The NSWRL holds its first Regional Magic Round at Tamworth’s Scully Park this weekend with five Round 10 games from The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, and six matches from across the local Group 4 men’s and women’s competitions. Here’s a preview from the third of five NSW Cup matches at Scully Park.
Newtown Jets v St George Illawarra Dragons – 11am Sunday 11 May
These two top-four clubs are sitting next to each other on The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup ladder and their meetings over the past two seasons have been just as tight.
In 2023 it was 1-1 and in 2024 it was the same head-to-head result in two Jets-Dragons matches. This is the first meeting for 2025 and brings some mouth-watering matchups.
Jets v Dragons is also the Round 10 Game of the Week, live and free on BarTV Sports.
Jets halfback Niwhai Puru is the leading point-scorer this season with 83 (seven tries, 27 goals, one field goal) and comes up against NRL No.7 Lachlan Ilias, who made his Dragons debut in NSW Cup last weekend with two tries against Western Suburbs Magpies.
Puru’s twin brother Hohepa is at lock facing rising Dragons star Finau Latu, while established NRL forwards Blake Lawrie, Hame Sele and Raymond Faitala-Mariner take on the Jets pack led by NSW Cup Premiership-winning hooker Jayden Berrell.
Since Dragons five-eighth Jonah Glover is third (11) for try assists and line-break assists (nine) in 2025 so far, the Jets defenders will have their hands full.
On the flip side, Newtown back-rower Jordin Leiu loves second-phase play and is in the top three for offloads (13), while winger Kristian Dixon is in the top five for run metres (1,151) and centre Michael Gabrael is equal with Niwhai Puru on seven as the Jets’ top try-scorers.
As the season heads towards the halfway mark in Round 13, the Jets’ premiership defence is looking sound with seven wins from nine games.
The Dragons have five wins and a draw and are currently aiming for their third straight win after a 36-6 win over the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in Round Eight and a healthy 60-26 victory over the Magpies in Round Nine.
Click here to purchase tickets for the NSWRL Regional Magic Round.
