NSWRL Junior Reps Round One Wrap: All the action from Matts, Fiaola, Ball, Gale Cup first round
The NSWRL Junior Reps season has returned for another year with the elite male and female rugby league talent on show. Catch up on the latest scores and updates from round one action.
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After a long wait, the NSWRL Junior Reps season is finally upon us.
Clubs across NSW, Victoria and New Zealand will battle it out this year across the four major male and female divisions.
Stay up to date with the latest action from around the grounds with our rolling coverage of the opening round.
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Lisa Fiaola - Tarsha Gale - Harold Matthews - SG Ball
LISA FIAOLA CUP
BULLDOGS SOUND THE ALARM
They were untouchable last year, but in a worry for the rest of the competition, reigning champions Canterbury could well be stronger in 2025.
Far too hot for North Sydney at Kenthurst, the young Dogs racked up 40 points before the break on route to a 62-0 whitewash.
One of three to finish with a double alongside Shakira Lui and Lala Vaea, five-eighth Evelyn Roberts oozed class from the outset. Drifting behind the ruck, the No.6 and captain directed a mobile pack through the middle before picking apart the edges.
Backrower Aliahana Fuimaono made a half-break in the opening minute, and with room to move Roberts swooped in the next play, sending Lui into the right corner for the first of Canterbury’s 12 tries.
They were in again two minutes later. This time, slick hands on the left opened the way for centre Asha Taumoepeau-Williams, who powered away from several defenders to finish a 60-metre raid under the posts.
Fullback Shanthie Lui landed six of Canterbury’s seven conversions.
PANTHERS ON THE UP
Both sides missed out on the finals last season, but Penrith showed they’ve turned the corner with a comfortable 26-10 victory over Cronulla.
One of more than a handful of players returning for another season, Penrith centre Anita Ropati bagged a double immediately after the break as the Panthers opened a 22-0 lead at HE Laybutt Field.
Cronulla pressed the line in the early exchanges, but it was Penrith who struck first in the eighth minute. Proving a handful on either side of the ruck, halfback Tia-Jane Golding’s precision cut-out pass saw winger Kiah Taotofi race into the left corner unopposed.
Up 10-0 just minutes before the interval, Golding broke the game open with her right boot when winger Violet Hiku won the race to a perfectly weighted kick to the in-goal.
Ropati powered over out wide upon the resumption, and the damaging speedster had another shortly after when she ran off Patricia Heihei’s hip to complete a long range effort through centrefield.
Cronulla eventually got on the board when replacement Tahli Weigand sliced through in the 47th minute, and they added another when half Julliana Kolio dashed across just before the final siren.
EELS SPOIL RAIDERS MAIDEN OUTING
A first half blue and gold blitz has put a dampener on Canberra’s first ever Lisa Fiaola match.
The Raiders led 6-4 early in the contest after Saige Fattore etched her names into the history books, before a Freedom Crichton Ropati double led an Eels surge to a 24-6 halftime advantage.
Canberra was unable to hit back in the second half, as Parramatta struck through Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard and Sharon Latapu to close out the 34-6 success.
KNIGHTS GO TO TOWN ON SOUTHS
Newcastle fired an emphatic statement to begin its Fiaola Cup campaign, hammering South Sydney 48-0 in Cessnock.
The Knights were never tested as Lily Porter’s two tries in the first half helped to open up a 28-0 score at the main break.
The pressure was unrelenting in the second half as the defending preliminary finalists showed why they will be in the mix for finals once again.
STEELERS CLAIM RIVALRY RIGHTS
There was a strong improvement from St George, but it wasn’t enough to trouble Illawarra who ran out solid 26-0 winners at Collegians.
The score when these two met last year was 60-0, and things threatened to get away from the visitors when the Steelers led 16-0 at halftime.
The Dragons held solid in the second half however, conceding just two tries as Ella Churchill and Elli Young brought up their doubles.
CENTRAL COAST BLITZES TIGERS
The Tigers knocked the Central Coast out of the finals last year, but it was the Roosters who got their revenge courtesy of a 28-0 shutout at Campbelltown.
