NSWRL Junior Reps round nine: Top 12 performers from Fiaola, Gale, Harold Matts and SG Ball
It’s finals time in the NSWRL Junior Reps with an extraordinary final round before the post-season. We take a look back at the best efforts from the final round from all four grades.
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The NSWRL Junior Reps regular season is in the books after a thrilling final round.
We take a look at the top performers from round nine of the Lisa Fiaola, Tarsha Gale, Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup competitions.
LISA FIAOLA
MARONAY SMUTS (NEWCASTLE)
There was a task at hand for the Knights to ensure they finished in the finals, and five-eighth Smuts played a key role in helping them there.
From setting up tries to slashing through the defence to score her own, the young half also laid one on with her tackling, folding a runner in half and allowing Evie Purukamu to race away with a loose ball.
TORI SHIPTON (ILLAWARRA)
The Steelers found themselves on the back foot early against the Sharks before Shipton completely changed the game.
She showed dazzling speed to pick up a quick double to swing the game in her side’s favour, and was a menace for the remainder of the game to help Illawarra land second spot.
RHIANNON BONNER (WESTS TIGERS)
It was a dazzling display by the Wests Tigers with a number of standouts, but Rhiannon Bonner earns her recognition this week.
She chimed in well at fullback, proved the vital link between the halves and outside backs to lay on a number of tries and went over for one of her own for good measure.
TARSHA GALE
ELISE SIMPSON (CANBERRA)
She was simply breathtaking at the back for the Raiders with two long-range efforts that tore the Rabbitohs to bits.
A 90m kick return and a 65m burst one off the ruck showed just how lethal Simpson is, and it’s a shame we won’t see her in the finals.
AMBRYN MURPHY-HAUA (CANTERBURY)
It was another big win for the Bulldogs as they wrapped up a top-two finish, with Murphy-Haua the architect.
The classy halfback had her hands in everything as the Bulldogs put a big score on the Dragons, as she took the line on at will and made huge inroads with every touch.
DANII NICOLE GRAY (MANLY)
Classy display from a quality player, Gray was simply sublime as the Sea Eagles did a number on the Wests Tigers.
She piled on four try assists and had a key hand in another two, all while sidestepping the defence on her way to a double as she took complete control.
HAROLD MATTHEWS
RYDER CROSSWELL (NEWCASTLE)
Was the man in charge for the Knights as he took over the contest to give Newcastle a fleeting hope of making the finals.
Sadly for them they didn’t, but not due to the lack of effort of Crosswell as he finished with three try assists on the back of some beautiful passes, as well as setting up a further two.
CHARLESTON TE RORE (CENTRAL COAST)
The Central Coast missed out on the finals after drawing with Manly despite a second-half surge from front rower Te Rore.
In the space of six minutes he flipped the switch and gave the Roosters a hope with two bargeover tries, with his second seeing him carry four defenders over the line.
JOSEPH RATCLIFFE (NEW ZEALAND)
It was a case of win and they’re in for the Warriors, and the man at the back played a big part in helping them get there.
Ratcliffe was electric for New Zealand as they came from behind to beat St George and scored the try of the game as he beat a host of defenders to return a bomb to the house.
SG BALL
CAMERON ROBERTSON (PENRITH)
They knew their fate before the weekend had started, but halfback Cameron Robertson ensured the Panthers finished on a high.
He set the tone early to set up a matchwinning break for Penrith early in the contest and found himself on the end of a brilliant Josiah Vaha’akolo-Fifita grubber to end the year with a meat pie.
MATTHEW HUMPHRIES (SOUTH SYDNEY)
Saved his best performance for last as he guided the Rabbitohs to their fourth win of the season with a big victory over Canberra.
Scored a hat-trick on Good Friday to finish with a 20-point haul and was pivotal in multiple others as he looked like he had the ball on a string.
LORENZO TALATAINA (PARRAMATTA)
With everything on the line and time winding down, Parramatta needed someone to step up and keep their SG Ball dream alive.
Enter five-eighth Lorenzo Talataina, who came up with one of the most clutch plays of the season. A big right-foot step saw him bust through the line to set up Lincoln Fletcher for the match winning try with less than three minutes to go.
