NEWTOWN BEAT WESTS 36-22 IN NSW CUP FINAL
By Wayne Cousins
Western Suburbs Magpies have fallen one game short of making the VB NSW Cup grand final after losing 36-22 to Newtown Jets at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Sunday, September 28.
In a match played in very hot conditions, the Magpies were their own worst enemies after a series of drop balls and mistakes against a spirited Jets team that was never headed.
The Jets opened the scoring in the fourth minute when lock Hep Cahill crashed over next to the posts. He appeared to be short before the impact of Wests prop Daine Laurie saw him reach the line.
Cahill converted his own try for a 6-0 lead.
It became 8-0 when Cahill kicked a penalty goal three minutes later after Wests were penalised 20 metres out from their line.
The Jets had plenty of vocal supporters and often silenced the home Magpies crowd. It felt like the match was at the Jets’ home ground of Henson Park rather than in Campbelltown.
A poor missed tackle on his line by Laurie saw Newtown captain Sean Rudder dive over out wide for a 12-0 lead after 15 minutes. Cahill missed the conversion attempt.
The Jets went further ahead when winger Byron Ford finished off an attacking raid to dive over in the corner to score in the 19th minute for a 16-0 lead.
Cahill missed the conversion attempt.
It became 18-0 when Cahill converted a penalty attempt from 25 metres out in the 27th minute.
Wests then kicked out on the full from the re-start. On the last tackle, Ford jumped high to outleap the defence to score off a crossfield kick, just inches from the dead-ball line, for a 22-0 lead.
Cahill converted the try from out wide for a 24-0 lead after 31 minutes.
The Magpies looked a chance of scoring three minutes before half-time but a sharp pass to Laurie saw him drop the ball five metres out. Two minutes later, the Magpies again dropped the ball 20 metres out from the Jets tryline to leave the score at 24-0 at half-time.
2nd Half
Wests received a blow in the opening seconds of the second half when Laurie suffered a left arm injury in the first hit up from the kick-off. He was replaced.
The Magpies got on the board when five-eighth Trent Cutler took an intercept pass to race 85 metres to score under the posts in the 50th minute.
Gallant converted the try to leave the Magpies trailing 24-6. Suddenly, the Wests chant went up for the first time.
A sensational individual solo effort by centre Nu Akeripa saw him take the ball 30 metres out from his own line. He dummied, found open space, then was ankle tapped before falling to get up again to race 30 metres to score a fine try.
Gallant converted the try to leave the Magpies trailing 24-12 with 25 minutes remaining.
From the re-start, centre Peni Tagive dropped the ball for it to go over the sideline to give the Jets a scrum win.
The Jets punished the Magpies for the mistake to score through full-back Don Thompson near the posts for a 28-12 lead.
Half-back Ben Jones converted the try for a 30-12 lead with 22 minutes remaining.
Wests’ high mistake rate continued when they kicked out on the full from the re-start. Fortunately, this time, the mistake didn’t cost them in the next set.
Jones extended the lead to 34-12 in the 62nd minute when he got on the outside of second-rower Corey Vlaciky to score behind the posts. Jones converted his own try for a 36-12 lead.
Cutler grabbed his second try when he dived over next to the posts in the 67th minute. Gallant converted the try for a 36-18 scoreline.
A cut out pass from dummy half on the last tackle by Cutler saw winger Nick Taylor dive over in the corner to leave the Magpies trailing 36-22 with nine minutes remaining.
Gallant failed to convert the try from the sideline.
A minute later, a courageous Gallant put his small frame on the line when he clashed heads with Jones in preventing him from scoring from his own short drop out from the re-start.
Gallant played on, Jones went off.
Newtown’s Jake Friend was then held up over the line in a trysaving tackle by Luke Young and Dean Rysko.
The more the Magpies tried to score late in the game, the more they dropped the ball.
The Jets now play the winner of Wentworthville and Manly elimination final in the grand final at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, October 5.
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