NSWRL Junior Reps: Eight talking points from Matts, Fiaola, Ball, Gale finals week two

A little-known rule highlighted a weekend of upsets, miracle finishes and high drama in week two of the NSWRL Junior Reps finals. We look at the eight major talking points from the weekend action.

Sylas Simon and the Raiders are into the preliminary finals of SG Ball. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

Week two of the NSWRL Junior Reps finals delivered everything from a controversial match-sealing decision to the most unlikely of comebacks.

Relive all the action with our eight major talking points from Harold Matthews, Lisa Fiaola, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup action.

MORE COVERAGE

Finals week two wrap

Sixes and sevens: The halves leading the finals charge

STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE

With two minutes to play and the Rabbitohs trailing in their Harold Matts final against Illawarra, nobody expected Keone Anitelea Tsioussis to kick the ball.

Not even he expected to.

But with Payton Tarau caught at the play-the-ball, Tsioussis stepped up and delivered a pinpoint kick to hit Clayton McGoon on the chest and send Souths into the prelim finals.

TIGERS FIND ONE LAST PUSH

The Tigers almost squandered a 12-point Lisa Fiaola lead against the Sharks, leading 18-6 with 13 minutes to play before Cronulla forced a tie-game inside the final three minutes.

Up stepped Agnews Faaui, who was able to find the sideline from the ensuing kick-off, with Aliana Fasavalu-Fa’amausili going on to score and keep the Tigers alive.

It was a pair of clutch plays from a team that lost all momentum.

ANSWERING THE CALL

Parramatta’s ability to respond to every question Penrith asked of them was seriously impressive in their Lisa Fiaola elimination final.

The last time they met, the Eels held them scoreless, but this time around they conceded within four minutes.

Parra didn’t let it faze them, responding to take a halftime lead, and again surging away when Penrith took the lead again early in the second half.

Central Coast took down their Roosters counterparts in Harold Matthews. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

CENTRAL COASTS’ EXTRA GEAR

The battle of the Roosters in Harold Matthews pitted the two best attacking teams against one another, and it delivered with an 18-all first half.

It was the Central Coast who showed its attacking prowess however, racing in four tries in a 14-minute period that saw them took the game away from Sydney in a flash.

Their ability to score points at will gives them every hope of advancing to the grand final.

PARRAMATTA WALL

You get the feeling if Parramatta is going to advance to the SG Ball grand final, it will be on the back of their defence.

Melbourne’s attack has been elite this season, but the Eels were able to hold them to just 12 points, including fending off a late charge over the final 20 minutes when the Storm had all the momentum.

The last time they played the Rabbitohs, they kept the league’s best attack to just three tries.

TUIGAMALA OR THE HULK?

Canterbury was on top both on the scoreboard and in terms of momentum through 40-odd minutes of their SG Ball semi against Canberra.

That was before big Jayze Tuigamala came up with one of the powerhouse efforts of the season.

The second rower received the ball on the 15m line, before carrying a pair of Bulldogs defenders 10m to score an unbelievable try.

It sparked a run that won the game for the Raiders.

The Roosters won their Tarsha Gale semi in the final minute over the Tigers. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

TOUGH CALL, BUT THE RIGHT ONE

Wests Tigers’ Tarsha Gale season ended in heartbreaking and confusing circumstances.

A field-goal attempt from Logan Fletcher was charged down by a Tiger, falling into the arms of Luca-Bella Ngatuere-Ongley, who raced to the line to score the winner.

She was standing well in front of the kick, leading to the Tigers pleading for her to be called offside.

But referee Brodie Rushby got it spot on, with the charge down making all players onside.

FROM OUT OF NOWHERE

It ultimately mattered little to the result.

But Madison Wilson’s trysaving tackle in the second half on Parramatta’s Dallis Graham-Withell in the Tarsha Gale Cup was one of the best you’ll see.

The Eels fullback exploded onto an offload 40m out from Penrith’s line and was set to score, before Wilson came across from the opposite side of the field to blindside her with a tackle and hold her up over the line in the one motion.

Originally published as NSWRL Junior Reps: Eight talking points from Matts, Fiaola, Ball, Gale finals week two