NRL Schoolboy Cup: Patrician Brothers Blacktown vs Endeavour Sports High
Patrician Brothers Blacktown are through to the final of the NRL Schoolboy Cup with a nailbiting victory over Endeavour Sports High at Bankwest Stadium.
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After trailing by 10 points, Patrician Brothers Blacktown fought back to beat Endeavour Sports High 32-24 and progress to the NRL Schoolboy Cup Grand Final.
Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur watched, as his son Jakob and Isaiya Katoa took control of the seesawing affair at Bankwest Stadium on Wednesday.
The Patties halves showed great composure to orchestrate three tries in the closing 15 minutes to book their spot in next week’s blockbuster final against Westfields Sports High School.
“Everyone was positive, not one person put his head down,” skipper Jakob Arthur said.
“Part of our culture is to never give up, keep fighting until the bell … we’ve faced adversity all year, but we’ve still come out on top, it was good to get the win.”
Watch the replay in the video player above.
The Year 12 student - who just finished his HSC exams - praised the talent of his partner Katoa, brother of Bulldogs NRL star Sione Katoa.
“He’s a freak. He’s only 16, in Year 10, this is the first year we’ve played together” Arthur said.
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After losing the NSW title to Westfields in 2019, Arthur is hoping to get revenge at Leichhardt Oval next week.
“They’re a good side, they’re always tough, hopefully now we’ll get them back for last year.”
Patties might have won, but Endeavour made them fight for every point - the underdogs led by ten points with fifteen minutes to go.
Captain Billy Burke lauded his team’s attitude in 2020.
“I’m definitely proud the boys over the last 12 months have worked really hard, to put in a performance like that and to come up short, it’s tough, there’s always going to be a winner and a loser,” Burke said.
“There’s definitely a lot of talent in the year 11 group, we had a few play today, that whole year is itching to play. They were on us Year 12s boys back and keeping us accountable. Next year they’ll be in good hands with Kels (Brad Kelly).”
It took Australian Schoolboys star Sam Loizou just three minutes to get Patties on the board. After missing the first two games due to injury and illness, Loizou immediately crossed on the left. With the conversion waved away, Patrician Brothers led 4-0.
Endeavour responded via Bulldogs junior Iverson Matai. Brilliant footwork and offloading by Sam Jinks allowed his five-eighth to spin over. Burke booted the conversion and Endeavour led 6-4.
Patties halves Arthur and Katoa then orchestrated two tries on the right edge. Centre Sunia Turuva burrowed over and winger Kristian-Le Mai pushed their school ahead 14-6.
The boys from Blacktown continued to attack and Bailey Nouredine always looked dangerous from dummy half.
But just before halftime, Endeavour’s Kobie Wilson had a breakthrough. The hooker - who was named in the 2019 Australians Under 15s side - scooped up a lost ball and ran 50 metres to cross. Burke converted and Endeavour trailed 14-12.
Endeavour returned to the field, ready to rumble. While Patties struggled to adapt after injury forced hooker Nouredine from the field, Brad Kelly’s side scored two quick tries. Matai put his hard-running fullback Dylan Hema over and then Jinks weaved around defenders to cross. Burke’s accurate boot propelled Endeavour ahead 24-14.
Trailing by 10 points and with just 15 minutes to go, Patties took control. Katoa shifted to dummy half, channeling the skill of his brother.
Max Tupou made a break for it in the 46th minute and offloaded to Arthur, who crossed under the post. Minutes later, winger Sione Lino flew over on the left. With Loizou’s conversions, Patties were back ahead 26-24.
With three minutes remaining, Katoa secured Patties’ spot in the grand final, scoring straight off the back of a scrum. Louizo slotted the conversion and Patrician Brothers won 32-24.
