Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup Magic Round: Biggest talking points and full photo gallery
Illawarra Cup Magic Round returned to WIN Stadium over the weekend. Check out the full wrap and some of the biggest talking points from the weekend, as well as the best photos from the ground.
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Magic Round in the Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup brought some incredible action in what was truly a great day for local footy in the Illawarra region.
From ex-NRL players flourishing to new league leaders, there is plenty to unpack from the three games that took place at WIN Stadium.
Check out six of the biggest talking points from round four.
Jack at the top of the hill
Despite Dapto struggling for wins in 2023 with just one from four, one thing that hasn’t been short has been four pointers for Jack Piccirilli.
A fourth and fifth try of the season against Corrimal takes the winger to the outright lead of the try scoring standings in the 2023 Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup.
A stocky winger with pace to burn, no doubt his name will be back on the scoresheet in weeks to come.
Ex-NRL stars run show for Dapto
Dapto Canaries got their first win of the Illawarra Cup season this weekend thanks largely to the efforts of ex-NRL players Aaron Gray, Brad Takairangi and Pita Godinet.
Gray showed he’s still got excellent strength to shove off his marker and score in the corner, while Godinet was looking at home in the halfback role alongside Harry Chater in the halves.
Takairangi meanwhile, playing second-row and one of the biggest frames on the park, was toying with defences all day and picked up two assists.
Backline all chips in for De La Salle
De La Salle have the most points scored in the 2023 Illawarra Cup season, largely due to the ability for all members of the backline to find the tryline.
A second half masterclass from De La Salle put the game out of reach for Collegians.
A dummy and run from Eli Levido, a right flank burst from Tyla Tamau and a match sealing intercept from Trentham Petersen were among the tries that were shared around the De La Salle backline in their statement victory.
Chink in Collegians armour
Collegians have been dealt their first blow in their title defence aspirations at the hands of De La Salle.
The drop off looks rather imposing as well, as they fall from first to third on account of De La Salle and Wests picking up wins to remain undefeated.
De La Salle dealt defeat to Collegians in the 2022 season as well, picking up a 23-16 win in the round two replay.
Collegians would ultimately get the better of them in the first week of finals though, so this may be but a minor speed bump in another title defence for Collegians.
Marsters and Bremner combo needs more support
While they once again went down over the weekend, there were some promising signs of life from Thirroul, particularly from fullback Wayne Bremner and centre Steven Marsters.
The two combined beautifully for two both of Bremner’s tries, with Masters showing great agility and vision in the build-up for both.
Bremner’s two tries take his season total to three, the highest for Thirroul.
100 of the best for Rodrigues
It was a special night for star halfback Justin Rodrigues, playing his 100th first grade game in front of his adoring Wests Devils family.
To mark the occasion, the halfback even got over the line for his first try of the season, sending the defensive line the opposite direction with a big right foot step and crashing over.
Not done contributing though, Rodrigues also turned provider for the crucial late try to Colby Pellow in an overall great performance that would steer Wests to the top of the Illawarra Cup ladder.
Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup Magic Round: Full round wrap and photo gallery from round four action
Illawarra Cup Magic Round returned to WIN Stadium over the weekend with all six teams competing at Wollongong’s prized footy venue on the one afternoon.
There was due to be headlines, with some teams battling each other for their first wins of the year, while others were battling to remain undefeated.
There was great solo tries, surprise results and major changes to the ladder including new league leaders.
Check out all the wraps and best photos from the weekend.
Dapto off the mark with big win over Corrimal
Dapto kicked off the afternoon by finally getting their first points on the board for the 2023 season, dominating the Corrimal Cougars 50-6.
This is the second Magic Round in a row that the Canaries have triumphed over the Cougars after last year’s 46-32 win.
The Dapto side were finding the try line all too easily all afternoon, opening their accounts through Bradley Manton and Jack Piccirilli early on.
Corrimal would go in for only their second try of the season shortly after, with Max Martin bursting through a pocket of space to keep things interesting.
From here though it was all Dapto, with Josh Vaartjes and Aaron Gray scoring in quick succession to snuff out any chance of a close game.
Try of the match came shortly before the break from winger Anthony Skinner, put into space down the left flank by Brad Takairangi, before chipping fullback Joe Duggan and kicking it again on the full to grubber it into the in-goal and score a beauty.
Five-eighth Harry Chater scored a nice little solo try himself in the second half, chasing his own grubber kick under the sticks and planting it down to score.
Piccirilli grabbed a second to bring his season total to five, while captain Troy Pieper got in on the act after a nice line break from Pita Godinet.
Lathem Manuela finished off proceedings after some more nice work in the build up from Brad Takairangi in a win that will do great confidence for the Dapto side.
De La Salle rise over defending champions
De La Salle produced the headline victory of Magic Round over the season’s top performers so far in Collegians to go above them on the table.
The 28-14 victory is a rare loss for Collegians at WIN Stadium after Magic Round and grand final triumph at the ground in 2022.
Collegians started the stronger, picked up a neat early try off a fast break, with halfback Zeik Foster chipping a kick to the unmarked Jay Watling in the corner to open the scoring.
De La Salle would hit back after Te-Wehi Waitere made a break down the left, before playing an incisive pass back on the inside to fullback Chaz Jarvis to run in under the sticks.
Recognising his team needed a lift before the break, captain Blake Phillips took on the whole defence himself, breaking through four or five attempted tackles to crash his way over the line to give Collegians the lead at the break.
The second half was a different story however, with De La Salle simply way more clinical as they piled on four unanswered tries.
First, five-eighth Eli Levido made some space to bundle over after a massive dummy to the left side.
Tyla Tamou was released down the right flank on an overlap, dummying to his winger before strolling in to score and giving De La Salle the lead.
This lead would extend shortly after through Isaac Longmuir, pouncing on a loose ball that Collegians failed to clean up from a Jack Williams kick and scoring.
The match would be sealed late on as Trentham Petersen took an intercept and streamed 90m down the park to record a famous win for the De La Salle side.
Devils the new team to beat
Western Suburbs have gone top of the Illawarra Cup table after defeating the Thirroul Butchers 20-16 to wrap off Magic Round 2023.
After two losses at WIN Stadium in 2022, the Devils now have a recent memory at the ground to look back on fondly.
Wests were the stronger side in the first half, opening the scoring through Lachlan Hurst, found on the inside of a Colby Pellow pass after the broke the line and ran half the field in a terrific assist.
In his 100th first grade game, halfback Justin Rodrigues got on the scoresheet, sending the defenders with a big right foot step and crashing over the line to extend the Wests lead.
Thirroul must have had a stirring halftime talk as they came out firing after the break, first through Joshua Martin who took a terrific overhead catch off a Tarje Whitford kick.
This was shortly followed up by fullback Wayne Bremner who got the ball over the line after some good work in the build-up by Steven Marsters.
It would be Colby Pellow again though who sealed victory for Wests, charging on to a flat pass from Rodrigues and steaming through the defensive line.
A late second try to Bremner of an excellent Marsters flick offload wasn’t enough to get them back in the game, as Wests surge to the top of the ladder and remain unbeaten with De La Salle.
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