NSWRL Junior Reps: Full wrap, results, gallery from round six of Harold Matts, SG Ball, Tarsha Gale
Check out who made the teams of the week for Harold Matts, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup in round six, plus check out the major talking points, full results and 60+ photo gallery from a big weekend.
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HERE are the teams of the week from round six of the Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup competitions.
HAROLD MATTHEWS
1. Connor Votano (Newcastle)
2. Christopher Makhlouf (Canterbury)
3. Hayden Buchanan (Illawarra)
4. Casey Mclean (Penrith)
5. Sam Gillespie (Central Coast)
6. Blake Dorahy (Newcastle)
7. Alex Conti (Balmain)
8. Itula Seve (Canterbury)
9. Sonny Edwards-Moeke (Wests)
10. Douglas Tuala (Balmain)
11. Jacob Halangahu (St George)
12. Jett Woodward (Newcastle)
13. Kye Raven (Penrith)
14. Xavier Ndaira (St George)
15. Bronson Emery (St George)
16. Daniel Lua (South Sydney)
17. Matthew Humphries (South Sydney)
SG BALL
1. Fletcher Sharpe (Newcastle)
2. Jordi Mazzone (Canterbury)
3. Ethan Ferguson (Newcastle)
4. Devonte Vaivela (Parramatta)
5. Noah Goodman (Roosters)
6. Jye Linnane (Newcastle)
7. Ashton Ward (Illawarra)
8. Carlos Pauli (St George)
9. Tallyn Da Silva (Wests)
10. Jakeb Vailalo (Penrith)
11. Dylan Egan (Illawarra)
12. Jaxon Lavendar (Canberra)
13. Kit Laulili’i (Wests)
14. Latu Fainu (Manly)
15. Javahn Stevenson-Hala (Roosters)
16. Kallum Weatherall-Stacey (Canterbury)
17. Fanafou Seve (Canterbury)
TARSHA GALE
1. Georgia Willey (Canberra)
2. Charlotte Eather (Canterbury)
3. Taleenza Nelson (Manly)
4. Samantha Nealon (Canberra)
5. Katalina Vavahea Faith Veikoso (Cronulla)
6. Aaliyah Haumono (Manly)
7. Jaida Staben (Penrith)
8. Sophie Wilson (Newcastle)
9. Leah Ollerton (Newcastle)
10. Shayane Rutonski (North Sydney)
11. Piper Spackman (Penrith)
12. Tatiana Finau (Canterbury)
13. Stephanie Faulkner (Cronulla)
14. Keturah Matoe (North Sydney)
15. Kianna Bright (North Sydney)
16. Alexis Tauaneai (Canterbury)
17. Kyanna Lokeni (Parramatta)
20 TALKING POINTS
WITH a bumper round six of the NSWRL junior reps run and won, it’s time to look at the 20 major talking points coming out of the weekend.
DRAGONS FINALLY START TO CLICK
They’ve tested plenty of the Harold Matts’ leading contenders, and now St George finally has a win to show for their efforts.
Their attack really clicked in the second half and they went to their strengths with great effect.
While finals is off the cards, they can build a great platform for the years ahead, particularly with a gun forward pack.
TIGERS GREAT ESCAPE KEEPS THEM ALIVE
Balmain’s U17s season looked over and out as they trailed Illawarra by 10 with less than five minutes to go.
Enter some late brilliance and a rmarkable matchwinner from Alex Conti, and the Tigers move into a share of sixth spot.
That’s two weeks in a row they’ve narrowly won, and they can make it four in a row when taking on Souths in a big clash.
MAGPIES ON THE BRINK
Wests and Newcastle produced one of the Harold Matts games of the year that had everything you could want.
But unfortunately for the Magpies a late Knights try has put a massive dent in their finals hopes.
The defending champs will need to win all of their remaining games now to give themselves the best chance of going back-to-back.
NELSON DOMINANCE LIFTS EAGLES
Taleenza Nelson has been a weapon out wide for Manly in their first year of Tarsha Gale Cup football.
