Grand final preview: Players and teams analysis ahead of Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cup finals

With two grand finals set to take place this weekend in the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups, we preview the sides fighting it out for the title.

​

After a long, hot pre-season, the regular rounds of the competition and the semi-finals, it all comes down to this.

This weekend the best junior representative rugby league sides in regional NSW will face off in the grand finals of the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups, to be held at Woy Woy Oval on Saturday.

Local rivals the Newcastle Maitland Region Knights and Central Coast Roosters will battle it out in the Andrew Johns Cup (under 16s), while it will be an all-Southern Conference in the Laurie Daley Cup (under 18s), with the Monaro Colts taking on the Illawarra South Coast Dragons.

Ahead of this weekend’s big one, we’ve previewed all the sides part and looked at their paths to the big dance.

Andrew Johns Cup

Newcastle Maitland Region Knights

Position: First in Northern Conference (three wins, two losses, +78)

Story so far: The Knights have shown more than a few flashes of brilliance over the course of the Johns Cup season, putting in a series of eye-catching attacking performances that have blown their opponents right out of the water. It all started in round one, when the Knights’ lethal right edge clicked into gear in their 46-12 victory over the Northern Rivers Titans. Seven of the team’s eight tries came down the right side, with centre Ryan Lawrence picking up a double and his partner in crime, winger Daniel Richardson, claiming a hat-trick. They were at it again in round four, with four tries coming down the Knights’ right side inside the first 24 minutes of their 40-0 victory over the Riverina Bulls.

While there have been plenty of highlights, the season hasn’t been perfect, with the Knights suffering two consecutive defeats in rounds two and three – to the Northern Tigers and North Coast Bulldogs, respectively. On both occasions they were slow out the blocks, and won’t be able to afford to do that against the Roosters this weekend.

Nevertheless, the team has bounced back well from the losses, recording three straight wins, including an impressive come-from-behind 24-16 victory over a very strong Monaro Colts team in last weekend’s semi-final.

Players to watch: With such free-flowing attack, the Knights’ halves have been standouts so far in the competition. Halfback Jack Thompson, five-eighth Jaylan Bishop and Kyran Blair, who has played a mix if fullback and five-eighth throughout the season, have linked up incredibly well in attack, laying on plenty of tries for the players outside them. In particular, Thompson’s combination with right-side backrower Fletcher O’Doherty has been on the highlights of the season. O’Doherty, who spent much of the pre-season training with the Knights’ Harold-Matts team, has been another standout, scoring five tries so far, including a hat-trick against the Bulls in round four.

Why they can win: As the team that topped the highly competitive northern conference, the Knights have shown they can not only mix it but also beat the best in the state. With excellent halves and dangerous strike players on the edge, the boys in red and blue can take the game away from their opposition very quickly, especially if that lethal right edge clicks into gear. The team also has the rare advantage of having tasted victory over their grand final opponents, defeating the Roosters 30-14 in round five, which should give the Hunter boys plenty of confidence heading into Saturday’s game.

Central Coast Roosters

Position: second in Northern Conference (three wins, two losses, +28)

Story so far: It is quite fitting that the two local rivals from the northern conference will face off in the final, with plenty of similarities in the Roosters’ and Knights’ seasons. After a disappointing 32-14 loss in round one against the Monaro Colts, the Chooks hit their straps with three consecutive wins. A hallmark of this run was their attack, with the Central Coast side racking up 94 points across three weekends against the Northern Rivers Titans, Northern Tigers and North Coast Bulldogs, respectively. They scored some wonderful tries on the back of some excellent backline play, with five-eighth Isaac Fotu-Moala combining with centre Kaidyn Peckham to score an excellent 90-metre effort against the Titans in round two.

After a disappointing 30-14 loss to the Knights in the final round of the regular season, the Roosters bounced back with an excellent 28-16 win over the southern conference winners the Macarthur Wests Tigers to set up a date with their local rivals in the grand final.

Players to watch: With some blistering attack on show this season, the Roosters’ outside backs have hit the headlines, with winger Tali Kolofale and centre Kaidyn Peckham among the most dangerous strike weapons. Kolofale has crossed the line six times and Peckham four, often finishing off some excellent backline moves. Fullback Jai Callaghan has been another one of the Central Coast’s standouts, scoring five tries this campaign. He well and truly proved his worth in last week’s semi-final victory against the Tigers, scoring a crucial double. This included the team’s incredible opener, which saw the fullback step past two players before chipping the ball over Macarthur’s defensive line, regather it and score under the black dot. While the outside backs have put the finishing touches on attacking plays, talented five-eighth Isaac Fotu-Moala has been pulling the strings for much of the season, with his excellent running and passing game causing opponents plenty of headaches.

