The Grand Finalists for all junior representative competitions have been decided, with some gripping Preliminary Finals taking place across UOW Jubilee Stadium and Southern Cross Group Stadium today.
Harold Matthews
Newcastle Knights v Manly Sea Eagles
Leichhardt Oval, Saturday 6 May
11am
Leichhardt Oval will host the Grand Finals next Saturday, with the Newcastle Knights and the Manly Sea Eagles kicking off at 11am to determine the 2017 Harold Matthews premiers.
The Sea Eagles got off to a flying start against the Parramatta Eels, scoring four tries in the opening 15 minutes and looked like they were going to run away with the game.
Three tries to Parramatta before half-time, including a double from Tevita Masima, brought the margin back to 12, but despite the Eels scoring more points in the second half, they were unable to take the lead at any stage of the game.
Alike the Sea Eagles, the Newcastle Knights also got off to a quick start, however they were able to go on with the job all the way up until the half-time siren.
With the scoreboard reading 40-0 at the break, the result was all but decided, however credit to the Canberra Raiders for not dropping their heads and winning the second half.
Bradman Best scored a hat-trick for the Knights, while Max Buderus had a good day out with the boot, kicking seven from nine conversions.
Tarsha Gale Cup
Canterbury Bulldogs v Penrith Panthers
Leichhardt Oval, Saturday 6 May
12:45pm
Following that game will be the Tarsha Gale Cup Grand Final at 12:45pm, which will see the Canterbury Bulldogs take on the Penrith Panthers.
An absolute thriller at Southern Cross Group Stadium saw the Canterbury Bulldogs come from behind to advance into the first ever Tarsha Gale Cup Grand Final.
Aaliyah Fasavalu-Fa’amausili scored a hat-trick for the Bulldogs, with prolific try-scorer Page McGregor unable to line up in the vital clash.
The massive omission did not prove to be fatal for the Bulldogs, who turned it on in the dying moments of the match to record a 32-28 win and book a spot in the 2017 Grand Final.
A few hours later at the same ground, the Panthers continued their brilliant run of form to defeat the Illawarra Steelers, once again led by fullback Cassie Ormsby.
The first tackle of the game saw Ormsby absolutely crunch Lilly-Rose Bennett into touch, and she followed that effort with two important tries.
The Steelers took the Panthers all the way to the buzzer, but a try in the dying second would not be enough.
SG Ball
Cronulla Sharks v Parramatta Eels
Leichhardt Oval, Saturday 6 May
2pm
The final match of the day will be when the Parramatta Eels take on the Cronulla Sharks in the SG Ball Grand Final at 2pm.
The Sydney Roosters upset the Penrith Panthers last week in an incredibly entertaining game, but were unable to match last week’s efforts with the Eels running in 32-12 victors.
Quick starts seemed to be the theme at UOW Jubilee Oval, with Parramatta racing out to a 16-0 lead before the Roosters scored two quick tries just before the half-time break.
Parramatta then raced away with the game, with Noel Aukafolau scoring two vital tries in the second half.
It was the Illawarra Steelers that started well in the other SG Ball Preliminary Final, as they were able to take a 14-6 lead early in the second half.
In what seemed out of nowhere, the Sharks suddenly turned it on, amassing 32 unanswered points to blow the Steelers away and book a place in the 2017 Grand Final against the Eels.
