NSWRL Junior Reps: Full wrap, results from Harold Matts, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale round seven
Check out who made our teams of the week from round seven, plus catch up on the major talking points, plus the full wrap and all results from Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup.
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HERE are the teams of the week from Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup NSWRL junior reps round seven action.
HAROLD MATTHEWS
1. Tom Kirk (Illawarra)
2. Ratu Rinakama (Canterbury)
3. Hayden Buchanan (Illawarra)
4. Philip Sosaiete (South Sydney)
5. Charlie Mann (South Sydney)
6. Aaymon Fitzgibbon (Illawarra)
7. Matthew Humphries (South Sydney)
8 Mikayel Tito (Parramatta)
9. Zaidas Muagututia (Parramatta)
10. Zye Midwood (Newcastle)
11. Jezaiah Funa-Iuta (Parramatta)
12. Samuel Griffin (Canberra)
13. Ethan Jarmain (Newcastle)
14. Coby Thomas (Central Coast)
15. Toby Rodwell (Syd Roosters)
16. Alex Conti (Balmain)
17. Oliva Smith (Canterbury)
SG BALL
1. Samuel Gash (Canberra)
2. William Malloy (Balmain)
3. Brenden Naicori (Balmain)
4. Michael Gabrael (Canterbury)
5. Daniel Wright (South Sydney)
6. Ethan Sanders (Parramatta)
7. Taj Blackman (Newcastle)
8. De La Salle Va’a (Roosters)
9. Malachi Smith (Newcastle)
10. Caleb Garvie (Newcastle)
11. Salesi Foketi (Roosters)
12. Dylan Egan (Illawarra)
13. Charlie Guymer (Parramatta)
14. Riley Pollard (Penrith)
15. Selumiela Halasima (Warriors)
16. Damon Marshall (Canterbury)
17. Ashton Ward (Illawarra)
TARSHA GALE
1. Lilly-Ann White (Newcastle)
2. Georgia Willey (Canberra)
3. Charlotte Barwick (Newcastle)
4. Mia-Rose Walsh (Illawarra)
5. Tutaleva Lasalo (Canterbury)
6. Ambryn Murphy-Haua (Canterbury)
7. Skyla Adams (Roosters Indigenous)
8. Sienna Limpic (Newcastle)
9. Imogen Hei (Roosters Indigenous)
10. Ella Koster (Illawarra)
11. Ally Bullman (Roosters Indigenous)
12. Noaria Kapua (Canterbury)
13. Katie Stevens (Illawarra)
14. Darcy Eade (Illawarra)
15. Ariana Harden (Cronulla)
16. Litia Fusi (Canterbury)
17. Madison Mulhall (St George)
20 TALKING POINTS
WITH just two rounds of the NSWRL junior reps season remaining, catch up on what made headlines in round seven of Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup.
RUTHLESS ROOSTERS CONTINUE HAMMERINGS
Since dropping their first two games to Canberra (first) and Parramatta (second), the Roosters have gone undefeated to sit in fifth spot.
Most impressive was how their attack clicked against the Storm, finding six tries in both halves to rack up another big score.
Attacking flair is rewarded in the SG Ball and Sydney is certainly delivering it in droves.
POLISHED DISPLAY PUTS STEELERS IN BOX SEAT
Illawarra faces two fellow finals contenders in the run to the post-season, but this impressive side is showing that shouldn’t be a concern.
They looked good in accounting for a gritty North Sydney outfit, with the halves again taking control.
Their position is strong and there’s no reason they can’t do some damage in this competition.
KNIGHTS SHINING BRIGHT
Newcastle has all-but secured third place on the Tarsha Gale standings, and they will want to make a statement over the final two weeks.
With one of the competition’s premier forward packs again firing against the Dragons, they come into this week’s blockbuster with plenty of momentum.
A clash with the undefeated Roosters Indigenous Academy will show us how well they are tracking.
