Recap | The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup - Round Three

Bears remain unbeaten with win over Rabbitohs

Patrick Staveley

Game summary

The North Sydney Bears have prevailed over the South Sydney Rabbitohs 24-16 in Round Three of The Knock On Effect NSW Cup to maintain their unbeaten start. 

The Bears were too strong for the majority of the contest and had too much flair from the get-go with the Rabbitohs unable to match them when they had the ball.

The likes of fullback Josh Bergamin and halves pairing Ronald Volkman and Sandon Smith, were influential for the Bears as the visitors posted four tries in the first half to establish a half-time lead of 24-6.

Tom Carr was also in fine form on the left wing as he picked up a double, including a brilliant individual play where he stepped and dummied his way past some hapless defenders.

A powerful effort by Renouf Atoni where he carried four defenders, and a solo try from Volkman added to the Bears’ points with opposition centre Josiah Karapani scoring the only try for Souths in the first half.

Tries to South Sydney fullback Jacob Gagai and No. 7 Dean Hawkins weren’t enough for the Rabbitohs in the second half as their comeback fell short. 

Talking points

The Bears showed the incredible depth the Sydney Roosters have with NRL-experienced names play starring roles, such as Joseph Suaalii, Kevin Naiqama and Daniel Suluka-Fifita.

The game fell away from the two sides in the second half as the errors piled up, which is something that will no doubt be addressed by both coaches in preparation for Round Four.

Key moment

The Rabbitohs' Tallis Angianga was sin binned for his role in a melee five minutes before halftime as Tom Carr scored for the Bears just two plays after, putting the game arguably out of reach before the break.

What's next?

South Sydney travel to Penrith on Friday night for a tough Round Four battle with the mountain men.

The Bears find themselves taking on the 10th-placed Western Suburbs Magpies at Lidcombe Oval on Sunday afternoon.

St George Illawarra Dragons v Newtown Jets

Metcalf masterclass keeps Jets flying high

Blake Edwards

Game summary

The Newtown Jets continued their perfect start to The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup season with an emphatic 50-10 Round Three victory over St George Illawarra Dragons at Kirkham Oval, Camden.

Newtown looked switched on from the outset and threw the ball around despite the wet weather, which was soon reflected on the scoreboard with a trio of tries inside the opening 15 minutes.

The Jets’ Reuben Rennie grounded a neat kick from halfback Rhys Davies to open their account. Moments later, some fancy footwork from fullback Lachlan Miller bamboozled the Dragons' middle defenders as he sliced through with ease, before linking with five-eighth Luke Metcalf who raced over to score. A further try to winger Jonaiah Lualua in the 11th minute extend the lead 16-0.

The Dragons were starved of possession during this period, only having the ball on two occasions. Newtown soon took another opportunity with the lion's share of possession when Dean Blore evaded a tackle to score in the 19th minute. The Jets crossed for their fourth try minutes later through centre Kayal Iro, extending their lead to 20–6.

The game finally began to tighten with both sides sharing equal possession for an extended period, which saw Dragons’ rake Connor Muhlhisen scoring the home side's second. A penalty goal to the Jets courtesy of Metcalf on the halftime whistle, saw Newtown head into the sheds leading 22-10.

It was a sloppy start to the second half from both sides but Newtown quickly shifted into gear again, scoring two quick tries through Metcalf and Iro - both securing their respective doubles.

The Dragons fought their way back into the contest with a strong kick return from flanker Jonathan Reuben, who linked with fullback Treigh Stewart to gain a handy 60m. The Red V went on to mount more pressure on the Jets, forcing an error and a dropout in the following sets after the line-break. However, the Jets chanced their hand with a short dropout which found the touchline as they regained possession.

A penalty moments later allowed them to roll down the field and score another in the 56th minute through a barnstorming run by interchange prop Thomas Hazelton, who carried several Dragons defenders over the line and planted the ball down.

