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Penrith District Rugby League: Danger signs at the top, round 14 wrap

With players returning, Emu Plains returned to their dominant best in an electric first half at Parker Street, while elsewhere there was a major boilover. R14 wrap, stars and standouts.

It was an all Saturday affair in round 14 of local Penrith footy.

Brothers and Emu Plains kicked off the evening, while three other venues played host to the later games. Don Feltis Cup, full wrap.

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EMU TAKE GIANT STRIDES

Showing glimpses of their premiership winning form, Emu Plains stormed past Brothers before the home side rallied late before going down 42-22 at Parker Street.

Bolstered by the return of centre Greg Alderson and back rower Alex Myles, Emu outpaced the clock with four quick tries before Alderson crashed over for the first of his two four-pointers to make it 28-0 in the 35th minute.

Starved of opportunities, Issac Petrus created a rare chance for Brothers on half time, scooping up an attacking Emu kick before running the length of the field.

In a host of promising signs for the defending premiers, Daniel Warren – last season’s leading try scorer – finished with a double on the left edge, while Myles scored from a Nick Hancock kick.

“It was a clinical first half, very similar to last week against Colyton,” said five-eighth Isaac Thompson who finished with several try assists.

“We touched on it through the week, but we still need to improve our effort in the second half.

“We’ve been pretty short on troops throughout the year, and we’re starting to finally get most of our players back. Alex and Greg bring that punch that we need in attack and defence, so it was a pleasure to have them both back.”

Nick Hancock continues to shine in the halves for Emu Plains. Picture Warren Gannon Photography
Nick Hancock continues to shine in the halves for Emu Plains. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

With regular halfback Cameron Williams still sidelined, Hancock showed his all-round skills in the No.7 jumper, kicking well in attack and showing his pace with a runaway try.

“He’s played wing and fullback, and he’s jumped into the halves the last couple of weeks, and hasn’t missed a beat,” said Thompson.

“He created so many chances, and has really put his hand up for the rest of the year.”

In another bonus for Emu Plains, Noah Smith scored a nice try on the wing and backed it up from the tee, kicking five goals.

Despite the initial onslaught, Brothers regrouped to play some attractive footy in the closing 20 minutes, and actually won the second half 16-14. After spending time in the sin bin, Luke Bendell crossed the stripe and was quickly followed across by Alex Prior in the final minute.

JETS RETURN SERVE

A week after they were run down in the final minute, Minchinbury have turned the tables, outlasting Colyton 34-28 in a thriller at Federation Forest.

Displaying all the pace and class that almost carried them to victory against St Clair, Jayden Missio and Ben Spiers ripped the Colts to shreds as the Jets opened a formidable 28-6 advantage early in the second half.

Colyton hit back through returning half Harrison Reid-Porter, and found themselves trailing by four on the hour following back-to-back tries to James Stonestreet and fullback Jesse Poulsen.

Minchinbury’s Jayden Missio continued on from his strong performance against St Clair. Picture Warren Gannon Photography
Minchinbury’s Jayden Missio continued on from his strong performance against St Clair. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

Staring in the face of another heartbreaking defeat, Jamie Davison proved the hero for the home side. A weaving run by the centre finished in the hands of Spiers, who raced over for a 10-point margin with eight minutes still to play.

Shaun Va’alepu crossed late, but the Colyton winger’s effort was too late as Minchinbury held on to record their second win of the season.

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As an added bonus, Minchinbury’s six-point victory proved enough to retain the Don Feltis Challenge Cup for another week.

Clinging onto sixth spot, the loss could come back and haunt the Colts who now find themselves sitting just one-point clear of Brothers.

400-GAMER SIGNS OFF IN STYLE

On a night where Riverstone threatened a major upset, St Clair kicked late as club legend Robert Henderson signed off the 44-28 victory in spectacular fashion.

Needing a win to maintain pace with the top teams, the Comets found themselves under the pump in Henderson’s club record 400th match.

With everything against them, the Razorbacks played out of their skin and shot clear 16-6 when Andrew Scarcella cleaned up a kick in the 30th minute.

Liam Pearce and Tyrone Sharpley put St Clair on track to lead 18-16 at the break. Then Sharpley struck again, opening a 12-point buffer, before Riverstone drew level with tries to Oneil Tiki and hooker Connor Moore.

Robert Henderson signed off his 400th match in style. Picture Warren Gannon Photography
Robert Henderson signed off his 400th match in style. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

With the scores tied at 28-all midway through the second half, St Clair turned to their seasoned stars to seal the deal. After Antonio Ma’u dived over, Damian Richardson sealed the victory before all eyes turned to Henderson in his milestone match.

As the clock wound down, the veteran centre backed himself in open space, igniting wild scenes after winning the race to the left corner where he was mobbed by elated fans and teammates in a moment that will forever be etched in club history.

WOLVES POWER UP

Windsor did their title favouritism no harm after the Wolves put St Marys to the sword 36-12 on Saturday night.

In a near perfect first half, Windsor set up their eighth straight victory with five unanswered tries and led 36-0 when Connor Potter-Jugovac backed up Tori Willie in the 43rd minute.

ConnorPotter-Jugovac scored 16 points in the win over St Marys. Picture Warren Gannon Photography
ConnorPotter-Jugovac scored 16 points in the win over St Marys. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

Eton Lindsay continued his impressive form in the middle, paving the way for halfback Frank Toomalatai to weave his magic. While out wide, in addition to scoring, centre Peter Pakoti played a crucial role in the two-try effort from teenage winger Jeshua Maa-Nelson.

Faced by the prospect of a major blowout, St Marys managed to stop the flow of points and finished on a positive note. Fullback Malakai Tuipulotu showed class off the boot and with ball in hand, orchestrating a late double for winger Sailosi Torovi.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/sport/penrith-district-rugby-league-danger-signs-at-the-top-round-14-wrap/news-story/16f62abe263688b5078704285ca56e99