalties running 7-1 to WT.

Jordan Grant scores next to posts in 32^nd min.

Hunt converts, WT lead 18-12.

Jets finally get into WT territory.

Anthony Moraitis runs the ball on the last tackle and scores wide out. (36^th min).

Not converted. WT 18-16.

WT kick out on the full.

Two penalties in a row to Newtown.

Kurt Capewell kicks a penalty goal for  Jets right on halftime.

Halftime score: Wests Tigers and Newtown Jets 18-all.

Crowd gives both teams an ovation as they leave the field.

Second half:

Newtown kicks off to the northern end.

Robbie Farah knocks on an admittedly bad pass.

Jets supporters heard to deliver a loud Bronx cheer.

Jets defence has been strong given the paucity of ball they had in the first forty minutes.

Jets had one set of possession in one twenty-minute period in the first half.

WT had 17 sets to Newtown’s 9 in first half.

Will the Jets have much petrol left in the tank as the second half progresses?

Jets guilty of obstruction on the first tackle.

WT force Jets into another goal-line drop-out.

Hunt scores in 48^th min and converts his own try.

WT 24-18 after 49 mins.

WT make a break up the middle and Addo-Carr scores in 50^th min.

Farah was involved in this try.

Hunt converts, WT 30-18 after 52 mins.

Jets penalised for shoulder charge.

PNG international and former Ipswich Jet Griffin makes ground up the middle.

Another former Ipswich Jet Kurt Capewell gathers in Littlejohn’s attacking kick.

Penalty to Jets and they are on the attack.

They gain a repeat set in 57^th min.

Jets right on WT line, but Addo-Carr intercepts a pushed Jets pass and sprints 95 metres to score under the posts.

Hunt converts. WT 36-18 after 62 mins.

Weight of possession and tackling workload starting to tell on the Jets.

Farah puts Sironen in to score in 67^th min.

Hunt converts, WT lead 42-18.

Anthony Moraitis throws a superb pass and Jordan Drew hits the gap perfectly and races 30 metres to score.

Kurt Capewelll converts, WT 42-24 after 73 mins.

The game has been played at a fast pace.

This is almost certainly the biggest crowd seen at a Leichhardt Oval NSW Cup/IPS NSW competition match outside of semi-final double-headers.

Farah’s influence on his new team-mates, Newtown’s enormous tackling workload and errors have all been major factors in the outcome of this match.

Melbourne Storm-bound Josh Addo-Carr is a dangerous attacking weapon. He is the grandson of the popular 1980’s boxing identity Wally “Wait a While” Carr, and is said to be one of the fastest players in the entire NRL ranks.

Farah puts a kick into the Newtown in-goal right on full-time but the ball is knocked dead.

Full-time: Wests Tigers 42 defeated Newtown 24.

Farah is mobbed by a huge crowd of emotional WT supporters at full-time. Quite a number of pro-Farah banners have been brandished at Leichhardt Oval on the day.

The big crowd, media hype and the controversial nature of Farah’s inclusion in the WT team undoubtedly boosted WT’s will to win on the day.