Why they can win: With plenty of points in them, the Roosters have proved that they can beat any team on their day. In addition to the strike weapons out wide, they have talented halves and strong forwards in what is a well-balanced team. While they might have lost to the Knights in round five, the Central Coast side showed their premiership credentials in last week’s semi-final, taking down the previously undefeated Macarthur Wests Tigers and in doing so setting up a mouth-watering final on home turf at Woy Woy Oval.

Laurie Daley Cup

Monaro Colts

Xavier Cacciotti of the Monaro Colts. Photo: Trisha's Sports Photos

Position: Second in Southern Conference (three wins and two losses)

Story so far: Three wins and two losses might not do justice to how strong the Monaro Colts have looked in the Laurie Daley Cup this season. A first round 30-18 loss to the Central Coast Roosters seemed to click the Colts into gear, as they went on to demolish their grand final opponents the Illawarra South Coast Dragons 40-16 in round two, with hooker Xavier Cacciotti untouchable with four tries. Round three would see another victory to the Colts, defeating the Western Rams 36-18, thanks to a brace from bench weapon Mathias Petone Tomuli-Ah-Kuoi. In round four the Colts were hit with a reality check, with the Macarthur Wests Tigers dismantling the side 54-4. However just like all good sides, they bounced back strongly, finding their groove with a 42-12 win over the Riverina Bulls in round five. The Colts then held on in a thrilling semi-final bout with the Newcastle Maitland Region Knights, winning 34-30 to progress to the grand final.

Players to watch: Hooker Xavier Cacciotti has been a standout for the Monaro Colts this season. Eight tries in four games is a staggering statistic, with the dummy half absolutely mastering the craft of burrowing his way over the line from close range. Interchange prop forward Mathias Petone Tomuli-Ah-Kuoi has proved to be one of the most damaging front rowers in the competition, with tired defenders unable to handle his frame and power. He provides the perfect strike partner or replacement for the equally damaging front rower Lane Davis, who is a torment to all defences with his hard-running kick returns and hit-ups.

Why they can win: The Colts go into the meeting with one-up over their opponents from the regular season, having dismantled the Dragons 40-16 away from home in round two. The Colts proved they can hang in there when the going gets tough in their semi-final clash against Knights, who finished the regular season with the best record out of both Northern and Southern conferences. Monaro has a highly talented spine and a damaging front row that can no doubt lead them to victory this weekend.

Illawarra South Coast Dragons

Ashton O’Dea crossing for the Illawarra South Coast Dragons. Picture: Thomas Lisson

Position: First in Southern Conference (four wins one loss)

Story so far: It has been points galore all season for the high-flying Illawarra South Coast Dragons. They set the tone for the season with a dominant round one display against the Riverina Bulls, with three tries to Palu Tuasala leading the way for a 52-6 win. Their only loss of the season would come in round two against their grand final opponents, going down 40-16. They did however bounce back in style a week later, thumping the Northern Rivers Titans 56-6. A 36-22 win over the Western Rams in round four and a narrow 30-28 victory over the Macarthur Wests Tigers in round five ensured the Dragons finished top of the Southern Conference going into the semi-finals. In typical finals football, their clash against the Northern Tigers proved to be their tightest of the season, with the side prevailing 16-12 at home to book their tickets to the grand final.

Players to watch: The Dragons have a lethal backrow that excels in both attack and defence. Jarrah Treweek has proved incredibly hard to handle this season, with his frame and excellent ball skills making him such a threat to the opposition. Palu Tuasala has also been largely untouchable from lock forward, with his size and power challenging defences all over regional NSW. Captain Ashton O’Dea completes the dangerous second row. He has led by example with his hard runs, such as the one that saw him bust through a pocket of space and over the white line for a try in the semi-final. In an impressive return, the three backrowers have notched up 10 tries between them this season.

Why they can win: If there’s one thing the Dragons can do well, it’s score tries. While they fell victim to the Colts earlier in the season, the Dragons still finished one win clear of their grand final opponents and with a significantly better point difference. They have talent all across their backline and plenty of power in their pack, so no doubt they’ll be ready to bring the fight to the Colts this weekend.

