Andrew Johns/Laurie Daley Cup: 10 star performers, key talking points from round two
From try-scoring freaks, to playmaking masters and unstoppable props, take a look at the top-10 star performers from round two of the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups.
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Round two of the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups arrived with a bang over the weekend, with 10 enthralling match-ups taking place across regional NSW.
Some teams have already started to assert themselves as title contenders, while others are still trying to nail down a winning formula.
From try-scoring freaks, to playmaking masters and unstoppable props, there were plenty of star performers who stood out for their sides over the weekend.
We’ve taken a look at 10 of the top performers from both competitions from the opening weekend.
OWEN KNOWLES (CENTRAL COAST ROOSTERS)
Knowles was the puppeteer pulling the strings for the fruitful Central Coast Roosters’ attack against the Northern Rivers Titans in the Johns Cup.
The halfback was involved in all five of his side’s tries, including two direct assists for both of his wingers Chase Kapua and Semi Lewiniqila, the latter of which was a lovely cut-out pass.
Crucially, Knowles showcased great link-up play with his halves partner Jack Dean-Potaka and fullback Zaylen Ekepati, combos which should continue to flourish for the undefeated Roosters.
BILLY MULHERAN (NORTHERN RIVERS TITANS)
While his side came up short in the end, prop forward Mulheran was leading the charge for the Northern Rivers Titans in their valiant second half fightback against the Central Coast Roosters.
Trailing 20-0 at halftime, Mulheran dipped into his bag of tricks and whipped out surprise after surprise, first crossing for a try after a little dummy, step and barge to the line.
He was then involved in the next two tries for the Titans, including laying on a beautiful short ball to send his front row partner Aiden Gersh through a pocket of space to score.
While it wasn’t enough for a win, it was enough for Mulheran to announce himself to the competition.
DALLIS TAOAI (MACARTHUR WESTS TIGERS)
Taoai was destructive out on the left edge from centre for the Macarthur Wests Tigers as his side cruised to a 24-2 victory over the North Coast Bulldogs in the Johns Cup.
With the size of a forward and the skills of a back, Taoai was always going to prove a handful for the Bulldogs, linking up well with his support runners to provide assists to both Ronel Ribucan and Drake Ayers.
With two assists under the belt, Taoai took the line on himself in the second half to score one of his own, proving too big and fast to stop.
TRISTON ROSS (WESTERN RAMS)
There were a number of potential contenders for players of the round from the free-flowing Western Rams, with the likes of Taj Jordan, Charlie Fischbeck and Sonny MacGregor all putting in good shifts in the team’s 34-12 win over Riverina in the Johns Cup .
However Ross takes the plaudits with a double from five-eighth, bringing his season tally to four.
The pink headgear popped up all over the park, with the young gun showing off his pace and terrific support play to be in the right place at the right time to be released into space and score on two occasions.
PHOENIX JOHNS (ILLAWARRA SOUTH COAST DRAGONS)
Returning from playing Harold Matts for the Steelers in round one, Johns was an absolute game-changer for the Illawarra South Coast Dragons from left centre.
Like Taoai at the Tigers, his combination of size and speed caused nightmares for Monaro’s right-edge defence.
Johns showcased his frightening acceleration with his first half try, receiving the ball with three defenders within touching distance, yet somehow blitzing his way around them and going in to score untouched.
He also created the game-sealing try in the second half all by himself, working some room down the left before feeding Brian Bell back on the inside to score.
JORDAN HAMLIN (NORTHERN TIGERS)
The halfback was outstanding as the Tigers carved up for the second week in a row to jump to the top of the Daley Cup Northern Conference.
On top of controlling the tempo and turning the Knights around with his kicking game, Hamlin was electric with the ball, scoring two excellent long-distance tries.
The first was a 55m solo effort that saw him show off his speed, strength, dummy and a step to run through the defence, while for the second he backed up perfectly to finish off a break from Reece Josephson to cap off a brilliant long-range try.
