NSWRL Junior Reps Rd 8: 20 major talking points from Matts, Fiaola, Ball and Gale Cup action
The big wet played havoc with fixtures and led to a weekend of wild results. Catch up on everything that happened in our talking points from NSWRL Junior Reps round eight.
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The penultimate round of the NSWRL Junior Reps has been run and won with teams desperate to make one last push for the finals.
Catch up on all the weekend happenings with our 20 talking points from Harold Matthews, Lisa Fiaola, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup.
HAROLD MATTHEWS
THEY CAN BE BEATEN
Illawarra’s winning run came to an end at the hands of the Roosters in horrid conditions. It was a grind in every sense of the word with unrelenting rain throughout. It took 48 minutes but the Roosters stormed home late for a 12-0 win, showing the comp is wide open.
NEW LEADERS
Illawarra’s slip up meant New Zealand went top after their last-second win over South Sydney. The defending premiers are on fire, although the success wasn’t without controversy with Rabbitohs players pleading with the referee for a knock-on with the final play, all to no avail.
BOYS FIRED UP
If Parramatta can qualify, the potential for a rematch with the Central Coast is mouth-watering. The two put on a show (with the Eels prevailing 10-6) and there was plenty of spice between the sides. Two were sent to the bin and there was plenty of chirp after Riley Davis scored a last-minute match winner.
COSTLY DECISION
Cronulla went down to Canterbury by just two points at the weekend, opting against taking the two (from right beside the posts) in the final minutes and going for the try. An extra competition point would’ve helped given their inferior points differential to Souths and Parra, who sit in seventh and eighth while the Sharks linger in ninth.
GREEN MACHINE MARCHES ON
It’s been a huge turnaround from Canberra, coming from equal last in the third round to having a shot at making the finals in the last week. They’ve won four of their last five and came out on top in a do-or-die clash with fellow contenders North Sydney.
LISA FIAOLA
PERFECT TIMING
Cronulla are timing their run to perfection. With the scalps of Central Coast and Newcastle in consecutive weeks, the Sharks are not only edging up the ladder, they’re rounding out a perfect preparation ahead of the finals.
A victory over Wests in round nine will be enough to leapfrog the Tigers into fourth spot.
TACKLE, TACKLE, TACKLE
Parramatta’s defence was clinical in the shut-out of Illawarra. Still in the race for a top-two finish, the Eels bounced back in style after leaking six tries in an off day to Wests Tigers.
Energy proved the key, and fans can expect more of the same in the coming weeks.
FOUR DUCKS
Central Coast were another side to turn the tables after a slip up in round 8.
Coming off a narrow loss on the road to Cronulla, the Roosters were back to their miserly best against Manly, finishing with their fourth clean sheet in seven outings.
BLOCKBUSTER
Heavy rain forced the postponement of Canterbury’s clash with St George, and the minor premiership favourites will be eager to take the field against Parramatta in the final round.
With the order of the top three yet to be finalised, the Kellyville clash promises to be a cracker.
GREEN MACHINE
The Raiders continue to fly under the radar in their debut season but the Green Machine is just one win away from finishing their campaign with an impressive 4-4 record.
Even more impressive, should they get the better of Manly next Sunday it could be enough to climb into the top eight.
SG BALL
LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR
Newcastle’s late escape in Melbourne had a huge impact on the ladder.
The Knights not only kept their finals hopes alive, but with their third loss, Melbourne showed how tight the competition is, slipping from third to seventh.
ROOSTERS CROWING
The Roosters’ season appeared to be on life support following their narrow loss to Newcastle in round 5. Sitting in ninth spot, the Bondi boys could have easily rolled over.
Now on a three-game winning streak, they can cement a top-four finish with a victory in New Zealand on Sunday.
TOO LATE
Penrith shared the points with Illawarra in a high-quality clash in Gerringong, where the Panthers looked every bit like a top-eight side.
Unfortunately for Penrith, with just one victory this season, the change of fortune has arrived too late to play finals footy.
SPOILERS
Penrith weren’t the only side to punch above their weight on the weekend. Chasing a second victory, the gallant Warriors were magnificent on the road, holding Souths to a draw at Redfern.
The result was a reminder of what could have been for the New Zealand team. With a bit more luck, they could have walked away with a win in four of their past five contests.
BALMAIN SPIRIT
Balmain’s electric start to the season could go up in smoke if the Tigers can’t return to winning form in the final round.
Unbeaten after four rounds, they now find themselves clinging to eighth spot after falling short in three of their past four. A win over the fifth placed Steelers on Saturday will guarantee a return to finals footy.
TARSHA GALE
FINAL ROUND THRILLERS
The script is set for three blockbusters to finish the regular season. Cronulla (7th) vs Wests Tigers (3rd), Sydney Roosters (6th) vs Illawarra (2nd) and Canterbury (1st) vs Parramatta (5th) all feature. The games all have serious finals implications with two points between third and eighth.
STEPPING UP A LEVEL
Illawarra is well on track to defend its title and one key area contributing to that is its defence in the second half. In their last four outings they’ve conceded just the one try. Their ability to nullify teams has been admirable.
UNBREACHABLE WALL
Speaking of defence, the Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters both didn’t give their opposition a chance. The Tigers amazingly used just four interchanges in their shutout, while the Roosters kept their first clean sheet of the season when holding out Manly.
LEAVING IT LATE
Round eight saw two late winning tries in a pair of key battles within the top eight. Aylah McCulloch caught the Sharks out from dummy half to steal a late victory, before Seriah Palepale put together an incredible charge to barge through Parramatta’s defence for an Illawarra win.
TOP SPOT STILL ALIVE
The minor premiership race still remains open after Canterbury’s clash with St George was postponed. It’s one that they will be keen to play, given they are on equal points with Illawarra and they face a tough last round clash with Parramatta.
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