Canterbury Cup NSW Rd 19 – scores, highlights, reports

Hannah McGrory

The New Zealand Warriors have secured a 30-22 victory over the Wentworthville Magpies at Bankwest Stadium.

The Warriors have shocked the Magpies outfit after scoring twice in the final fifteen minutes. The Warriors centre Taane Milne crossed for a double to assist his side to victory for the second consecutive week. 

Last time these two teams met in Round 14, the Warriors defeated Wenty by ten points, 26-16 at North Harbour Stadium. 

The visitors had a strong start opening up the scoring through centre Taane Milne, following a good passage of play down the right edge. Milne took over kicking duties from Adam Keighran who was called up to NRL, but the conversion was missed. Warriors lead by four-points in the first three minutes of the game. 

Milne was happy after his side came back in the final fifteen minutes to take the two points. 

"I had all belief in the boys to get the win, and we all said it before the game it was an important game for us heading into the back end of the season where it counts. Pretty happy with the two points we got today especially with the efforts today,” Milne told NSWRL post match.

The Magpies were quick to respond in the 9th minute through second rower Andrew Davey, after he barged over and with the conversion successful.

Wenty were awarded a penalty with fullback Will Smith taking the quick tap and breaking through the Warriors line providing space for Jaemon Salmon who finished the job and scored. The conversion was successful as they extended their lead 12-4.

A smart passage of play for the Warriors saw Lewis Soosemea dive over in the right corner to score their second of the game with the conversion successful to keep Wenty in front 12-10.

The home side forced two goal line drop outs with five minutes on the clock in the first half, before successfully capitalising as Davey crossed for his second of the match. Five-eighth Salmon set up the try after he dummied right before passing inside to Davey. The conversion was unsuccessful with the half time buzzer sounding in the background.

The home side went into the half time break with a 16-10 lead over the Warriors.

The first penalty was awarded to the Magpies in the second half as they utilised the opportunity with D’Rhys Miller crossing under the posts. The conversion was successful to extend their lead out to 12 points. 

Warriors responded through their prop, Chris Satae who barged his way over to score after Wenty were unable to retain possession following a high kick.  The conversion was successful, however Wenty remained in front 22-16.

Time was called off in the 64th minute due to a disagreement between the teams resulting in a Warriors penalty. Warriors couldn’t make the most of the opportunity, failing to produce a fifth tackle option which resulted in a turn-over.  

In the 68th minute Warriors five-eighth Hayze Perham intercepted the ball, ran 60 metres to score under the posts. The conversion was successful from Taane Milne to lock up the scores.

Milne admitted he felt the pressure when converting to level the scores. 

"I felt a bit of pressure kicking the goal in the middle. It was awesome, Hayze comes up with those clutch plays and it’s good to have him in the team especially right next to me. I’ve got full trust in him in defence and he comes up with those special plays," added Milne.

Warriors centre Taane Milne was in for his second of the match in the 71st minute after a great grubber kick from Josh Curran sent him over. Milne successfully converted his try to help his side to victory.

Newtown Jets v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Andrew Jackson

The Newtown Jets are within one point of the top-eight after shocking the ladder-leading Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 32-12 on Saturday afternoon.

Newtown were boosted by the late inclusions of experienced first-graders Sione Katoa, Kyle Flanagan and Scott Sorensen.

Katoa starred in the first half, running in three tries include one spectacular 90-metre effort.

Flanagan was also heavily involved in his first game since announcing his departure to the Roosters at the end of the year, demanding the ball in a confident display.

He finished the game with a hand in three of their tries.

He was involved in Newtown’s first try of the afternoon as he backed up in support after a break from Siosifa Talakai before linking inside with Tyrone Phillips.

It was all Katoa from then on as the dynamic winger ran in a hattrick of tries in just over 10 minutes.

His first came off a looping ball from Flanagan before he pounced on a towering kick from the halfback. 

The next one he did all himself, snatching a cut-out pass to run 90 metres despite having little room between himself and the sideline.

Flanagan sent the conversion through the posts, his only successful attempt of the half.

A determined effort from Bulldogs fullback Toa Mata’afa right on the siren brought Canterbury back into then contest, albeit still trailing by 14 points at the break.

They quickly went over again minutes into the second half when Brandon Wakeham sent James Roumanos barging over.

But the comeback proved short-lived as another special play from Katoa pushed the home side further ahead.

This time he inexplicably regained a ricocheting kick from the Bulldogs on the fly, bursting through the line and finding William Kennedy in support.

Soon after Kennedy had a double. Canterbury made yet another error inside their half, handing possession back to the Jets.

And Flanagan shoved it onto Kennedy who weaved through the line to score in the corner.

Flanagan converted both tries to leave the score line at 30-8 with under 20 minutes remaining.

Bronson Garlick crossed over in the 71st minute to add respectability to the scoreboard but it mattered little, Newtown finishing dominant winners.

Newcastle Knights v Western Suburbs Magpies

The Western Suburbs Magpies have recorded their first win since Round 14 with a 30-22 victory over the Newcastle Knights at St Johns Oval  on Saturday. 