It wasn’t until the 17th minute that Marley Gristwood was able to open the scoring, but it provided the spark as they raced in six tries in 35 minutes to claim a comfortable victory.
Gristwood finished with a double while Mia Vaotuua, last year’s leading tryscorer, showed she is a real chance of taking that honour again after scoring a hat-trick.
TARSHA GALE CUP
TIGERS HOLD OUT ROOSTERS
The Wests Tigers have held on to claim a big scalp in their Tarsha Gale opener, knocking off the Sydney Roosters 12-10 at Campbelltown Stadium.
Classy second rower Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua and prop Ella Walker helped the Tigers race out to a 12-0 halftime lead.
The Roosters hit back through Tyra Ekepati and Mahlie Cashin to bring the margin back to two with six minutes remaining.
But it was the Tigers that were able to hang on, claiming a big win to start the season.
BULLDOGS BURY BEARS
Canterbury showed why they are one of the more feared teams in the Tarsha Gale competition with an emphatic 48-4 demolition of North Sydney in Kenthurst.
The Bulldogs raced in 10 tries against a new-look Bears side, never giving the home side a chance at any stage.
Lahnayah Daniel scored a hat-trick and Simina Lokotui finished with a double in the thumping victory.
Lilly Wilson scored the lone try for North Sydney, who were without new recruit Logan Lemusu as a late withdrawal.
WILSON INSPIRES PANTHERS COMEBACK
Madison Wilson proved the hero for Penrith as they claimed a confidence-boosting 18-10 win over Cronulla in Blacktown.
With scores tied at halftime, Kirrawahn Duckett gave the edge to the Sharks just after the break, before Wilson came into her own.
The replacement outside back piled on three tries in the space of 13 minutes to wrestle the ascendancy back for the Panthers and get them on the board in the opening round.
NEWCASTLE SWEEPS RABBITOHS
Newcastle made it a clean sweep of the female divisions against South Sydney, prevailing 42-4 in the U19s.
The Rabbitohs struck first through Lereit Faasoa, but that would prove to be their lone highlight as the Knights then piled on eight-unanswered tries, including four in the space of 10 minutes to claim a 22-4 lead at halftime.
Summer Dowell starred with a hat-trick while Molly Pittman and Saxbii Shaw both finished the game with doubles.
EELS DROP THE HAMMER
Parramatta flexed its muscles in a big way with a crushing 54-12 victory over Canberra in Belconnen.
The Eels scored inside the opening three minutes through Cook Islands international Rvyrr-Lee Alo and never looked back as they opened up a huge 30-6 lead after the first half.
Rory Muller scored soon after the break as they quickly broke the half-century mark after Taylah Falaniko completed her double.
Alleya Scrivens was flawless with the boot, converting all nine tries.
STEELERS EDGE PAST DRAGONS
They were made to work for it, but Illawarra got its Tarsha Gale premiership defence off to a winning start after downing St George 24-12.
Three quick tries saw the Steelers race out to a 16-0 lead after new recruit Liesl Hopoate touched down, before Kamanu Li’i Dennis helped keep the Dragons with two scores at the break.
Herewaka Pohatu’s second try came just minutes into the second half, but again St George responded, this time through Lalita Kris in the 42nd minute to stay within striking distance.
Illawarra would hold tough however, closing out the contest.
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
DRAGON-PROOF FENCE AT REDFERN
South Sydney has sent an early warning with a comprehensive 32-8 Harold Matthews Cup defeat of St George at Redfern Oval.
Despite Souths scoring first through halfback James Davies it was the Dragons who controlled most of the territory early on.
They couldn’t make the home side pay and were punished further as Davies set up a charging Asher Pung to extend the margin to 10.
Finally St George had something to show for its efforts as Jack Lambert proved too speedy to touch down in the corner, before fullbacks Darcy Feltham and Cody Field exchanged tries in the final three minutes of the half to have Souths ahead 16-8 at the break.
The Rabbitohs dropped immediately after halftime, but after holding out a set on their line, a chip and chase from Payton Tarau saw him link up with Robert Simms to extend the margin.