ILLAWARRA WINS BIG IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
The Illawarra Steelers Harold Matthews side were the big winners from round seven.
Not only did they put 50 on Norths in a very dominant showing, they climbed from eighth to fifth with other results going their way.
They’ve put their destiny in their own hands, albeit with two very tough teams left on the run home.
ROOSTERS FLURRY KEEPS SEASON ALIVE
A late flurry from the Sydney Roosters saw them down the Central Coast in thrilling fashion to keep the door open.
Five tries in 15 minutes to close out the game saw them go from 10 points down to 20 up in the blink of an eye.
Can they carry that explosiveness into a massive clash with Newcastle?
EELS GET REVENGE ON MANLY
It was the Sea Eagles that prevailed in the NRL, but Parramatta got the better of them in the junior reps with a pair of wins in Matts and Ball.
The most impressive part of their SG Ball win was their response after Manly came firing out of the blocks.
Their ability to steady the tempo of the game, before piling on four tries in a quick space is a big reason why they’re near the top.
CRAFTY PLAY GETS REWARDED
Smarts around the ruck for Parramatta got them the win in the Harold Matts, and a large part of that cudos belongs to Zaidas Muagututia.
The hooker picked his right times to challenge the line and was rewarded with a double.
With a very solid spine who is consistently firing, they’re another genuine contender for the title.
A GAME OF TWO HALVES
The Knights keep themselves in the six in the Harold Matts, and it was a four-minute stretch on either side of the break that helped them to success.
They crossed in the shadows of halftime and straight after the break to keep a determined Dragons side at arms length.
They’ve shown many traits of a good side, and have now put back-to-back wins on the board.
PANTHERS FITNESS HOLDS STRONG
Penrith faced a tough task in the SG Ball against the Warriors, trailing with less than 10 minutes to go.
They came through when it counted though and remain alive in the hunt for a top-two spot.
The Warriors have the hardest draw in the competition when it comes to travel, and you get the feeling that told out late against a physical side like the Panthers.
ILLAWARRA FIRES OUT OF THE BLOCKS
While a finals spot looks almost impossible for the Steelers, there was a lot to like about their first half against the Bears.
They’ve shown that throughout the season that they are capable of really getting on the front foot early, racing in five first half tries.
They definitely took the foot off the gas in the second half, but credit to Norths for sticking it out in a challenging year.
RUMBLE IN KURRI KURRI
We’ve seen some worthy contenders for match of the year in SG Ball, and perhaps this weekend could deliver another.
The Newcastle Knights looked very slick against the Dragons in posting a decent score, and will run into the red-hot Roosters.
Both are in great form and the two sides will be looking to make a big statement.
ROOSTERS KICKING GOALS
After seven rounds of the Tarsha Gale Cup the undefeated Roosters Indigenous Academy look untouchable. It’s a similar story for skipper Ally Bullman who had another day out against Souths.
With 12-points, she extended her lead at the top of the point scorers’ list by an even dozen.
SOUTHS A MATTS SMOKEY
Souths refuse to rollover in the Harold Matts. Unbeaten in their last four starts, the Rabbitohs have climbed to tenth and now find themselves only one-point adrift of sixth spot.
Behind a strong pack, playmaker Matthew Humphries has come into his own in recent weeks, and they’ll fancy themselves at Redfern on Saturday against the struggling Sea Eagles.
OH MANN, WHAT A SPECKY
With hands like feet, Souths and Balmain fumbled through the opening stages of their Matts clash at Redfern.
It made the opening try even more incredible. With no room to move in the left corner, Souths winger Charlie Mann flew above his opposite, dragging down a last play kick to score a spectacular four-pointer.
ALL-ROUND SUPER BOOT
Balmain may have fallen short in the Matts, but it didn’t stop captain Alex Conti from showing his class with the boot.