Newtown then took full advantage of the Dragons' unsuccessful short kickoff, going upfield to score through Mawene Hiroti and extend their lead to 44-10 with 15 minutes remaining. Metcalf would go on to score his hat-trick, rounding out a strong individual performance, with his side recording a hefty 50-10 victory. 

Talking points

The Newtown spine of Metcalf, Davies and Miller looked dangerous all afternoon and hardly missed a beat. They were allowed to play an attacking brand of football with the Jets’ forward pack laying down a strong foundation and getting the playmakers into the good-ball areas.

Meltcalf would end up with three tries in a well-polished performance.

The Dragons woes continued with a third loss in as many weeks to start their 2022 campaign.

One area coach Russel Aitken will be wanting to sharpen up is in the forwards, who were outplayed through the middle by their Newtown counterparts, allowing the Jets strong field position and ultimately plenty of points.

Key moment

The Dragons' failed restart in the 60th minute was the nail in the coffin, gifting the Jets great field position as they went on to score out wide via Mawene Hiroti in the ensuing set.

St George Illawarra then allowed Luke Metcalf to bag his hat-trick soon after.

What's next?

The Jets will want to keep their perfect record intact when they host the Newcastle Knights on Saturday 2 April at Campbelltown Stadium, with footy fans able to catch all the action live on Foxtel from 12:45pm AEDT.

The Dragons are on the road once again in Round Four, facing the Parramatta Eels at Commbank Stadium on Sunday 3 April from 4pm.

Canberra Raiders v Western Suburbs Magpies

Raiders run away with opening win of 2022

Patrick Gaynor via Raiders.com.au

Game summary

The Raiders have secured their first win of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup season with a 47-24 victory over the Western Suburbs Magpies at GIO Stadium on Saturday night.

It was a high scoring match with 71 total points scored, headlined by lock Harry Rushton and halfback Sam Williams crossing for two tries each.

It didn't take long for the Raiders to score the first points of the contest when a damaging run and offload by Ryan Sutton set up fellow forward Harry Rushton to score in the third minute, followed by a Jarrod Croker conversion.

The Magpies responded quickly after capitalising from a Raiders error, with hooker Rua Ngatikaura scoring off a scoot from the scrum under the posts to tie the game up at 6-all with the help of a successful conversion by Ben Stevanovic.

Canberra hit back with quick-fire tries to Brad Morkos and Rushton who crossed for his double, before Western Suburbs' William Kei scored a second for the visitors in 32nd minute.

The Raiders were in again in the 36th minute after Sam Wiliams scored from his own chip kick with an assist from Utuloa Asomua who batted the ball back. Croker converted the try and pushed the Raiders' margin to 10 points. Williams added a field goal just prior to the halftime break for a 23-12 lead.

In the second half the Magpies capitalised on a Raiders error as Rua Ngatikaura crossed over for his second try of the match in the 42nd minute. Stevanovic was able to convert and bring the deficit to within one converted try.

The Raiders scored their first try of the half in the 49th minute after a beautiful dummy-half run by Adrian Trevilyan, with Croker's fourth conversion extending the Raiders' lead to 29-18.

Kei kept the Magpies in the game with another try seven minutes later, but Sam Williams scored his second in the 63rd minutes to push out the lead yet again.

Trey Mooney then scored the Raiders' seventh off a crash ball for Trevilyan, before a runaway try to Jack Sandford and Jarrod Croker's seventh conversion rounded out the 47-24 victory.

Talking points

Jarrod Croker's goal kicking proved crucial the Raiders maintaining a solid lead over the Magpies throughout the match, who were right in the contest up until the last 20 minutes. The 291-game NRL centre finished the match with seven from eight off the boot.

Harry Rushton was always seen as a promising talent since arriving in Canberra from the UK, and he certainly reinforced that after playing a key role in their Round Three win. Aside from his two first half tries, Rushton was a constant headache in the middle of the park for the Magpies' defence.

Key moment

As the Magpies kept themselves within striking distance from the Raiders without managing the elusive try to take the lead, it was veteran halfback Sam Williams who broke that back of the visitors when he burst through a gap from close range to score his second try in the 63rd minute.

