NSWRL Junior Reps Finals Wk 1: Latest scores, updates from day one at Leichhardt Oval

It was Canterbury’s day as the NSWRL Junior Reps finals commenced at Leichhardt Oval, with a clean sweep for the blue and white. Catch up on a bumper opening day of finals action.

Yuri Hromow. Picture: Adam Wrightson Photography

The finals of the NSWRL Junior Reps are here with a big opening day from Leichhardt Oval to commence the weekend.

Follow along for all the latest from the four games that officially get the post-season underway.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

10am - SGB - Cronulla vs Canterbury

11.30am - LFC - Canterbury vs Cronulla

1pm - TGC - Canterbury vs Wests Tigers

2.30pm - LFC - Wests Tigers vs Canberra

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BULLDOGS COMPLETE EXTRAORDINARY COMEBACK

The Bulldogs completed a second-half comeback to knock off Cronulla 38-30 at Leichhardt Oval.

Trailing with six minutes to play, star halves Alex Conti and Mitchell Woods combined after they trailed by as much as 16 points.

Canterbury enjoyed a dream start as Mitchell Woods started his return with a bang, drawing in the Cronulla winger with a cutout to put Paul Johnson over in the corner.

Their lead became eight inside 10 minutes when Will Stewart overcomitted to a short dropout, leaving the Bulldogs with a two-on-one for Johnson to find Solomone Tupou for an easy try.

Cronulla was able to build some pressure in the middle stages of the half, and they finally had a response when a set play saw Aaron Keppie turn Hudsyn Frost under and carry three defenders over the line to score.

It was then enterprise from Blake Wardrobe that set up one of the tries of the year.

The halfback attacked from 50m out, stepping multiple defenders before launching a 30m bullet pass onto the chest of Stewart, who put a sweeping Elijah Paea into the clear down the touchline, before passing back inside to Stewart to finish the incredible play.

Alex Conti. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

Their lead became 18-8 after another long-range effort. Keppie caught the Bulldogs markers out on his own 30m line, scooting through the middle before drawing the fullback to put Wardrobe over untouched.

They capped off a superb first half fightback to lead by 16 at the break when Paea outleapt his opposite winger to take a Callum Grantham bomb, finding Stewart for his double.

Canterbury started the second half in a similar fashion to the first, with a Woods face-ball deceiving the defence and allowing Zane Groves an easy passage to the line.

It was Keppie again who gave the Sharks breathing room, getting out of dummy half on the last tackle to catch defenders out and score.

The margin was reduced back to 10 with 20 minutes remaining when big Oliva Smith spun out of a tackle from close range to barge his way over.

The Bulldogs made it a four-point game with 15 to play after they had the Sharks for numbers on a spread, with Marcellus Iakopo the beneficiary.

Evelyn Roberts Picture: Warren Gannon Photography

DOGS LAY BITE INTO SHARKS

Canterbury has rocketed into the Lisa Fiaola preliminary finals after a crushing 58-10 defeat of Cronulla.

It was the Sharks that started best, scoring with their first set of six after Julliana Kolio took advantage of broken play, stepping through defenders and racing 50m to score.

It was one-way traffic for the remainder of the first half as the Bulldogs quickly responded through Emacyn-Eden Ieremia and Taylah Salapo to take a 12-6 advantage.

Sienna Best hit back for Cronulla, but Shakira and Shanthie Lui bookended a further three tries to fully cement Canterbury’s dominance with a 28-10 advantage at the break.

Asha Taumoepeau-Williams put her speed and strength on display to quickly pick up a double early in the second half as the lead grew to 34.

Canterbury continued to feed the ball to their right-hand side for Jayda Peo to add to the tally, with Shanthie Lui adding a second just before the final siren to sound a warning to the rest of the competition.

Josinah Filisi Tauiliili Picture: Julian Andrews

DOGS ESCAPE TIGERS FIGHTBACK

Canterbury has survived an almighty scare to down the Wests Tigers 10-8 and advance to week three of the Tarsha Gale Cup finals.

The Tigers had the best chance early doors when Evie McGrath made a clean break on the back of an offload from Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua, only to be run down from behind by Simini Lokotui.

Just minutes later the Bulldogs looked certain to break the deadlock when Amirah El-Abdallah grubbered behind the defensive line, only for a cruel bounce to fall her way.

The two sides were destined to go into the sheds at 0-all, before Mary-Jane Taito spotted a huge gap right on the line, throwing the dummy out of hooker and going over untouched to give the Bulldogs a six-point buffer.

Canterbury suffered a blow early in the second half when Milahn Ieremia went off with what appeared to be a leg injury.

They quickly recovered and had a golden opportunity to extend the margin from the very next set, only for Sienna-Mae Montgomery to deny El-Abdallah.

Sienna-Mae Montgomery. Picture: Warren Gannon Photography

They would have their second after an incredible stroke of fortune, with a kick from Rastalia Smith inside their own 20m line bouncing horribly for the Tigers and into the chasing arms of Lokotui to score under the posts.

Trailing by 10 and with time winding down, front rower Tiresa Leasuasu tried to inspire her troops with a big carry, but a couple of poor options from ensuing plays ended a promising sequence.

They had to wait 54 minutes, but they eventually crossed through Elenoa Namua on the back of a nice backline movement, giving them one last shot of forcing extra time.

They were able to cross in the same corner, with Namua’s second making the score 10-8 with a little over a minute to go.

Amazingly the Tigers opted not to take the sideline conversion attempt, giving them 45 seconds to go the length of the field, however the dropped it on the second tackle to lose any hope of victory.

Agnews Faaui. Picture: Warren Gannon Photography

TIGERS ADVANCE PAST RAIDERS

Wests Tigers live to fight another day in the Fiaola Cup after downing Canberra 32-6.

Canberra had the early running and were able to post first points through Ocean Kaiwai-Rangikauhata, with the referee clearing a support runner stopping in the defensive line.

It took 17 minutes, but the Tigers responded in a big way with a Mia Tonga cutout put Lilia Seville into space, who found Charlotte Withers on her outside to touch down in the corner.

A stroke of fortune played into the hands of the Tigers to give them their first lead, as a deft Mia Tonga chip hit Saige Tautalafua on the chest to break through the line and score.

Their strong finish to the half was complete when Kalani Godinet charged full steam onto a ball just metres out from the line, proving impossible to stop and putting them ahead 16-6 at halftime.

That lead grew to 16 just minutes into the second half on the back of impact bench forward Alavina Tu’ifua, who barged over one defender and carried three more across the line for a barnstorming try.

A delay in play allowed Dawn Tui to receive attention after going down awkwardly in a tackle, before the Tigers landed the killer blow minutes from full-time.

Aliana Fasavalu-Fa’amausili was too much to handle for the Raiders defence, capping off an impressive showing.