She showcased that at Mascot Oval with a surging hat-trick effort to help the Sea Eagles to win number two this year.
A hard player to stop out wide, her form gives Manly hope for the years ahead.
KNIGHTS DEFENCE HOLDS STRONG
Newcastle’s push for another Tarsha Gale Cup grand final appearance will come off the back of their defence.
Currently it is the third best in the competition, and again conceded just the one try at the weekend against the Wests Tigers.
They will want to keep pushing in the hopes of landing a top-two spot.
RAIDERS LET AN OPPORTUNITY SLIP
Canberra held a very solid lead in their Tarsha Gale clash with the Bears, only to let it slip and have to settle for a draw.
It makes their task of getting to the final a little bit trickier, especially considering the signs that have shown throughout 2023.
On their day they can match it with anybody, but they need to make consistency a habit.
DRAGONS LIFT WHEN IT COUNTS
St George is rolling along in the SG Ball with back-to-back wins, and it was the manner in which they held off Manly that will impress the club.
In a back-and-forth encounter, they were able to weather the storm from the Sea Eagles and open up a big enough advantage in the second half.
There’s enough positive signs there for the Dragons faithful to have a positive outlook for the future.
STEELERS DROP THE HAMMER
Illawarra’s SG Ball season is hanging on by a thread, which is why they needed a statement game against Balmain.
They did just that, piling on a half century in a big win.
With a tough run home, they will need to continue that form over the next three weeks if they want to taste the post-season.
GAME OF THE SEASON?
Wests and Newcastle put on a show at Campbelltown in the U19s, backing up the Harold Matts clash from earlier in the day.
It was the Knights that raced out to a massive lead, before Wests refused to surrender and fought hard to secure a draw.
There’s no doubt both teams have the firepower to make a deep finals run in the SG Ball.
DOMINANCE ON SHOW ACROSS THE DITCH
Another week and another big score from the Roosters in SG Ball, this time over in New Zealand.
They now sit in sixth after piling on 46 points for the second-straight week, improving their attack to second best in the competition.
You get the sense they’re peaking at the right time of the year, and they’re another genuine contender in a strong competition.
WHO CAN TAKE DOWN THE RAIDERS?
Perhaps there is no stronger contender than the Raiders however, who improved to 6-0 for the season with a big win over Norths.
They boast the best attack, the best defence, and have managed to make some good teams look like they’re not on their level.
Will anyone knock them off over the final three rounds, and can they kepe this incredible streak alive?
SHARKS BACK IN THE TARSHA GALE MIX
Cronulla’s two late tries not only burst the Eels’ bubble in the Tarsha Gale Cup, it kept their own season alive.
Now in 8th spot, the Sharks and four other sides are on seven points including the fourth placed Steelers.
With only three rounds remaining and six finals spots up for grabs, the Sharks now take on the seventh placed Raiders next Saturday in a must win clash.
TOP THREE SET THE BENCHMARK
Speaking of the fourth placed Steelers, the Bulldogs girls showed them first hand what a top three side looks like.
With the race for the bottom three finals spots heating up, the top three teams are all but locked in. And with their 34-0 whitewash of Illawarra, Canterbury have drawn a clear line in the sand.
PANTHERS PRIMED FOR PERFECT FINISH
Penrith’s season continues to snowball in the Tarsha Gale. After a tough start where they only had one-point after three rounds, the Panthers now hold down fifth place following three wins on the bounce.
And with a bye next week, they’ll be fresh for the run home with two winnable clashes against Parramatta and North Sydney.
YOUNG DOGS RUN THE LENGTH
Ladder leader’s Canterbury may have struggled to put away the lowly ranked Central Coast Roosters in the Harold Matts, but they delivered on the highlights reel.
First, winger Christopher Makhlouf ran the length after swooping on a wayward cut-out pass, before Tallis McEwen-Welsh stepped up to score a contender for individual try of the year.
