NSWRL Junior Reps: 20 key talking points from round five of Matts, Fiaola, Ball, Gale Cup action
Finals windows became narrower and premiership credentials were enhanced as the NSWRL Junior Reps passed the halfway point. Catch up on the 20 major talking points from round five.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Finals windows for some teams became even more narrow as others enhanced their premiership credentials in a big way.
Catch up on all the major talking points from round five of the Harold Matthews, Lisa Fiola, SG Ball and Tarsha Gale Cup competitions.
MORE COVERAGE
Jayme Fressard feature profile
HAROLD MATTHEWS
CONGESTION TO THE BRIM
There’s just two competition points that separates second and 10th on the standings.
Remarkably the Knights who sit in that lower position have three wins, with a few teams above them on two after having their bye.
It sets up an incredible final four rounds as teams jockey for spots in the top six.
EAGLES ROCKING
Confidence is at an all-time high north of the Spit Bridge after a three-try flurry in the final 10 minutes lifted them to a win over South Sydney.
That ended the unbeaten run of Souths, and if you look at the formlines, there’s plenty of reason to believe the Sea Eagles can go all the way.
They thrashed the Central Coast who are low-flying, and their only loss of the season came to the Warriors, with their only blemish a narrow loss to the undefeated Steelers.
CAN KNIGHTS PUT IT TOGETHER?
Speaking of contenders, if Newcastle manages to put it all together they are more than capable of taking out the title.
They held off a late Roosters charge to win their third game of the season.
No team has been involved in more close finishes than the Knights, with their two losses seeing them taken down late.
Complete performances can see them feature heavily in the finals.
BURTON BRILLIANCE
Cometh the man, cometh the hour.
Oliver Burton stepped up in the dying stages with an incredible solo effort from his own half to slice through Wests’ defence and steal a late win for Illawarra.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen him produce a highlight play this year.
Tayler Humphries also deserves a mention for slotting a sideline conversion just minutes earlier to tie the scores.
COAST DARING TO DREAM
Balmain came into their clash with the Central Coast looking for a hat-trick, but they were swiftly denied by a Roosters side who is red hot at the moment.
Over the last three games they’ve conceded under 11 points per game while averaging over 30 in that period.
If they can overcome the Bulldogs this weekend they’ll be favourites to make the finals.
LISA FIAOLA
DOMINANCE PERSONIFIED
Round five saw a number of one-sided games, which wasn’t ideal across the board.
The highest score from a losing team was eight and three teams were held scoreless.
The average winning margin across the six games was 38 points, which is enormous considering games are just 60 minutes.
ROOSTERS FINALLY BREACHED
It took until round five but the Roosters finally conceded a try.
It came in plucky fashion, but nevertheless it resulted in four points for the Rabbitohs.
This served as the only blemish in a complete performance from the Roosters who moved into top spot on points differential after they piled on 84 points from 15 tries.
Mia Vaotuua starred with five of those tries.
ROAD WARRIORS GET JOB DONE
Newcastle has spent three of the first five rounds on the road and a pair of wins in those fixtures has them in fourth with the remainder of the season on home soil.
The Knights got it done in impressive fashion on the weekend, keeping the high-flying Steelers scoreless (who averaged 30ppg coming into the contest).
A win over St George this weekend would go a long way to locking in their spot in the six.
TIGERS ON THE UP
It’s been an up and down season for defending grand finalists Wests Tigers.
But they just might’ve clicked into gear when putting a big score on St George.
They put together seven tries in the first half alone and ran for 800m more than their opponents as they showed they are still a contender not to be messed with.
PENRITH’S DESTINY IN OWN HANDS
Penrith took the most of their opportunities against North Sydney in a game where all the stats pointed to an even contest.
Patricia Heihei and Anita Ropati combined for five tries in a win that keeps them right in the mix for the post-season.
They have a bye in hand as well as games against the bottom-two teams, meaning a win over Parramatta this weekend could effectively lock-in a finals position.
SG BALL
WHO SAW THAT COMING?
South Sydney sent an emphatic statement to the rest of the competition after putting 50 points on the previously undefeated Balmain Tigers.
To put that in perspective, the Tigers had averaged just 19 points conceded before the weekend, with their points differential now in the negative on the back of the heavy defeat.
