NSWRL Junior Reps round seven: Top 12 performers and key talking points
The race towards the NSWRL Junior Reps finals is heating up and the cream is rising to the top. We take a look back at 12 top performers from round seven and highlight the major talking points.
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With the finals of the NSWRL Junior Reps fast approaching, it’s all guns blazing in the race to fill the top six spots in all four competitions.
Once again there were a host of strong individual efforts on the weekend. Here are the 12 top performers from round seven of the Lisa Fiaola, Tarsha Gale, Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup competitions.
LISA FIAOLA CUP
MICHALA HARDY (ILLAWARRA)
Talk about a dream start to a game. In a magical 11 minutes against the Dragons, Michala Hardy practically wrapped up the victory on her own.
The long striding centre put winger Halle Muik away for the opening try, before dining out on the right edge, crossing the stripe with three slashing efforts of her own in a manic six minutes of action.
FELILA FAKALELU (CRONULLA)
Cronulla sit just two points outside the top six but with rampaging prop Felila Fakalelu hitting top stride, their footsteps are getting louder by the week.
Penrith simply had no answer as the wrecking ball continually bashed her way through a handful of defenders to score a season-best four tries.
In just six outings, the try-hungry tearaway now has nine four-pointers to her name.
SHENAE CASSIDY (NORTH SYDNEY)
It’s been a tough season for the Bears, but with a breakthrough win up for grabs against Manly, it was great to see five-eighth Shenae Cassidy take the game by the scruff off the neck.
Trailing by 10 in the closing stages, the playmaker sent Nika Andrienko across the stripe before securing the victory with the play of the day.
With little on offer, the No.6 exploded out of dummy-half, showing a clean pair of heels in a mad dash to the line, and then backed up to slot the winning conversion.
TARSHA GALE CUP
TIA-JORDYN VASILOVSKI (CRONULLA)
She’s the everywhere girl the Sharks can do without, and against Penrith, fullback Tia-Jordyn Vasilovski was at her lightning best.
With a 60m kick return, the boom No.1 scorched along the left touchline to put Cronulla on the board.
Then three minutes later, she bobbed up on the right to increase the lead, before backing up prop Koreti Leilua after the break to complete a busy hat-trick under the posts.
LILI BOYLE (MANLY)
Manly came from behind to sink North Sydney with five unanswered second half tries, and they can thank super-sub Lili Boyle for righting the ship.
Wearing the No.15, the playmaker burrowed across to open Manly’s account and then played a part in the next two tries to put her side in front.
Throw in her two goals, and it was a day she’ll long remember.
MELE KETUU (SYDNEY ROOSTERS)
There were a stack of quality performers in the Roosters two-point victory over the Knights, but we couldn’t go past the super slick efforts of Mele Ketuu.
In addition to squeezing into the corner for two crucial second half tries, the gifted pony-tailed winger set up the try of the day.
Eyeing a cross-field kick at top speed, she flew high and without breaking stride caught the ball before off loading a miracle pass for a Roosters try.
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
MASON PHILLIPS (CANTERBURY)
The second placed Bulldogs have a host of talent across the park, but it’s their gifted combinations that set them apart.
Prop Itula Seve crossed for a double against Balmain, both in tandem with clever No.9 Mason Phillips.
The second was the best. After firing clear of the ruck, Phillips served it up to Seve on a plate with a deft one-arm offload.
TEANCAM EPATI (WESTERN SUBURBS)
Wests are unbeaten at the top of the ladder and it’s in no small part associated with the team’s ability to pull off the difficult play.
And there was no better example on Saturday than Teancam Epati’s option to run a tough line against the Rabbitiohs.
With five-eighth Jhevon Lele drifting left, the backrower steamed onto the ball against the grain, catching the defence off guard before crashing over near the posts.
LACHLAN METCALFE (SYDNEY ROOSTERS)
Lachlan Metcalfe converted three from six in the Roosters’ victory over Newcastle, but it was the halfback’s boot in general play that caught the eye.
After setting up two tries with well placed kicks, the No.7 put on a show for his third assist.
Breaking the line from inside his own half, Metcalfe chipped over the fullback, before flying winger Bailey Roberts-Lintmeijer cruised on to a room service bounce to finish off.
SG BALL
DANIEL LUA (SOUTH SYDNEY)
A fired up South Sydney headed west and rolled the Magpies in one of the upsets of the season.
And there was no clearer example of wanting the win more than the desire shown by lock Daniel Lua.