Not since midway through June have the Magpies earned two competition points – coincidentally their last win coming against the Knights all those weeks ago. 

They fought back from a 10-0 deficit early in the first-half to eventually lead at the half-time break with tries to Robert Jennings, Jacob Liddle and Jock Madden in a relentless 14 minute period. 

Although the Knights showed plenty of fight in the second stanza, a double to Kane Bradley and final try to Tommy Talau sealed an important win away from home. 

St George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs

A field-goal and a penalty goal in the final five minutes has seen the South Sydney Rabbitohs register an important 25-22 victory over the St George Illawarra Dragons in Wollongong on Sunday. 

The Dragons wasted no time stamping their authority on the match racing to a 10-0 lead after crossing for two quick tries in the opening minutes courtesy of wingers Lachlan Maranta and Jonus Pearson, who lasted less than 30 seconds on the interchange bench after a direct swap with Jordan Pereira to make him eligible for the finals series. 

After a frustrating period for both sides, South Sydney finally hit back through their winger Mawane Hiroti, who was on the end of a brilliant cut-out ball from backrower Jack Johns, before planting it just inside the corner post, narrowing the deficit to 10-4.

A mistake from souths interchange forward Brock Gray, who took out Dragons’ Darren Nicholls in the air could have been costly, however, the saints dropped the steeden from the tap. Souths weren’t completely off the hook, with a heads up play from Joe Lovodua at the half-hour mark where he kicked into the in-goal for a racing Reece Robson who grounded it to extend the hosts lead to 16-4, which it remained at the break.

South Sydney started the second half with better intensity, with a strategic offload from Levi Dodd setting up their second try shortly after the resumption. Dodd’s offload found half Blake Taaffe who raced away before linking up with Leigh Higgins who finished off a spectacular try. Hitori slotted the goal to make it 16-10.

A short while later, a lack of aggression in defence by the Red V allowed Bailey Sironen to stroll over for an easy four pointer, with Hitori’s goal leveling proceedings at 16-all.

The Dragons still hadn’t addressed their defensive issues on their own line, conceding another four pointer, with Connor Tracey cutting through to score, giving the Rabbithos the lead for the first time in the contest at 22-16 with just twenty remaining on the clock.

The hosts responded when Lovodua injected himself into the contest again, jumping out of dummy half before popping a pass to Adam Clune who found some space, racing away downfield before turning the ball back inside to the support runner in Jai Field who planted it underneath the sticks.

Tristan Sailor’s conversion successful to level the scores at 22-all.

The Bunnies took their first opportunity to take the field goal, after a strong attacking set saw them march up field getting in prime position. Taaffe demanded the ball behind the ruck, and got his demand, slotting the one-pointer heading into the final five minutes. A penalty goal in the dying stages from Hiroti was the nail in the coffin, with Souths stealing a 25-22 victory.

Penrith Panthers v Mounties

It might have been late but Penrith have moved back into a share of the competition lead following a come-from-behind 24-14 win over Mounties at Panthers Stadium this afternoon.

After a scoreless opening half hour, a decision to send Penrith back-rower Billy Burns to the sin-bin, appeared to have changed the course of the game, with the visitors opening up a 14-0 lead at one point, before Penrith’s comeback, led by a two-try performance from highly rated prop prospect Spencer Leniu, sealed an improbable yet dramatic comeback win.

Both sides came in with minimal late changes but the Panthers, fielding eight players with NRL experience, came into the game as favourites given they were considerably strengthened by the inclusion of Caleb Aekins and Sione Katoa, despite Mounties being equally bolstered by the selection of experienced NRL half, Sam Williams.

It was a sluggish start with both sides guilty of poor handling at key attacking moments but referee Todd Smith’s decision to sin-bin Billy Burns in the 32^ndminute, brought the game to life with the visitors taking full advantage to score consecutive converted tries at the back-end of the first half.

Five-eighth Brendan O’Hagan, sliced through some feeble Penrith defence to score behind the posts to give the visitors an invaluable 6-0 lead, before a long-range line break from Andre Niko enabled back-rower Jack Murchie to reach out and score from the next play to give Mounties an invaluable 12-0 lead at the break.

Mounties stretched the lead beyond two converted tries following a penalty goal to the stand-in fullback Niko, to lead 14-0 with 26 minutes remaining.

But consecutive penalties inside Mounties’ half finally enabled the Panthers to open their account with a barging try to prop Spencer Leniu, to reduce the gap to eight mid-way through the second half.

And following a long-range kick return from Aekins, Leniu’s double in the 71^stminute set up a grandstand finish, with the home side suddenly trailing by just the two points.

The Panthers wouldn’t be denied and completed the comeback in the 77^thminute with Katoa crashing his way over from dummy half and with Blore’s conversion from out wide, Penrith finally hit the lead before Matt Burton secured the win with a neat try, converted by Blore right on full time.

Next up for the Panthers is a highly anticipated clash against formidable foes, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Bankwest Stadium next Saturday whilst earlier that same day, Mounties, will be looking to bounce back with a win as they head across the Tasman next Saturday to take on the NZ Warriors.