A regular kicker from the tee, the halfback also put Souths’ outside men on high alert. A thumping early 40-20 set the scene on a day where he tormented the Rabbitohs, including grubbers and one towering Burton-esque spiral bomb.
ELITE ROOSTER
Skyla Adams is a regular in our Talking Points, but there’s no denying, there’s plenty to talk about.
Arguably the tallest halfback in the Tarsha Gale, she ran in another double against Souths and once again showed enough speed and swerve to suggest she would also dominate as an outside back.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
With two rounds to go, Wests sit in 11th spot on the Matts table and three-points outside the top six.
The reigning premiers suffered their fourth straight loss on the weekend, a 14-12 defeat to a Bulldogs side that has now won four on the bounce and sits in first place.
WESTS TOUGH TO READ
The Magpies have only dropped two matches in the SG Ball, yet they’re one of the toughest sides to read.
Coming off a fortnight where they matched heavyweights Penrith and Newcastle, last week they slipped up against a middle of the pack Canterbury side.
While the loss isn’t season ending, it has seen them join a pack fighting for a finals berth.
WESTERN DERBY BLOCKBUSTER
With the undefeated Raiders just about assured of finishing the SG Ball as minor premiers, the race is on for second place.
In a finals precursor, there will be plenty of spice when western rivals Parramatta and Penrith go head-to-head at Cabramatta.
Both sides are locked on 12 points, but it’s the Eels who cling onto second place with a slender two-point differential.
RAIDERS TRY QUEEN
Slipperier than a greased pig, Georgia Willey is tough to catch.
With another two tries for the Raiders in their Tarsha Gale win over Cronulla, the elusive fullback extended her season tally to eight, the most in the competition.
In an outstanding season, the former Australian Schoolgirls rep has put her name on the score sheet in each of her last five outings.
ROUND SEVEN WRAP
FINALS spots are on the line and the action from the NSWRL junior reps continues to heat up.
Catch up on all the latest from around the grounds in the Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup from round seven.
EELS CONTINUE ELECTRIC FORM
Parramatta maintained a share of the Harold Matthews top spot after taking down Manly 30-6 at Brookvale.
The Eels started strong with a polished display early, racing in three quick tries and a Zaidas Muagututia double saw them race out to 18-0 through 15 minutes.
The Sea Eagles showed fight throughout and gave themselves a hope when trailing by 12 at the break, but ultimately couldn’t stop Parramatta from making it five straight wins.
They made it a double in the SG Ball, with the Eels coming out 38-18 winners.
It was a strong start from the Sea Eagles who held a 10-4 lead early, but it was the class of Parramatta that prevailed in the end.
Charlie Guymer scored two tries in seven minutes to wrestle the lead away from the home side.
They kept it going in the second half, scoring straight after halftime to open up a big enough advantage.
KNIGHTS KEEP GRITTY DRAGONS AT BAY
A resurgent St George wasn’t able to overcome Harold Matts premiership contenders Newcastle, going down 20-4 at Kogarah.
The Dragons picked up their first win of the season last week, but it was a fine captain’s knock from Connor Votano keeps the Knights in the hunt for a top-two finish.
The fullback bookended the scoring for his side, finishing with a double and a personal haul of 12 points.
Newcastle showed why it is a leading hope in SG Ball as well, ending St George’s win streak with a 30-6 victory.
In what was a grind through the first 35 minutes, Taj Blackman and Caleb Garvie helped the visitors to a 12-0 lead at the break, with five-eighth Jye Linnane sent to the sin bin in the shadows of halftime.
They offset that disadvantage early in the second half through Ethan Ferguson and Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, who helped push the lead out to 24 and make the task too tough for the Dragons.
Charlotte Barwick and Lilly McNamara both crossed the line twice in a comprehensive 36-4 victory for the Knights in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
The win keeps them in third position on the ladder with a huge clash against the Roosters Indigenous Academy to come next weekend.