ENDEAVOUR TRIES: Iverson Matai, Kobie Wilson, Dylan Hema, Sam Jinks; CONVERSIONS Billy Burke 4/4
PATRICIAN BROS TRIES: Samuel Loizou, Sunia Turuva, Kristian - Le Mai, Jakob Arthur, Isaiya Katoa; CONVERSIONS: Samuel Loizou 4/5
TEAMS
PATRICIAN BROTHERS BLACKTOWN
1. Sean Russell 2. Maxwell Pritchard 3. Samuel Loziou 4. Sunia Turuva 5. Kristian - Le Mai 6. Isaiya Katoa 7. Jakob Arthur 8. Jai Wynbergen Titoko 9. Bailey Nouredine 10. David Langi 11. Blake Martin 12. Uinitoni Mataele 13. Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa BENCH: 14. Ethan Sanders 15. John Sagaga 16. Lafaele Tauapai 17. Max Tupou 18. Jecil Pritchard 19. Alfred Uelese
Coach: Noah Meares
ENDEAVOUR SPORTS HIGH
1. Dylan Hema 2. Jayden Samrani 3. Lajuan Vito 4. James Roach 5. Te Wehi Waitere 6. Callum Perryman 7. Iverson Matai 8. Chase Roberts 9. Kobie Wilson 10. Joshua Finau 11. Sam Jinks 12. Billy Burke 13. Dtranza Hawe-De Thierry BENCH: 14. Tully Wilton 25. Izayah Tuigamala 16. Selwyn Smith 17. Lachlan Gibbs 18. Kynan Hodges 19. Blake Canavan 20. Thomas Siumaka 21. Kyle Weatherall
Coach: Brad Kelly
MATCH PREVIEW
This blockbuster match up will largely come down to defence.
For Patrician Brothers Blacktown, it’ll be about shutting down any dangerous and fast breaks made by their opposition.
For Endeavour, it’ll be about stopping the physical and strong Patties side from barging their way through.
After breezing through their round 1 and quarterfinal games, Patrician Brothers Blacktown coach Noah Meares expects to be tested on Wednesday.
“Endeavour has a good front row pack. Finau is a standout, he’s a very mobile front rower. He has a lot of impact for them and seems to have a big engine which we’ll have to counteract,” Meares said.
“Their no. 9 is a very good player as well. I’ll have to make sure our boys are ready and make sure he doesn’t catch us out from hooker.”
But Meares believes that with discipline, his side can finish on top.
“For us it’s completion, we can put points on the board, but when we’re making little mistakes at the end of our sets, it brings teams back into the competition.
“And our defence, we’ve had a few defensive lapses when the boys get fatigued, we’ll hone in on that in our prep before next week.”
Endeavour will have to adjust their team list after winger Jaiden French broke his jaw during the last tackle of their quarterfinal.
“There’s a couple of boys in line for that. We’re also waiting on Kyle Weatherall, he was injured for last week’s game, we’re waiting to see whether he’s ruled fit,” coach Brad Kelly said.
“The boys were gutted for Jaiden, he’s been such a good kid for the last four years, it was the worst possible luck you could imagine for him.”
But Kelly is confident that Endeavour has the depth to beat Patties.
“They’re a big team, they alway have lots of big, strong boys that carry the ball really hard,” Kelly said.
“We’ll have to be switched on with our defence to stop them. Otherwise teams like that will just overpower you pretty easily.”
LAST TIME THEY MET: PB Blacktown 20 v Endeavour 12 (2019)
Patrician Brothers Blacktown
National titles won by Patrician Brothers: 1
NSW titles won by Patrician Brothers: 7
Notable NRL alumni: Jarome Luai, Stephen Crichton, Brent Naden, Tyrone May, Spencer Leniu, Daine Laurie, Christian Crichton, Andrew Fifita, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Matt Moylan, Luke Lewis.
2020 Schoolboy Cup results: defeated St Gregory’s College (52-22), defeated St Dominic’s College (26-4)
2020 tries: 14
2020 try scorers: Sean Russell (2), David Langai, Sunia Turuva, Jecii Pritchard, Tauvao Falaniko, Betham-Misa (2), Maxwell Prichard (2), Isaiya Katoa (2), Ethan Sanders, Kristian-Li Mai.
Endeavour SHS
National titles won by Endeavour: 4
NSW titles won by Endeavour: 6
Notable NRL alumni: Alex Johnston, Blake Ferguson, Joseph Leilua, Luciano Leilua, Martin Taupau, Dean Whare, Shaun Lane, Paul Momirovski, Scott Sorensen, Curtis Scott, Brad Takairangi, Kevin Naiqama, Frank Winterstein.
2020 Schoolboy Cup results: defeated Illawarra SHS (48-16), defeated Matraville SHS (46-6)
2020 tries: 16
2020 try scorers: Joshua Finau (3), Dranza Hawe-DeThierry, Te Wehi Waitere (2), Chase Roberts, Kyle Weatherall, Lajuan Vito (2), Kobie Wilson, James Roach (2), Billy Burke, Dylan Hema, Callum Perryman
The 2020 NRL Schoolboy Cup NSW Grand Final will be held at 2pm on Wednesday, November 11 at Leichhardt Oval 2:00pm.
To watch all NRL Schoolboy Cup games, head to www.dailytelegraph.com.au at scheduled kick off times.