The four-pointer once again extended the lead back to 11 points before another Canberra try five minutes later would ultimately put the result beyond doubt.

What's next?

The Raiders will be hoping to carry their momentum from a huge win at home into   next Sunday's Round Four clash against Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles, kicking off at 3pm.

Western Suburbs will need to change their fortunes in a hurry after three consecutive defeats when they take on North Sydney Bears at Lidcombe Oval next weekend.

Penrith Panthers v Newcastle Knights

A Hard Day’s Knight as Panthers cruise to third win in a row

Stewart Moses

Game Summary

The Panthers were never-headed as they reclaimed top spot from the Newtown Jets with an effortless 40-10 win over the Newcastle Knights at a wet and slippery Blue Bet Stadium.

Having lost hooker Liam Wilkinson in the opening play of the game, the shell-shocked Knights conceded three quick tries inside 15 minutes to effectively hand the home side their third consecutive win of the season. Halves Kurt Falls and Niwahi Puru both featured heavily, between them having a hand in five of Penrith’s seven tries scored.

Penrith converted early territorial dominance into points when centre Matt Stimson regathered a Falls grubber kick to score out wide. Soon after, hooker Soni Luke combined with Falls to put the centre in for his second try, giving Penrith a 12-0 lead after 12 minutes.

Puru took over proceedings setting up a double for Thomas Jenkins, the first coming in the 15th minute with a simple grubber behind the line before an overhead pass to his winger from close range, enabled Penrith to head into the sheds at the break leading 22-0.

After the break it was Robert Jennings’ turn to grab a double. The first coming in the 42nd minute after backing up a Sunia Turuva line-break to score in the southwest corner before grabbing his second in the 61st minute. The second came after he chased his own kick in-goal to score, with both tries converted from out wide by Falls. Between Jennings’ twin efforts, prop Pasami Saulo finally opened the Knights’ account with a determined effort from close range in the 52nd minute.

Newcastle became the first team to score more than one try against the Panthers in season 2022, when backrower Jirah Momoisea ran a lovely line to burst through to score from 20m out. Turuva then completed proceedings for the home side, claiming an inside kick from Falls to score beside the posts to provide the home side with a 40-10 victory.

Talking points

Jennings and Jenkins continue their try-scoring spree to start the season. Jennings having scored in each of Penrith’s three wins as has Jenkins, who has scored back-to-back doubles to have five tries against his name thus far.

Penrith have also kept their opponents scoreless in the opening 40 minutes of all three games played thus far to show off their defensive prowess after the opening three rounds. Infact they have conceded just three tries in 240 minutes played.

Newcastle certainly weren’t helped with an injury in the opening play of the game to Liam Wilkinson which saw the hooker stretchered from the field after a nasty collision with Panthers prop Eddie Blacker. They also lost forward Simi Sasagi four minutes to a game-ending HIA.

Key moment

As was the case against Blacktown earlier this season, it was once again Turuva and Jennings stealing the show with the exciting fullback bursting the line from 40m out before throwing the looping pass to the veteran centre to score in the corner, pushing the lead beyond four converted tries.

What's next?

The Panthers play their fourth consecutive game at BlueBet Stadium on Friday night when they host the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who themselves are looking for just their second win of the season. In contrast the Newcastle Knights face another daunting task when they travel to Campbelltown the following day to take on the undefeated Newtown Jets.

Mounties v Parramatta Eels

Parramatta hold on to prevail against Mounties

Anthony Eltarraf

Game Summary

The Parramatta Eels held on under enormous pressure on Sunday afternoon to secure an 18-12 victory against Mounties at Kellyville Park.

 Parramatta dominated the majority of the first half, scoring three tries and defending strongly. The opening two tries came on the Eels’ left side, through winger Solomone Naiduki and centre John Olive. The Eels scored a third through Zac Cini, who only needed to plant the ball down in the corner from a Jordan Rankin grubber.