ROUND NINE TALKING POINTS
With the preliminary rounds now out of the way, all roads lead to the finals in the NSWRL Junior Reps. Round nine brought ecstasy and heartache as the race for finals spots reached fever pitch.
Here are the major talking points from round nine of the Lisa Fiaola, Tarsha Gale, Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup competitions.
PENRITH’S STREAK CONQUERED
This marks the first time in over 20 years no Penrith side will feature in either the Harold Matthews or SG Ball Cup semi finals.
It’s an incredible record that is among the best in the junior ranks and one that has most recently help translate to the Panthers fantastic record at NRL level.
It is no more however, with their U17s finishing in ninth and the U19s in a share of seventh.
INSTANT CLASSIC PART ONE
In one of the more thrilling finishes to a game, both Manly and the Central Coast had golden opportunities to win their Harold Matts clash.
It was the most important game of the season for both, with anything less than a win effectively ending their hopes of making the finals.
The two had shots to break the deadlock with good looks at field goals, but neither could succeed and now will be forced to watch the post-season from the sidelines.
INSTANT CLASSIC PART TWO
There was so much at stake over the weekend and it started on Good Friday with a winner take all clash between Parramatta and Wests in SG Ball.
The two sides traded blows like prize fighters and the Magpies looked to have landed the knockout blow when Daniel Waqa gave them the lead with less than five minutes to play.
That’s before Lorenzo Talataina made a break and put Dylan Brettle over to seal a thrilling win for the Eels as they look to defend their U19s premiership.
IT’S A NUMBERS GAME
The magic number for the St George SG Ball side was 36, not an easy task when taking on the Warriors in New Zealand.
It was made even harder when their lead was just six at halftime, meaning they needed to find five converted tries in order to finish second and earn a vital week off in the finals.
Five tries in 23 minutes saw them hit the target in an explosive period that could well prove to be invaluable to their grand final hopes.
GRAND FINAL PREVIEW?
The battles between Parramatta and Wests were something else on the weekend.
They played out a draw in Harold Matthews to ensure both sides finished the regular season undefeated.
It could well turn out to be a sneak peek of what’s to come in a few weeks, although the minor premiers Canterbury will no doubt have a say in that.
The top three this year looks to have a gap on the field, and it would be a massive shock if the premiers came from fourth onwards.
SLIPPERY EELS
Although Parramatta locked down third spot with big victories against two sides that failed to make the Lisa Fiaola finals, they’ve already shown they’ll be a genuine threat in the big matches ahead.
Minor premiers Canterbury remain the favourites ahead of Illawarra, but the Eels enter the finals buoyed by their comprehensive round four victory over the Steelers in Wollongong.
LATE JUMP
It was a difficult weekend for the Roosters in Fiaola. They entered the final round in sixth spot, but with the bye, they could only watch as Newcastle (7th) ended their finals dream after comfortably accounting for North Sydney.
Looking back, the Knights officially got the jump back in round seven when they edged out the Roosters at Mascot Oval.
STEELERS THE SIDE TO BEAT
Prior to a ball being kicked, the race to this year’s Tarsha Gale minor premiership looked like being a race between last season’s grand finalists Canterbury and the Roosters.
Still unbeaten, the Steelers are now the side to beat. They’ve already upset the high flying Roosters once and will be itching to get one over Canterbury on the way to hoisting the cup.
SEA EAGLES SURPRISE
With only one strike in the loss column, Manly enters the Tarsha finals as one of the competition’s major surprise packets.
They’ve already knocked over a dangerous Canterbury outfit. But if there’s one blemish, it would be the round five draw with Newcastle.
In what shapes as a mouth-watering finals series, the Sea Eagles and Knights are set to kick off week one in a sudden-death blockbuster.
SLOW OUT OF THE GATES
In Tarsha Gale, the Raiders looked like a finals candidate as they powered home in the closing rounds with three wins from their final four games.
In the end it wasn’t enough. After finishing seventh, Canberra paid the price for a slow start, winning only one of four games to open the season.
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