It’s been 27 years since the Rabbitohs have hoisted the trophy, but there’s a belief they can end that drought.
BATTLE OF THE HEAVYWEIGHTS
The top two sides go to battle in round six as undefeated sides Canberra and Parramatta clash at Eric Tweedale Stadium on Saturday.
Canberra has looked super impressive this season, winning all five games while boasting the league’s third-best attack.
Parramatta has the second-best defence in the competition, with a draw to the Roosters the only blemish on their record.
HOW NOW FREAKISH GOW
Aidan Gow simply cannot be stopped.
The Knights winger took his tryscoring tally to 12 tries from five games after a hat-trick in the win over the Roosters.
His pace and finishing ability is up there with the elite outside backs in the competition, and there’s every chance he inches closer towards the magical 20 mark by the time the regular season is done.
MAGPIES KEEP HOPES ALIVE
Western Suburbs has put an 0-3 start well and truly behind them after claiming a big win over a strong Illawarra side on the road.
If they want to make the finals they are going to have to claim some big scalps, but with the way they are playing and the roster they have at their disposal, you’d be crazy to suggest they can’t go on a run.
GF REMATCH DELIVERS
You have to feel a bit sorry for St George.
The Dragons are still searching for their first win after Canterbury scored 12 points in the final four minutes to steal a draw at the death.
It was a tremendous game and a fitting rematch of last year’s grand final.
TARSHA GALE
SHARKS GO BANG
To emphasises how explosive Cronulla’s first half against Parramatta was, the Sharks scored more points in the first half than the Eels have conceded in the opening four rounds.
It was an old-fashioned ambush right from the opening whistle that the Eels simply had no answer for.
Parra faces three top-six teams in their run to the finals, so it might be the wake-up call they needed.
TOLI’S FOUR TO REMEMBER
North Sydney mightn’t have got the spoils, but Charis Toli produced a memorable outing with four tries.
Nikita E showed her skills in setting up two of those, but the most spectacular one came from a kick-off.
The Panthers let the ball bounce into the arms of Toli, show showed her footwork and speed to get over the line.
DRAGONS AMAZING TURNAROUND
The Dragons conceded just 10 points in a narrow loss to the Tigers, nailing home the point of how much their defence has improved this season.
Through five games this year they conceded just 18 points on average.
After round five last year that average was sitting at 47.5 points per game.
That’s a testament to the appointment of the well-credentialed Sam Saadat as coach.
STEELERS FLYING UNDER THE RADAR
It’s not often a defending premier can be classified as going under the radar, but it’s how the Steelers are going about their business.
They’re not blowing teams away like they did last year, but they’ve improved to 3-1 ahead of two more games at home before a tough finish to the season.
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Canterbury continued its undefeated season by downing Manly, running in six tries to three.
The margin was just 10 points however, due to them not converting any of their tries.
It’s the only area that needs drastic improvement before the finals, with the team kicking at just 9/27 for the season at 33 per cent.
With the attacking prowess they possess they mightn’t need it, but as games get more intense against the good teams, they will need to find form.
Originally published as NSWRL Junior Reps: 20 key talking points from round five of Matts, Fiaola, Ball, Gale Cup action
Star cricket couple’s new AFL role
Two of Australia’s cricketing superstars are taking their allegiance to a rival code to a whole new level.
Blueprint for Aussie success in Asia
The Young Socceroos’ AFC Under-20 Asian Cup success came on the back of meticulous planning from coach Trevor Morgan and his staff.
Skipper puts the brakes on Broncos hype train
The return of Ben Hunt has plenty of people backing the Broncos to challenge for the title, but the club’s skipper has put the brakes on the hype train headed for Red Hill.
Piastri slams F1’s ‘harsh’ new $200k rule
Oscar Piastri has added his voice to the growing backlash surrounding a controversial change by F1’s governing body.
‘Train well, get fitter’: Humphries’ plans to build on breakout year
Geelong’s Lawson Humphries rose to become one of the AFL’s brightest young stars late last year. On the eve of his second season, the defender is ready to take another big year in his stride.
Injury latest: Young cub sidelined as Lalor, Lynch push Round 1 case
Josh Smillie has had another setback, but it’s more positive news for talisman Tom Lynch and top draft pick Sam Lalor despite a horror injury against West Coast. See the injury latest.