Rankin had clearly brought his kicking boots as he successfully converted all three tries in trying conditions.

With few opportunities, Mounties were able to capitalise, scoring through Josh Ralph who squeezed between the Eels’ defense just before half time. Jarrett Subloo converted the try, cutting the margin down to 12. The sides went into the sheds with Parramatta leading 18-6.

The second half saw Mounties’ momentum from their first try carry on as they mounted continuous pressure on the Parramatta goal line. Although the Eels stuck strong for the most part, the powerful Watson Heleta was able to charge his way to his sides second try of the afternoon.

In opposite fashion to the first, the second period was very much dominated by Mounties, however the Eels’ perseverant defense saw them hold on to their 18-12 lead, sealing the win at Kellyville Park.

Talking Points

Jordan Rankin’s experience continues to prove crucial for the Eels’ NSW Cup side, as they sealed their second win of the season.

Eels’ defence was rock solid for the majority of the game, with the Parramatta-based side showcasing their ability to withstand massive amounts of pressure

With three tries in three games, Watson Heleta is proving a real nuisance for his opposition.

Key Moment

It was the Eels’ goal line defence after the Mounties’ second try that sealed the victory for them, as they repeatedly held Mounties off from securing a comeback. It was the Parramatta middle men who inspired the persistent defence, as their continual talk and hard-hitting tackles lifted their team to the victory.

What’s Next?

Mounties go on to face Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Aubrey Keech Reserve next Saturday afternoon, as they look to get the better of their fellow Bulldogs feeder club.

Parramatta Eels will host the St George Illawarra Dragons on Sunday afternoon at CommBank Stadium, with the home side looking to secure their second victory against the Red V just three weeks after their first-round battering.

Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Averillo shines as Bulldogs prove too strong for Sea Eagles

Hugo Lumb

Game summary

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs had too much firepower for Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles after running away with a 30-0 win at H.E. Laybutt Field on Monday night.

The Bulldogs dominated early exchanges and were able to capitalise in the sixth minute, when five-eighth Jake Averillo crossed the line. Kyle Flanagan converted to put the Bulldogs up 6-0.

Averillo was heavily involved again when winger Jacob Kiraz crashed over for a well-worked four-pointer in the 18th minute. The Bulldogs extended their lead just before half-time when backrower Reece Hoffman scored to extend the lead to 18-0.

The Bulldogs resumed the second half with a try to Kurtis Morrin in the 53rd minute, who crashed over after a lapse in defence by the Sea Eagles.

Work-horse prop Billy Tsikriktsis crossed for a well-deserved try next to the posts in the 78th minute to close out the win with Flanagan having a great night with the boot after landing all five conversions.

To make matters worse for the Blacktown side, in the 72nd minute, Sea Eagles five-eighth Eiden Ackland was struck down with what appeared to be a serious neck or head injury.

Talking points

Bulldogs five-eighth Jake Averillo responded well to being a late exclusion from the Bulldogs NRL side after producing two try assists and scoring one of his own. The young half ran deep into the line and troubled the Blacktown defence with his skilful footwork. NRL coach Trent Barrett will have a big selection headache in the coming weeks, with both Averillo and Brandon Wakeham having an impact in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup.

Blacktown Workers have to improve their discipline after conceding four penalties in first 20 minutes of the game, as well as struggling with their ball control and defence. They finished the match with 12 men on the field after Toafofoa Sipley was sin binned in the 71st minute.

Key moment

The game still even midway through the first half before some quick thinking from the Bulldogs sparked a try from 50 metres out. Averillo faked to kick before electing to run the ball and then picked up Creedence Toia in support. The Bulldogs fullback showed great pace to draw in Sea Eagles No.1 Kaeo Weekes before sending Jacob Kiraz over for a well-worked try. Flanagan converted to put the Bulldogs up 12-0.

What's next?

Blacktown Workers face the Canberra Raiders at their home ground on Sunday and will be looking for their first win of the season after substantial losses. The undefeated Bulldogs take on Mounties at Aubrey Keech Reserve on Saturday.