MORE NSWRL COVERAGE
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STEELERS TAKE DOWN THE BEARS
Illawarra remains firmly in the finals race after dropping the hammer on North Sydney in the Harold Matthews Cup with a 50-6 scoreline.
The Steelers were in a ruthless mood, opening up a huge 30-6 lead at the break and continuing on with the job to race in 10 tries.
Hayden Buchanan was unstoppable, scoring a hat-trick, with Tom Kirk chipping in with a double for good measure.
A Mia-Rose Walsh double inspired the Tarsha Gale Cup Steelers to a 24-10 win over the Bears.
In a tight struggle throughout, North Sydney refused to go away, getting to within four points midway through the second half, before the Steelers were able to close out well with late tries to Darcy Eade and Shaye Shipton.
The sweep was completed by the SG Ball Cup squad, who accounted for North Sydney.
Miles Elder gave the visitors the best possible start with a try inside two minutes, but from that point on it was all Illawarra.
They raced in four tries to hold a handy 26-4 lead at halftime and did enough in the end to come out on top 32-20.
FLYING ROOSTERS SOAR OVER THE COAST
A late surge has lifted the Sydney Roosters to a 36-16 win over the Central Coast at Morry Breen Oval.
The home side held a 16-6 advantage with 16 minutes to play, but that was swiftly overturned with five tries keeping the Roosters within touching distance of the top six.
Na’oia’ehansi Tofaeono had two tries in the win.
SOUTHS AND BALMAIN SHARE THE SPOILS
In the first of three matches at Redfern, South Sydney kept its belated finals charge on track in the Harold Matts with a dominant 22-10 victory over the Balmain Tigers.
In a frantic end-to-end opening, both sides paid the price for poor handling.
Balmain’s best chance followed a booming 40-20 by halfback Alex Conti, while his opposite Matthew Humphries almost burrowed over for Souths in the 16th minute.
When the points finally did arrive, it was on the end of a magic grab by Souths’ Charlie Mann. Flying high AFL-style, the winger came down with a pinpoint Tylan Black Berryman kick to score in the left corner.
From there, a must win match for Balmain quickly unravelled. First, the restart sailed out on the full, and in the next set they fell further behind when Marshall Le Maitre barged across from dummy-half.
Trailing 10-0, the second half didn’t get any better for the Tigers. They were quickly reduced to 12 men when prop Douglas Tuala was sin-binned for backchat.
Souths were quick to seize the one-man advantage, with Mann finishing a sweeping backline raid as the Rabbitohs marched ahead 16-0.
Souths continued to dominate possession, and with Humphries in top gear the Rabbitohs threatened to go on with the job. Centre Philip Sosaiete was next to score, reaching out under the posts following a damaging charge against the grain.
But just as they have done in recent weeks, the Tigers refused to concede. Tries to Edwin Langi and winger Jonah Watson narrowed the gap to 12, but it was too late, and their finals hopes now appear dashed.
In the SG Ball, Souths went within a whisker of pulling off their first win, ultimately falling short 26-20 to Balmain in a thriller.
A third win leaves Balmain’s slender finals hopes alive, but it was on shaky ground as Souths roared towards victory in the closing minutes. A Dane Towns pass missed its mark with the line wide open, before a no-try ruling ended their day.
Starting the contest with all the ball, Souths looked anything but a winless combination. Early raids almost ended in a try to Oliver Juras on the left, while centre Bailey Scholes was bundled into touch on the right.
After weathering the initial onslaught, Balmain wasted little time grabbing the first four-pointer. Winger William Malloy found space along the left touchline as Brenden Naicori loomed in support to score his first of the half.
Souths then levelled through half Brent Hawkins and continued to look dangerous, but the Tigers struck again through Naicori to lead 10-6.
In a tit-for-tat contest, Juras couldn’t believe his luck when the seas parted, and the Souths winger cruised over to level it up at 10-all.