CHAICE BAYLEY (CENTRAL COAST ROOSTERS)
Named at six and playing some of the game at hooker, Bayley was everywhere for the Roosters as they ground out a tough win against the Northern Rivers Titans in the Daley Cup.
He had a hand in a nice backline spread for Zahn McKay’s opener and then did it all himself for the team’s second, stepping, dummying and palming players off to beat five defenders and score under the sticks.
SAINT FUATIMAU (MACARTHUR WESTS TIGERS)
The hat-trick hero was outstanding for Macarthur on the right wing as the Tigers made it two wins from as many starts this season in the under-18s.
Opening the scoring in the ninth minute, Fuatimau showed how dangerous his speed can by finishing off a nice scrum set play for his first, before finally putting the stubborn North Coast Bulldogs to bed with two late tries to seal the 30-16 win.
COOPER BLACK (WESTERN RAMS)
The five-eighth had a field day for the Rams, setting up four and scoring one of the team’s seven tries in what was a five-star performance against Riverina.
Whether it was through a grubber, cut-out ball or simply using his big frame to charge over, Black ran riot for Western in the 40-12 win over the Bulls in the Daley Cup.
If that wasn’t enough, he also kicked six from seven in a playmaking masterclass.
MITCHELL BROPHY (MONARO COLTS)
Getting through plenty of defensive work in the middle, offering great service and a being constant threat out of dummy-half, the hooker was everywhere for the Colts as they easily accounted for the Illawarra South Coast Dragons 38-12.
Following in the footsteps of last season’s excellent Monaro hooker Xavier Cacciotti, Brophy had a hand in three tries and scored one of his own in an excellent Daley Cup performance.
ROUND TWO TALKING POINTS
During round two there were big scorelines, intriguing results that shook up the ladder and some memorable solo and team tries.
Check out 10 of the biggest talking points from the weekend’s junior rep action.
ROOSTERS, TIGERS TAKE CLEAN SWEEPS
The Central Coast Roosters and Macarthur Wests Tigers have established themselves as the premier clubs in the Johns and Daley Cup competitions after both secured their second straight clean sweep to kick off season.
After accounting for the Monaro Colts last week, the Roosters held on to beat the fast-finishing Northern Rivers Titans 26-22 and 18-14 in both grades.
Meanwhile the Tigers, who staged miraculous comeback wins against the Western Rams in round one, were too strong for the North Coast Bulldogs, winning 24-2 and 30-16 in the Johns and Daley Cup matches respectively.
KNIGHTS’ LEFT EDGE SHINES
Speaking of teams at the top, the Newcastle-Maitland Region Knights have surged into first place of the Johns Cup Northern Conference after a 28-16 victory over the Northern Tigers at Cessnock.
The Knights’ left-edge was particularly dangerous as Chip Valentish, Kade Paton and Chase Butler all scored down that side in the first half to give the Knights a 16-10 lead at the break.
The team’s second win from as many games leaves them in first place, ahead of the Central Coast Roosters on points difference. Meanwhile in the Southern Conference the Macarthur Tigers also remain unbeaten.
NORTHERN TIGERS FLYING ABOVE THE REST
The Northern Tigers are absolutely flying in the Laurie Daley Cup, making it two from two with their 36-8 win over the Newcastle-Maitland Region Knights.
The side boasts the best attack across both Johns and Daley Cups with 72 points scored, and also holds the joint best defence alongside the Daley Cup Roosters team with just 14 points conceded across two games.
Along the way there have been brilliant solo and team tries, with the halves pairing of Jackson Smith and Jordan Hamlin, both of whom got on the scoresheet this week, among the standout performers.
RAMS BOUNCE BACK FROM LONG RANGE
The Western Rams proved to be the entertainers of the round as both sides bounced back from round one defeats to knock over the Riverina Bulls.
The Johns Cup team turned on the fireworks with four stunning long-range tries in the side’s 34-12 win, while in the Daley Cup the Rams racked up the equal-biggest win of the weekend, leading 28-0 at halftime before going on to record a 40-12 victory.
