Recap | The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup - Round 12

Eels too strong for Sea Eagles in high-scoring clash

Anthony Eltarraf

Match summary

The Parramatta Eels came away with a 38-26 win over the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Kellyville Park this afternoon, holding their nerve in a back-and-forth affair to claim an important victory in Round 12.

The game started scrappy, with both teams struggling to complete sets and build pressure. Momentum shifted early when Manly’s D'Jazirhae Pua’avase was sent to the sin bin for forceful high contact, giving Parramatta the opening they needed. With the extra man, the Eels struck first through Te Hurinui Twidle, who finished neatly on the right edge.

But despite being a man down, it was Manly who had the better of the field position for much of the opening 20 minutes. They eventually made it count when Jordan Swann crashed over with a strong individual effort, bringing the visitors back into the contest.

Parramatta, however, found another gear late in the first half. Joey Lussick darted over from dummy-half, before Jake Tago extended the lead on the back of a crisp left-side shift. The Eels went into the break with a commanding 18-6 lead.

They picked up where they left off after the break, with Twidle throwing a cut-out pass for Tago to grab his second. Just minutes later, a fortunate bounce saw Samuel Loizou scoop up a ricochet and score in the right corner.

Loizou backed it up soon after, this time finishing off some slick second-phase play with an athletic dive to complete his double and push Parramatta out to a commanding 32-6 lead.

Manly refused to go quietly, hitting back with quick tries to Clayton Faulalo – who stepped his way through – and Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega out wide, narrowing the margin and briefly threatening a comeback.

But any hopes of a late Sea Eagles surge were dashed when Ronald Volkman pounced on a loose ball and sprinted 90 metres to score a game-sealing try.

Two late consolation tries to Tommy Talau and Faulalo gave the Sea Eagles a more respectable score-line, but the Eels did enough to secure a well-earned 36-26 win in front of their home crowd.

Talking points

• Jake Tago and Te Hurinui Twidle caused headaches all afternoon, scoring tries and breaking Manly’s line on multiple occasions.
• Manly’s ill discipline cost them throughout the game, handing the Eels too many opportunities.
• Despite trailing 32-6, the Sea Eagles rallied with four tries in the final 20 minutes to keep the scoreboard respectable.

Key moment

Ronald Volkman’s 90-metre try in the 65th minute halted Manly’s momentum and effectively shut the door on any comeback attempt. The young halfback capitalised on a loose ball to race away and score.

What’s next?

The Eels head back to CommBank Stadium as the away team, facing the Penrith Panthers next week, while the Sea Eagles return home to host the North Sydney Bears.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v North Sydney Bears

Rabbitohs pick up second win for 2025

Alex Hrissis

Match summary

South Sydney Rabbitohs have defeated North Sydney Bears 18-2 in Round 12 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup at Redfern Oval to pick up their second win of the season.

It was a tense arm-wrestle to begin the match between the two foundation clubs, but it was South Sydney who broke the deadlock in the 13th minute to score first points.

Halfback Ashton Ward attempted a grubber kick that ricocheted off a Bears defender and fell perfectly for Tim Johannssen, who barged his way through and crashed over for a try. Fletcher Myers converted to put the Rabbitohs ahead 6-0.

Rabbitohs scored back-to-back tries to gain a 10-0 lead. Some heavy pressure on the Bears’ 10-metre line was rewarded with a try with Haizyn Mellars receiving the ball from a cut-out pass and scoring in the corner.

A sin-bin against captain Ryan Gray looked to prove costly for the Rabbitohs but the defence stood tall and held out the Bears’ attack as they headed into half-time with the lead.

The game picked right up where it left off in the second half with the two teams playing out a tight contest before South Sydney yet again broke the stalemate. This time it was through Jacob Host, as the experienced back-rower received an offload and spotted a gap in the defence to score himself a try. Myers nailed the conversion to put the Rabbitohs ahead 16-0.

The Rabbitohs received a penalty late in the second half as Matt French was hit with a high tackle just short of the try-line. Souths opted to take the two, pushing the lead out to 18-0.

South Sydney were denied a couple of late tries as Matt French was pulled back for a double movement and Haizyn Mellars dropped the ball past the try-line.

North Sydney received a penalty after the siren yet opted to take the kick, making the final score 18-2 and denying Souths a shutout in the process.

Talking points

• The win over the Bears was just the Rabbitohs’ second win of the season, a valuable two points as they look to avoid last place on the ladder.
• Harradyn Wilson was a shining light for the Bears in the halves with his strong running game and short passing on full display.
• Matthew Humphries made his debut for the Rabbitohs in the halves, making the jump from the UNE SG Ball Cup to NSW Cup, and was rewarded with a win.

Key moment

South Sydney’s resolve was tested early in the game when Mikaele Ravalawa went off with a shoulder injury, however outside back Declan Casey was brought on from the bench and the team managed to adjust and went on to win the game.

What’s next?