After fielding a kick near his own tryline, the fullback in the headgear sliced through a wall of chasers then continually turned would-be defenders inside out in a weaving run before outpacing the cover to cross untouched.
PANTHERS’ FADE-OUT COULD PROVE COSTLY
They didn’t lose the match but Penrith’s late fade-out to Souths in the Matts cost them a valuable competition point.
A win would’ve kept them in second place, but with the draw they’ve slipped to fourth. Next week they have a bye before facing the top two sides in the run home.
FAST FINISHING RABBITOHS
While Penrith’s top-two hopes took a hit, the chaotic draw kept Souths’ season alive.
Still in 11th, the Rabbitohs are one win shy of the Knights in sixth. But with a favourable run home that pits them against the Tigers and lowly Manly and St George, Souths’ season is far from over.
KICKING UP A STORM
Melbourne was no match for Canterbury in the SG Ball, but it proved a great audition for Kallum Weatherall-Stacey with the kicking tee.
With limited opportunities since taking over the goal kicking duties in round five, the fullback found his range, landing eight shots from 11 attempts.
PARRAMATTA GET BACK ON THE HORSE
With the top two sides earning a break in the first week of the finals, it was important for Parramatta to get back on the horse following their round five loss to the Raiders in the SG Ball.
They weren't brilliant against the Sharks, but the four-point win leaves them in third spot and level on points with the second placed Panthers.
FOR AND AGAINST WILL PROVE CRITICAL
With so little separating the sides in the race to the finals, those in contention can ill afford to take the foot off the pedal in the run home.
There’s little doubt, several sides across all three junior rep competitions are likely to pay the price for an inferior for and against.
ROUND SIX WRAP
ANOTHER scorching day has welcomed the state’s best young players as round six of the NSWRL junior reps season hits.
Catch up on all the latest results from around the grounds.
HALANGAHU STARS AS DRAGONS FIND FORM
St George has put together it’s finest performance of the Harold Matthews Cup season, running out 32-12 winners over Manly at Mascot Oval.
Both teams were searching for their first win of the season, and it was star backrower Jacob Halangahu that stood tall for the Dragons, scoring two tries and causing havoc throughout the morning.
“All that hard work in the pre-season is finally starting to show. It’s good to see it paying off now,” Halangahu said.
“It’s pleasing, and it’s good to see everyone putting in to get those results at the back end of the season.”
A student at Patrician Brothers and part of last year’s Junior Blues camp, Halangahu said he was ecstatic to have his best game of the year in front of his loved ones.
“I was very happy with my game. Personally it was my best this season,” he said.
“The Junior Blues camp was a once in a lifetime experience and something I’ll never forget.
“It motivates me, especially going back to my family, seeing my parents and especially my grandma who is always showing up.”
St George had all the early running and capitalised within three minutes of play with strike centre Aiden Hodges proving too strong.
They maintained that running through most of the early stanza, with Manly’s attack unable to apply pressure in St George territory.
Just as it looked like the Dragons would hold their advantage or even extend it in the shadows of halftime, a piece of brilliance from Reilly Caswell sent the two sides tied up at the break.
A fumbled possession from St George was grubbered ahead by the fullback on his own 20m line, using his blistering pace to regather and score an incredible try.
The second half started exactly the same as the first, as the home side made the most of back-to-back penalties, with second tower Jacob Halangahu barging his way over from close range.
It was that man again just minutes later, as St George capitalised on another mistake from the Sea Eagles to open up a commanding 18-6 advantage.
Bronson Emery piled on further pressure, slicing his way through the line with ease
The Dragons looked to further push their lead out, before some desperate defence denied Javess Lafolua. Manly made the most of the chance, going the length of the field in the next set for George Mapuilesua to cross and put them back within two scores.
Any hope was swiftly taken away however, with the ensuing kick-off hitting the crossbar, forcing a mistake and Xavier Ndaira darting over from dummy half.
Their SG Ball Cup side made it consecutive wins courtesy of a 30-22 defeat of the Sea Eagles.