After trading tries early in the second half, Naicori bagged his hat-trick, showing immense power and strength to give Balmain a decisive 22-14 lead.
A second half double to Souths centre Daniel Wright set up the grandstand finish, before Ratu Sovau sealed Souths’ fate with a four-pointer on his own in the final minute.
The ladder leading Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy had little trouble in the Tarsha Gale Cup, accounting for Souths 44-0.
The home side had all the early ball but failed to come away with points before the Roosters turned the tables with five first half tries, including a double to classy playmaker Skyla Adams to lead 28-0.
With superior fitness and skill, the reigning premiers rammed home the advantage with a further three tries after the interval on a day where Ally Bullman finished with a personal haul of 12 points.
BULLDOGS STUN MAGPIES IN THE SG BALL
Canterbury edged out Wests 14-12 to maintain their place at the head of the Harold Matts table after seven rounds.
In the first match at Kirkham Oval, the Bulldogs bounded out of the gates to lead 10-0 at the break.
With tries to Byronn Laupepa and fullback Luke Laulilii, the Magpies found themselves in front just seven minutes after the resumption.
Up by two, the Campbelltown boys desperately tried to end their three match losing streak, and they appeared on track for a season revival.
But with nine minutes to play, Ratu Rinakama broke their hearts. The winger’s try proving enough to ice Canterbury’s fourth straight win.
Try doubles to prop Damon Marshall and centre Michael Gabrael have helped Canterbury roll the Wests Magpies 30-16 in an SG Ball boilover.
Coming off last week’s entertaining draw with heavyweights Newcastle, the fifth placed Magpies headed to Kirkham as raging favourites but trailed 12-4 at the break.
Reliable hooker Tallyn Da Silva lifted Wests’ hopes with two of his own in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as Canterbury moved to seventh and one-point shy of sixth place.
In the Tarsha Gale Cup clash at Leichhardt Oval, it was one way traffic as the unbeaten Bulldogs extended their run to six with a 38-6 win over the Wests Tigers.
Despite losing five on the trot, Wests scored two of the first three tries through Iemaima Etuale and Ashanti Pennell to lead 8-4 after 14 minutes.
The Bulldogs replied with the next two and led by four at the break. In the second half, Canterbury added another five unanswered four-pointers with Litia Fusi and Tutaleva Lasalo finishing the day with doubles.
CANBERRA SEND SHARKS HOME EMPTY-HANDED
In the first of three games at Belconnen, the Raiders beat Cronulla in the Tarsha Gale Cup 22-6.
Coming off a draw and a loss, the Green Machine’s season was on shaky ground and a close contest was expected as a revitalised Sharks chased three straight.
Canberra hooker Kayla Fleming opened the scoring, before skipper and regular try-sneak Georgia Willey crossed either side of the break to put the result beyond doubt at 22-0 with 11 minutes to go.
Ariana Harden pecked one back for Cronulla late in the match.
In a high scoring Harold Matts clash, a fast start proved the difference in Canberra’s 26-22 victory over Cronulla.
In a crucial clash in the countdown to the finals, the third placed Raiders showed their intentions from the get-go, racing three tries past the fifth ranked Sharks inside 14 minutes.
Far from rolling over, the Sharks circled then struck with three off their own to draw level at 16-all.
Canberra regained the lead when winger Patrick Dawson completed his double and they jumped out of Cronulla’s reach when Samuel Griffin went over with 10 minutes to play.
Canberra’s SG Ball side extended its unbeaten run to seven with a 30-22 win over Cronulla.
Cagey hooker Owen Pattie had a memorable first half, bagging two of Canberra’s four tries as they built a healthy 24-10 buffer.
Dylan Coutts opened the door for a Cronulla revival after the break, and Bryce Sait’s conversion put them within striking distance at 24-16.
It was as close as the boys from the Shire would get after Canberra returned serve through fullback Samuel Gash to keep Cronulla out of reach.
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