By the time Taj Aufai-Farani barged over from close range, the Rabbitohs had opened up a big enough break to secure the win.
After going winless in their trials, captain Keone Anitelea Tsioussis said they’ve been able to put that behind them as they look to make an impact in the U17s competition.
“The way we’ve been able to gel (has been the most impressive thing),” he said.
“We mightn’t be the strongest team but we’ve got a good team chemistry and the boys are willing to put in for one another.
“Our defence was strong. We were able to believe in the teammates inside of us and hold them out.
“We’ve got a good group of boys and it’s a great way to start the season. They tested us but we were able to come through it.”
BEARS CAUSE BOILOVER
North Sydney has staged an incredible late comeback to knock off the Sydney Roosters 28-26 at Kenthurst.
The two sides traded punches throughout the first half with the Bears able to hold a slender 16-10 advantage at the break after a late try to Isamaela Katu.
The Roosters clicked into gear in the second half, with a double to Charlestone Te Rore putting them ahead by 10 with eight minutes to play.
Isaac Khoudair crossed for his second and Noah Tafengatoto scored soon after to level scores up with 90 seconds to play.
With time winding down, Kahlin Cashin was penalised for attacking the legs of the kicker, gifting Saxon Gaw a penalty shot to win the match, which he calmly slotted to send the home team into raptures.
SHARKS OVERCOME SLOW START
A sluggish start wasn’t enough to prevent the Cronulla Sharks from winning their opening U17s contest, downing Penrith 30-16 at HE Laybutt Field.
Cruz Death scored within the opening 90 seconds before Talmage Brown added another as the Panthers raced the clock through 12 minutes.
The visitors were able to hit back in style however, with two quick tries helping them to tie up the scores at the break.
From there they didn’t look back, as Brodie Johnson, Logan Longbottom and Thomas Beattie all crossed in the second half to round out the impressive win.
BULLDOGS ESCAPE RAIDERS COMEBACK
The Bulldogs were able to hold off a fast-finishing Raiders outfit to prevail 22-18 at Belconnen.
Canterbury couldn’t have asked for a better start, scoring in their first set through Chinedu Udeh, before Jackson Winnett made it back-to-back tries before Canberra could touch the ball.
The Bulldogs led 22-6 early in the second half before the Raiders were finally able to mount their charge.
Tyler Jordan got the ball rolling and Sebastian Jones made it two tries in the space of three minutes as they cut the margin to four with nine minutes remaining.
They looked destined to tie the game up in the dying stages as Bailey Logue made a break, only for his pass to fall at the ankles of Altas Atilua.
EELS STEAL WIN AT THE DEATH
Parramatta has claimed a thrilling last-ditch win over Newcastle, coming out on top 24-20 at Cessnock.
After starting well and racing out to an 18-6 advantage, the Eels dropped off and allowed the Knights back into the contest.
Riley Rostron tied the scores up with 15 minutes to play, and from that point the Knights had repeat sets on Parramatta’s line, with a marker penalty with two minutes to play gifting them an easy two points.
The Eels won a penalty off the kick-off however, and front rower Steven Nunn proved the hero with a charge over the line that sealed the win.
WESTS OVERPOWER BALMAIN
The Wests Magpies have claimed bragging rights over fellow joint-venture club Balmain to score a 42-4 victory at Campbelltown.
The Magpies were well on top throughout the opening half as they raced out to a 20-0 lead, before a sin bin to winger Braidyn Wood compounded their issues.
The call of striking appeared to be a soft one, but nevertheless Wests made full use of the one-man advantage with Jake Gaffney completing his double in the period.
He would go on to score another two, with the big front rower adding four for the game, much to the delight of the home fans.
STEELERS MAKE LIGHT WORK OF STORM
Illawarra produced a dominant first half to smash the Melbourne Storm 42-6 at Collegians.
Five tries in a 19-minute stretch to start the game put the Steelers out to an unassailable margin at 26-0 at the break.
The margin was 30 before Anaias Teao got the Storm on the board with 20 minutes to play.
It was a mere bump in the road for Illawarra, with Jack Goulder closing out the game with a double to put an exclamation mark on the nine-try performance.