With the game still in the balance midway through the opening half, the aggressive No.13 stripped Wests off possession near halfway, then out ran the chasers to turn the contest on its head.
LORENZO TALATAINA (PARRAMATTA)
Parramatta roared back into finals contention in Melbourne, and no one was louder than slippery playmaker Lorenzo Talataina.
The pacy No.6 played a part in four tries and torched the Storm’s pack with a couple of slick inside balls that ended in long range tries.
Continually digging into the line, his combination with outside backs Oliver McCarthy and Mohamed Alameddine is a lethal mix.
HAAMI LOZA (NEWCASTLE)
Newcastle didn’t get the chocolates against the Roosters, but Haami Loza was one Knight to leave Mascot with his chin up.
In a dynamic performance, the spirited half played a part in all four of his side’s tires, and was a constant threat on either side of the ruck with his long and short passes.
ROUND SEVEN TALKING POINTS
BEARS LIFT FOR SUCCESS
It’s taken seven rounds but the North Sydney Bears are finally on the winner’s list, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
They’ve been putting in the work in recent weeks but just haven’t been able to crack it.
That was before their Lisa Fiaola girls and SG Ball men took down Manly to give their morale a huge boost.
IS THERE A HOTTER TEAM?
There are few teams in better form than the Canberra Raiders SG Ball side.
After being smashed in their first two games, they’ve since recovered to win four of their last five, with their only loss a two-point defeat to the highly regarded Magpies.
A poor points differential has them sitting in eighth, but they remain a strong finals contender ahead of a blockbuster clash with St George.
ANOTHER CONTENDER IN THE MIX
You can throw the Knights Lisa Fiaola Cup side in that conversation as well.
They started the year 0-3 and were in 11th after the opening three rounds.
Ever since their round four bye they have been unstoppable, racing to three-straight wins, including their best of the season at the weekend as they held off the Roosters by two points.
There’s plenty of belief among these girls at the minute.
SEA EAGLES LEAVE IT LATE
It was quite an extraordinary Tarsha Gale game at HE Laybutt Field, with the old saying of it being a tale of two halves ringing true.
The Bears started hot against the unbeaten Sea Eagles as they piled on two quick tries to take a 10-0 lead.
The halftime talk must’ve done wonders, because Manly flew out of the blocks and were able to turn the game around in the second half, racing in five unanswered tries to take the win.
They sit in fourth ahead of their bumper clash with the Roosters.
ROOSTERS MAKE MAJOR STATEMENT
The Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights played out a great day of footy at Mascot Oval, but it’s the former that took out bragging rights.
All four grades were hotly contested and the Knights started strongest with a narrow win in the Lisa Fiaola Cup.
From that point on it was all the Roosters as they scored three wins, meaning they now sit in the top-six in all grades.
CENTRAL COAST IN THE FRAME
There must be something about the Roosters name, because the Central Coast delivered in a big way at the weekend.
With wins in Lisa Fiaola over Parramatta and Harold Matthews against the Panthers, the Roosters are a strong chance of playing finals in both grades.
Keep in mind the Roosters won just one game in the U17s boys last year, now they sit just one win out of fifth spot.
DEFENCE ORDER OF THE WEEKEND
Across all four grades there was defence on the mind, with 11 teams being kept to just one try or less across the weekend.
The pick of the bunch was the Canterbury Bulldogs who conceded just the four tries over the course of a super Saturday for them.
There’s a reason why they’re a strong chance to qualify all four teams for the post-season.
WARRIORS ON THE MONEY
The return home to New Zealand has certainly worked wonders for the Warriors.
After securing their first ever Harold Matthews win in round four, they’ve been able to bring up a hat-trick of home wins to move into sixth on the ladder.
They’ve been doing it on the back of their defence, conceding six tries over the past three weeks to put themselves in the finals picture.
CIRCLING UNDER THE RADAR
With the race for the Tarsha Gale Cup the hottest its been in years, Cronulla is the quiet achiever among the pack.
They sit in fifth with just one loss to their name, and after smashing the Panthers they have kept their top-two hopes alive.
Their run home will give us a good idea if they can go all the way, coming up against in-form outfits Newcastle and Illawarra.
WHERE HAS THAT BEEN?
We’ve seen glimpses of South Sydney’s best in SG Ball throughout the season, but nobody expected the 42-6 scoreline against Wests at Camden.
The Rabbitohs weathered an early storm before really pulling away over the concluding stages in their best showing of the season.
It keeps their season alive for another week, but they’ll need to be at their best to knock off the second-placed Knights this weekend to ensure they stay in the hunt.
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