Semi-finals wrap: Biggest stories from the finals of the Andrew Johns/Laurie Daley Cup

After five rounds of captivating competition across regional NSW, the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups reached the semi-finals across the weekend.

Four engrossing contests took place across the two competitions, with grand finalists emerging triumphant and showdowns set up for the deciders next week.

Check out the full semi final wrap.

Don’t forget to catch up on the wrap and talking points from round five.

Roosters put an end to undefeated Tigers

After finishing the regular season as the only undefeated team across both the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups, the Macarthur Wests Tigers have had their dream of going through the season with a perfect record crushed, going down to the Central Coast Roosters 28-16 in the Andrew Johns Cup.

The Roosters emerged victorious with six tries to the Tigers’ four, putting an end to Macarthur’s five-game winning streak.

Tigers captain Peter French opened the scoring, but from there on out the Roosters were the dominant side.

Fullback Jai Callaghan scored a double, and was joined on the scoresheet by Darcy Smith, Isaac Fotu-Moala, Tayte Bayley and Kaidyn Peckham.

Although talented centre Glassie Glassie scored a second half double for the Tigers, it wasn’t enough, with Macarthur bowing out of the competition, no doubt disappointed they could not capitalise on a tremendous regular season.

Knights weather early storm to defeat Colts

The Newcastle Maitland Region Knights are set to take on their Northern Conference rivals the Central Coast Roosters in the Andrew Johns Cup grand final after defeating the Monaro Colts 24-16 in a brilliant come-from-behind victory.

Indeed, while Knights’ fullback Mitchell Balzer opened the scoring early, the Colts ran in three unanswered tries to take a 16-4 lead into the break.

It must have been some team talk at half time, however, with the Knights piling on four tries to none in the second half to book their spot in the decider.

Five-eighth Jaylan Bishop picked up a double, his half partner Jack Bishop scored one himself and hooker Lochlan Clenton also crossed the stripe to ensure that the entire spine got on the scoresheet.

Byron Cahill, Jet Millard and Malachi Tomlinson all scored for Monaro as the Colts departed the competition.

Dragons grit their teeth against Tigers

Jarrah Treweek was on the scoresheet in the semi-finals. Picture Thomas Lisson

In a battle between two of the high scorers of the Laurie Daley Cup, the Illawarra South Coast Dragons emerged 16-12 winners over the Northern Tigers in a tight contest to book their spot in the grand final.

The Dragons and Tigers had both been defeated just once coming into the fixture, and in a sign of their attacking prowess, both sides had failed to rack up 30 points on just one occasion so far this season.

However, instead of a high-scoring shootout, the semi-final proved to be a tight affair, with the Dragons taking the lead thanks to tries from captain and second rower Ashton O’Dea and centre Clay Baldock, before Tigers hooker Jack Foley pulled one back for the Northern Region side to leave scores at 12-6 at halftime.

Both sides would go on to score a try each in the second half, with star second rower Jarrah Treweek crossing for the Dragons and five-eighth Jordan Hamlin finding the line for the Tigers.

The result sends the Northern Tigers out of the competition and puts the Dragons through to the big dance.

Colts hold off Knights comeback in semi final for the ages

Xavier Cacciotti remains the top try scorer in the league for the Monaro Colts. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It wasn’t to be a Knights double-header on grand final day, with the Monaro Colts edging out the Newcastle Maitland Region side with a slender 34-30 victory in a thrilling affair.

The Colts came firing out of the blocks, taking a 22-6 lead into the break, thanks to tries from Blake Hovi, Tui Georgievski, Mathias Petone Tomuli-Ah-Kuoi and Jayden Wolfe, while only Charles Hennessy crossed for the Knights.

Inspired by their Johns Cup clubmates, the Knights came out firing in the second half to score five tries in the space of about 25 minutes.

Lock forward Harper Collins scored a brace, and was joined on the scoresheet by Mason Forbes, Logan Aoake and Khynan Butler.

While the fightback was commendable, the Colts managed to hang on thanks to second half tries from Cooper Ferris and four-point machine Xavier Cacciotti.

With six tries each, goalkicking ultimately proved to be the difference, with Hovi nailing five of his conversions to Knights’ five-eighth Tyrese Gordon’s three, ensuring that the Colts held on for a four-point win.

The semi-final results mean that it will be a Southern Conference showdown between the Monaro Colts and the Illawarra South Coast Dragons in the final of the Laurie Daley Cup.