The two sides traded blows throughout the first half, with big forward Corey Ackers diving his way over near to the line to give the Dragons an 18-12 lead at the break.
When they opened up a 28-12 lead midway through the second half, it proved too big a margin for the visitors to rope in.
Taleenza Nelson was the star for Manly’s Tarsha Gale Cup team, scoring a hat-trick in a big 48-14 victory.
SHARKS CIRCLING AFTER MAJOR BOILOVER
Cronulla have announced themselves as a Tarsha Gale dark horse after edging out Parramatta 22-16 in a major boilover at Cabramatta.
Unbeaten since round one, Parramatta held the upper hand at 16-10 with just eight minutes left to play. But the Sharks struck late, scoring twice in a whirlwind finish to cap off a memorable second straight victory.
After last week’s crushing victory in Canberra, the fifth placed Eels were expected to run over the Sharks, who started the day in eighth with only one win against their name.
The Eels scored in the second minute through hooker Ashlee Pottinger, but the Sharks counted with two of their own before Parra centre Caitlin Peadon crossed for a 10-all halftime scoreline.
With a converted try to prop Liaina Dimech, the Eels led 16-10 with 12 minutes remaining.
No one saw the Sharks coming, but once lock Stephanie Faulkner levelled the scores, it was game on, and they wrapped up the two competition points when winger Katalina Vavahea Faith Veikoso latched onto an intercept in the dying minutes and raced away to score her third of the day.
Coming off last week’s loss to the unbeaten Raiders in the SG Ball, Parramatta have rebounded with a 20-16 victory over the Sharks.
Samuel McCulloc only needed a minute to open the scoring, and the lock’s four-pointer put Cronulla on the path to a third straight win.
The Eels were slow out of the gates but levelled at 12-all with first half tries to Domenico De Stradis and centre Devonte Vaivela. And they threatened to go on with it after the break with another two, before Kurt Montgomery’s double saw the Sharks finish within four at the final siren.
TIGERS PULL OUT LATE MIRACLE
Balmain’s Harold Matts finals hopes took a massive boost with their third-straight win, courtesy of a 30-28 win over Illawarra at Collegians Sporting Complex.
The Tigers trailed 28-18 with less than four minutes of game time remaining, before Douglas Tuala gave them a hope as time wound down.
Star half Alex Conti completed the comeback in style, scoring in the final minute to snatch the unlikeliest of victories at the death.
Illawarra had no such troubles maintaining their advantage in the SG Ball, running out big 54-4 winners over Balmain.
Halfback Ashton Ward crossed for a double as the Steelers raced out to a 24-4 lead at the break, keeping that going in the second half to round out an impressive win.
Dylan Egan and Wesley Pring both added two tries of their own as hey brought up the half century.
PANTHERS COMPLETE TARSHA HAT-TRICK
Penrith’s mid-season resurgence in the Tarsha Gale Cup continued with an emphatic 28-0 defeat of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The six-try rout was the Panthers’ third consecutive win after they opened the season with a draw and two defeats.
For Souths, it was their third straight loss, but they started well in a scoreless opening 20 minutes. From there, tries to Bella McEachern and Yasmine Baker broke the ice, and Penrith led 8-0 at the break.
As the temperatures rose in Sydney’s west, the Panthers applied their own heat scoring another four tries including the last two to halfback Jaida Staben.
Penrith’s winning ways took a hit in the Harold Matts after the Rabbitohs rallied late to snatch a 24-all draw.
After last week’s win, the 10th placed Rabbitohs headed west full of confidence and with 20 minutes to play trailed the high flying Panthers 12-10.
Penrith found breathing space with tries to lock Kye Raven and Charbel Kheirallah, and a 24-12 looked on track for five straight wins.
But Souths’ young guns had the final say. Jacob Fong got Souths within striking distance of a miracle in the 52nd minute, before skipper Daniel Lua put his side within two-points in the final minute.
Rounding out a perfect day with the boot, Matthew Humphries landed the conversion to keep Souths’ season alive.