SG BALL CUP
RABBITOHS THUMP DEFENDING PREMIERS
A Matthew Humphries masterclass guided South Sydney to a crushing 58-12 win over defending SG Ball premiers St George.
A 24-point haul from the halfback, including two first-half tries in the space of three minutes, was the catalyst for the success.
Humphries twice took the line on from close range with Dragons defenders unable to stop him, scoring with consummate ease.
St George showed some fight to close out the half, with Volonte Baruani helping cut the margin to two converted tries at the break.
That would be the last time they troubled the scorer, with the home side running in four unanswered tries, including doubles to Jacob Fong, Lancelot Tovio and Dayne Jennings, to round out the huge win.
ROOSTERS TOO CLASSY FOR BEARS
After finishing last season as minor premiers, the Sydney Roosters showed why they will be a contender once again with a huge 56-12 win over North Sydney.
Doubles to Michael Nassar and Lachlan Dooner saw them race out to a 32-0 lead before Aiden Crowley was able to get Norths on the board just before the break.
Nassar made it four tries for the afternoon in the second half, while halfback Tyson Walker finished with a personal haul of 20 points (one try, eight goals) in the win.
CRONULLA STAGES STIRRING COMEBACK
Trailing by as much as 14 points early in the contest, the Cronulla Sharks finished with a wet sail to down Penrith 26-18 in Blacktown.
By the time Hunter Bell crossed for Penrith’s third try of the first half, the Panthers were sitting pretty, before tries to the visitors on either side of the break got them back in the hunt.
Tua Patea added another for the home side, but the Sharks added another two tries in the second half, with Callum Grantham kicking five goals in what would ultimately prove the difference.
TIGERS KNOCK OFF RIVALS
Balmain has claimed its first SG Ball win in 685 days after taking down rivals Wests 28-16 at Campbelltown Stadium.
Xavier Tauaifaiga gave Balmain a dream start by crossing in the 10th minute, before Ali Hachim Karnib hit back soon after.
The Wests fullback had his double on the stroke of halftime with a controversial penalty try decision after he was ruled to be run off the ball.
Balmain didn’t let it get to them, and with the benefit of a set restart were able to cross in the corner with a flying Joseph Partch.
The Tigers had all the running, and after forwards Zane Farr-McKay and William Stone barged over from close range, they had opened up a 22-10 lead.
Riley Oitmann cut the margin back to one score, but once Jordan Bunt scored the drought was over.
EELS TAKE DOWN KNIGHTS
Parramatta produced a scintillating performance to knock off Newcastle 36-10 at the Cessnock Sportsground.
Maison Ong and Dominic Farrugia both crossed early before Aidan Gow gave the Knights a much-needed boost before the break to send the home side into the sheds down just 12-4.
Any momentum was lost soon after the break as Tom Summer and Lachlan Vella went bang-bang to push the Eels in front 24-4.
Lincoln Fletcher put Ong through a huge gap late in the piece to bring up his double and seal an impressive victory.
MILLIN OVERPOWERS BULLDOGS
An early charge from the Raiders proved too much for the Bulldogs to overcome, with Canberra scoring a 40-22 SG Ball victory.
Inspirational front rower Jesse Millin used his size to posts two tries in the space of four minutes to leave the visitors shell-shocked.
Two more before the break had Canberra in front 24-6, before Canterbury launched its comeback.
Zippy fullback Jai Callaghan posted a double of his own to cut the margin to just six with 19 minutes to play, before Millin came to the fore again.
The front rower scored back-to-back tries late in the contest to give him a four-try haul for the game and lift the Raiders to victory.
STEELERS HOLD OUT DEFIANT STORM
Melbourne showed plenty of fight, but couldn’t find enough to overcome the might of Illawarra, who came out on top 20-12.
Charles Heidke, Mason Phillips and Kade Reed all scored in the space of 11 minutes to have the Storm on the backfoot trailing 16-0.
They were able to respond with a few of their own close to the break as Jai Bowden and Edward Lyons cut it back to four.
Tom Kirk gave the home side some breathing space early in the second half, and it would prove enough.
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