In Round 13 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup the South Sydney Rabbitohs will host the Warriors, while North Sydney Bears will play traditional rivals the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

Sydney Roosters v Newtown Jets

Warriors v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Warriors stage fight back to down Bulldogs

Match summary

Slow starts to each half were followed by points-scoring surges as the One Warriors toppled Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 40-24 for their sixth straight win in Sunday’s round 12 New South Wales Cup encounter at Go Media Stadium.

The competition leaders were off the pace in the opening minutes as the Bulldogs scored twice to take a 10-0 lead after only six minutes with ex-Warriors hooker Taniela Otukolo the first to cross.

Just as quickly the Warriors snapped back with four unanswered tries – all converted by Taine Tuaupiki – to take a handy 24-10 lead into halftime.
The start of the second half was a replica of the first, this time the Bulldogs carving up with three tries in 10 minutes – the third to former Warriors prop Zyon Maiu’u – to level up at 24-24 with 30 minutes to play.

But, as they did in the first half, the Warriors settled down, found their tempo and put together a run of three tries, the last a length of the field effort sparked by Sio Kali and finished by Luke Hanson with two minutes to go.

Talking points

The Warriors have now made it 10 wins from their past 11 games and retain a three-point lead at the top the table.

Warriors fullback Taine Tuaupiki, who has made nine NRL appearances this season, finished the game with a personal haul of 16 points from a try and six goals.

Key moment

With the Bulldogs rallying to lock the scores up 24-all at half-time, the Warriors scored twice midway through the second half to gain some breathing space at 34-24 and make the road back that little bit tougher for their opponents.

What's next

The Warriors head to Redfern Oval on Saturday to face the last-placed South Sydney Rabbitohs, while Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have the bye.

Penrith Panthers v Newcastle Knights

Match Summary 

Knights put Panthers to the sword

Stewart Moses 

Penrith’s push for a top three spot in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup has taken a significant blow with the eleventh-placed Newcastle Knights recording a well-deserved 36-16 upset win at Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technology Hub on Sunday afternoon. 

The Knights were led superbly by experienced half Jackson Hastings, who had a hand in four of his team’s six tries.

A Penrith error deep inside their own 20 the Knights opened the scoring when a quick shift left catching the Panthers defence short for numbers with Hastings and halves partner Haami Loza instrumental in sending centre Wilson De Courcey over out wide to give the visitors a 4-0 advantage after 10 minutes of play.

Back-to-back penalties from the kick-off enabled the Knights to extend the lead to ten soon after when Hastings laid on a peach of a pass for a rampaging prop Cody Hopwood to storm onto and score next to the posts from close range.

Off the back of a penalty the home side opened their accounts way through the first half when quick hands enabled Jersey Flegg teammates and NSW Cup debutants Faeamani Sitellati and Poutoa Hotere-Papalii to combine for the latter to score in the north west corner and with Trent Toelau’s successful sideline conversion, the Panthers were back in the game trailing 10-6.

Penrith made it back-to-back tries of their own when Toelau had the presence of mind to go down the blindside on halfway and found back rower Riley Wake steaming onto the pass, with the Panther showing a surprising burst of speed to score a 45m try next to the posts to put the Panthers 12-10 in front on 23 minutes.

Repeat penalties allowed the Knights to level the scores 12 a piece courtesy of Connor Votano’s penalty goal from 20m out after 29 minutes.

With the Panthers enjoying several sets inside the Knights 20, a loose pass from five-eighth Zac Lamont turned the game on its head when Knights centre Riley Jones swooped on the pass to run 90 metres to score next to the posts to put Newcastle back in front 18-12 - five minutes out from the main break.

A long-range play between Hastings and Votano early in the second half, allowed the Knights to score on the last tackle, when Hastings directed play to go from one side of the field to the other where the Knights had too many numbers for the scrambling Panthers defence to handle, allowing De Courcey to score his second try of the afternoon to give the visitors the biggest lead of the game thus far, 24-12 after 48 minutes.

Like the first half, the Knights soon had a second try early in the second half when Jones matched the efforts of his centre counterpart De Courcey, to score his second try of the afternoon and with Votano converting from out wide, the visitors suddenly had a commanding 30-12 lead.

The Panthers edged the gap back to 14 when Hotere-Papalii’s finished off a slick backline movement to score in the south east corner, his second try of the afternoon in the 61st minute.

But the Knights put the game beyond Penrith’s reach when a sweeping backline movement put winger Sosaia Latu over in the north west corner in the 68th minute that saw the visitors runout convincing 36-16 winners.

Talking Points 

• Penrith won the earlier clash this year 26-12 in Round 3, but today’s side was barely recognisable for this clash with the Panthers forced to debut three Jersey Flegg players - Puotoa Hotere-Papalii (wing) Sialetili Faeamani (centre) Zakuari Clarke (bench second row) as well as play regular half, Jack Cole to play at fullback for the first time at this level, as Origin and injuries tested the depth of the Panthers.
• Two forwards - Knights’ Wil Sullivan and Penrith’s Falefa Letoi were put on report for seperate first half incidents while Penrith’s John Sagaga was also placed on report for a second half incident.
• The Knights also overcame the loss of prop Cody Hopwood (HIA) in their 36-16 victory, just Newcastle’s third of the season.