Penrith have come from behind in the SG Ball, eventually blasting clear of the Rabbitohs with five second half tries including a double to fullback Timothy Sielaff-Burns.
The 40-22 victory wasn’t without hiccups. Coming off their first loss of the season, Penrith were expected to rebound in style against a winless South Sydney, but hit trouble at the break, trailing 16-12.
Things only got worse after the restart when winger Cooper McLaren put the Rabbitohs 10-points clear. But in a monumental momentum shift, the homeside regathered and coasted to win number five after posting the next five tries in 17 minutes.
KNIGHTS, MAGPIES PLAY OUT THRILLERS
One of the games of the Harold Matthews season delivered in a big way as Newcastle edged out Wests 30-24 at Campbelltown Stadium.
The visitors fired out of the blocks with a Kyran Blair double giving them a very handy 24-6 advantage through one half.
Not ones to lie down, the Magpies hit back with three consecutive tries to level things up approaching the final 10 minutes.
It would be winger Will Rosenbaum that spoiled the comeback, crossing in the 56th minute to keep the Knights in a lofty ladder spot.
The two repeated the dosage in the SG Ball Cup, with a 32-all scoreline unable to split Wests and Newcastle.
The Knights opened up a massive 28-6 halftime lead on the back of a Fletcher Sharpe hat-trick.
With 22 minutes left it was 32-10, before the Magpies sparked an incredible fight to snatch a point.
It was started with Tallyn Da Silva getting over the line and finished with Heath Mason touching down in the 65th minute to cap off one of the days of the year.
Newcastle showed why they are a genuine contender in the Tarsha Gale Cup, holding off the Wests Tigers 20-6.
Starting well and holding an eight-point lead at the break, the Knights did enough in the second half to keep their opponents at arms length in testing conditions.
BULLDOGS UNSTOPPABLE AT HAMMONDVILLE
Canterbury continue to ride high among the pacesetters in the Tarsha Gale Cup after accounting for the Steelers 34-0 at Hammondville Oval.
Hannah Makira set the tone in the opening minute, and with the centre’s four-pointer the Bulldogs were never threatened in extending their unbeaten run to five matches.
In a clash of two versus four, Illawarra actually held their own for the majority of the first half. But with the seal broken, Canterbury opened the floodgates with a flurry of tries including a double to winger Charlotte Eather.
Up 20-0, backrower Noaria Kapua quickly found the line after the break before prop Alexis Tauaneai rounded out the seven try hiding with her second in the closing minutes.
Canterbury fullback Kallum Weatherall-Stacey had a day out in the SG Ball, scoring 24-points in the Bulldogs’ 60-6 thumping of the Melbourne Storm.
Coming off three straight losses, Canterbury posted 26 unanswered points in the first half before going on with the job on a day where Weatherall-Stacey, Jordi Mazzone and Fanafou Seve all finished with doubles.
In the Harold Matts, Canterbury jumped to outright first place on the ladder with their third straight win, an 18-10 win over the Central Coast Roosters.
The Bulldogs opened a 12-6 first half lead with tries to Christopher Makhlouf and fullback Tallis McEwen-Welsh, but were pushed all the way by a confident Central Coast who arrived at Hammondville coming off their first win of the season.
Winger Sam Gillespie struck late to get the Roosters within two-points, but playmaker Bronson Reuben had the final say, crossing for the final try in Canterbury’s fifth win of the season.
RAIDERS REMAIN ON TOP
Canberra sent another statement to the rest of the SG Ball competition with a 54-10 beatdown of North Sydney at Belconnen.
The Raiders raced in nine tries as they shot out of the blocks to lead 36-0 through the opening half.
That continued on in the second for a comfortable win, with Samuel Gash converting all nine tries in a superb dispaly of goalkicking.
The Bears kept their slim finals hopes alive after they recorded a 16-all draw, their second of the season.
For the Raiders it was an opportunity missed to climb into fourth place, with two late tries to North Sydney snatching a draw inside the final 10 minutes.
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