It was an excellent result for the club, who faded in both grades last weekend to be pipped at the post by the Macarthur Tigers.
CHAMPAGNE FOOTBALL
When it comes to entertainment, fans were treated to some spectacular football during round two as teams scored some quite stunning tries to light up the weekend.
The Western Rams’ Johns Cup team seemed determined to produce their own highlights reel, scoring four brilliant long-range tries from within their own half, with five-eighth Triston Ross picking up a spectacular double and fullback Taj Jordan scoring an excellent 55m solo effort.
In the Daley Cup, Northern Tigers’ halfback scored a brilliant double, while the Northern Rivers Titans put the ball though four sets of hands for winger Tye Hogan to finish off an eye-catching 65m team try in the Johns Cup.
However arguably the try of the round was scored in the same game, with the Central Coast Roosters putting on an absolute clinic for Tulsyn McCulloch to score the team’s fourth in the first half.
Watch the try below.
TRYSCORERS’ RACE HEATS UP
The race for the leading tryscorer in both competitions heated up with some excellent performances over the weekend.
The highlight undoubtedly belonged to Macarthur winger Saint Fuatimau, who picked up a hat-trick against the North Coast Bulldogs in the Daley Cup to take his tally to four for the season. He’s joined by teammate Archie Duncombe, who scored his second double in as many weeks from the back row.
In the Johns Cup, Semi Leweniqila is leading the pile with five after scoring a double against the Titans to back up his first round hat-trick, while Western Rams playmaker Triston Ross sits just one behind in four, having scored two doubles to kick off the season.
NEW-LOOK DRAGONS FIRE BACK
After an upset loss to the Riverina Bulls in round one, the Illawarra South Coast Dragons bounced back in style to beat the Monaro Colts 26-14 on the road in the Johns Cup.
With coach Morrison making 10 changes to last week’s side, the Dragons were able to get the job done over the Colts, who remain winless after two rounds.
There was a lot of great ballplaying from the Dragons, who swept the ball wide and finished well in the corners.
Among the standouts was centre Phoenix Johns, who picked up a try and came up with two assists.
DEJA VU FOR TIGERS
The Macarthur Wests Tigers were at their free-scoring best once again in the Laurie Daley Cup, remarkably putting on four tries within a 13-minute spell for the second week running.
While last week the tries helped mount a massive comeback against the Western Rams, this week it was to help break a deadlock against the North Coast Bulldogs, with the four unanswered tries in the second half blowing out the margin and helping the side to a 30-16 win.
Archie Duncombe grabbed a double from the second row, while winger Saint Fuatimau completed his hat-trick with a second half double.
TITANS PUSH LEADERS ALL THE WAY
While they didn’t come up with the results, the Northern Rivers Titans showed a lot of promise and heart against the Central Coast Roosters over the weekend, pushing the chooks all the way in both grades.
In particular, the Johns Cup team were impressive as they came back from a 20-0 scoreline at the break to losing just 26-22.
Prop forward Billy Mulheran had a big influence in attack, scoring a try for himself and also taking up playmaker duties by laying one off for front-row partner Aiden Gersh to run through a hole and score.
Meanwhile in the Daley Cup, the Titans came back from 18-4 down early in the second half to lose just 18-14, with Hudson Towell once again standing out with a double.
COLTS CLAIM GF REVENGE
One of the headline results of the round was the Monaro Colts getting some 2023 grand final revenge over the Illawarra South Coast Dragons, putting on a seven-try clinic to win 38-12 in the Daley Cup.
Brendan Bradley’s troops were unstoppable against the defending premiers, not at all phased by their round one loss to the Central Coast Roosters.
The Colts showed off a couple of their big weapons in the form of Jesse Milin and JJ Mau Pohiva, with the massive forwards proving too tough for the Dragons as they made plenty of yardage and both crashed over for tries from close range.
Hooker Mitchell Brophy was also a standout for the Colts, sparking a number of short-side raids that led to tries while nabbing one himself to seal the game.
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