Key Moment

With the scores locked up 12-all late in the first half and Penrith deep on the attack inside the Knights’ 20 for several sets, the game turned on its head when Zac Lamont’s loose pass was swooped upon by Newcastle centre Riley Jones, whose 90m effort gave the Knights lead they would never relinquish.

What's next? 

The Panthers will be looking to bounce back from this week’s loss when they take on traditional foes, the high-flying Parramatta Eels at Commbank Stadium next Sunday while the Knights will head back to Sydney when they face the St George Illawarra Dragons at Jubilee Stadium.

Canberra Raiders v St George Illawarra Dragons

Match Summary

Dragons cement top 4 position with gritty comeback in Canberra

Tahlie Gavin 

The St George Illawarra Dragons fought their way back with their back-to-back second half comeback victories as they defeated the Canberra Raiders 36-28 at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan.

A Raiders penalty and a six again call saw them attacking in the Dragons red zone early. Good ball movement from the Raiders saw them move side-to-side before centre Manaia Waitere decided to run at the line himself, reaching out to score the first points of the afternoon for the Raiders. A successful conversion from Adam Cook saw the Raiders with a six-point lead.

Just minutes later, a knock-on from Dragon’s fullback Cody Ramsey under the high ball saw the Raiders hungry for another try. Late inclusion Jordan Martin used his strength to push himself through the defensive line and over the try line as he scored right under the posts. Cook converted as the Raiders lead 12-0 - 10 minutes into the game.

The Dragons answered back through two impressive back-to-back tries to forward Hame Sele and winger Sione Finau. Sele found a way to the try line as he rolled forward to score with Glover adding the extras; and just three minutes later a set restart saw the Raiders defence frazzled as Sione Finau found the ball on the wing and ran his way over the line, but an unsuccessful conversion saw the Raiders hold a two point lead.

The Raiders extended their lead with 10 minutes to go in the first half. An exciting play saw the Raiders threaten the Dragons defence all the way to the last as they shifted out to centre Chevy Stewart who put in a grubber kick that bounced up perfectly for him to regain possession and score. Cooked converted the try taking the Raiders to 18-10.

The Canberra Raiders ended the first half with another four pointer, this time halfback Ethan Sanders found the line. A forward pass ended Dragons attacking set early as a handover saw the Raiders charge up-field into their attacking zone. A show and go saw Sanders take the ball to the line as a little bit of foot work and strength saw him burrow his way through two defenders to score. Cook added the extra’s which took the Raiders to a 14-point lead at half-time.

The Dragons were first on the board in the second half through skipper Cody Ramsey. Ramsey bounced out of a Raiders tackle before he made a break, running his way towards the try line. A dummy pass saw him fool the Raiders last line of defence as he ran his way over to score. Glover converted the try from in front of the posts as the score read 14-16.

The Dragons found themselves on the attack again shortly after, testing the Raiders defence. A cross-field kick saw Ramsey compete for the ball as he quickly tipped it off to Lachlan Ilias who was in the clear and ran his way over the try line. Glover added the extras.

Four minutes later, the Dragons found themselves in the lead as Ilias and Michael Molo combined. Taking the ball all the way to the defensive line, Ilias quickly passed it left for Molo who did the rest. Glover converted the try as the Dragons now found themselves in front 24-28.

The Dragons extended their lead further as lock Jett Liu’s late offload saw him keep the ball alive as it made its way quickly to hooker Connor Muhleisen who dived over the line. A successful conversion saw the Dragons with a 10-point lead with 11-minutes left in the game.

A penalty ruled in favour of the Dragons saw them take the two point penalty goal with five minutes remaining in the game as they lead 24-36.

The Raiders finally managed to get some points on the board after a second half full of defence. Ethan Alia found the line, but there was no time for celebrating as Adam Cook failed his attempt at goal. The final minute of play ticked away as the Dragons defeat the Raiders 36-28.

Talking points 

• Dragons pull off their second second half comeback win in two weeks.
• Manaia Waitere was placed on report for late shot on Cody Ramsey.·   
• Malachi Smith made his NSW Cup debut for the Raiders.
• Heavy rainfall in the Canberra region has forced the closure of ACT sports grounds for the entire weekend. Queanbeyan, council sports grounds were also closed for the whole weekend. However, Raiders NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg matches were moved from Raiders Belconnen to Seiffert Oval.

Key moment 

After a strong first half, the Raiders found themselves under enormous pressure in defence for the entire second half. The Dragons confidence set in after a try to Connor Muhleisen within the 68th minute. Jett Lui, who had an extraordinary game at lock was looking for opportunities to keep the ball alive while being held by Raiders defence. He saw Haele Finau and quickly tipped the ball off as Finau quickly passed off to Muhleisen who dived over the line with a smile.

What's next? 

In Round 13, the Dragons will face the Newcastle Knights on late Friday afternoon whilst the Raiders head to Sydney to take on the Roosters on Sunday.