Reynolds dominates as Magpies outclass Warriors
Josh Reynolds has engineered an attacking masterclass for the Western Suburbs Magpies as they recorded an emphatic 48-10 victory over the Warriors at Campbelltown Stadium on Sunday.
The Warriors briefly levelled the scores early on in the humid and overcast conditions on offer in Sydney’s outer south-west, but it was all the Magpies from therein, piling on thirty unanswered points, before the Warriors finally added some respectability to their score with a lone try during the second half.
All the hype surrounded the inclusion of Reynolds and he didn’t disappoint, scoring two tries, and had a hand in three others, while another late inclusion, Braden Robson, also starred, setting up two tries in the opening half.
Apart from playing Reynolds, Western Suburbs were also significantly strengthened by the addition of Matt Eisenhuth.
An early penalty in the opening set of the game for the home side enabled the Magpies to opening the scoring in just the 3rdminute through winger Wilson Heleta, who was on hand to ground Robson’s in-goal grubber and with the successful conversion by Tyson Gamble, led 6-0.
But a penalty to NZ Warriors in their first set of the match had the same effect, with the visitors responding with a try of their own through fullback Patrick Herbert, who crashed through some flimsy goal-line defence to score from close range and with Chanel Harris-Tavita’s successful conversion from out wide, scores were level after nine minutes of play.
The second penalty of the game in good territory for the Magpies, enabled them to regain the lead midway through the first half, after a well worked backline move inside the opposition 20 resulted in a try out wide to their other winger, Bilal Maarbani.
More ill-discipline from the visitors, allowed the Magpies to extend their lead when that man Reynolds put his fullback, Dylan Smith away down the right touchline before finding Maarbani in support to score his second try of the afternoon in the corner.
Reynolds thought he had scored in the corner after fooling the defence with a show and go, only for referee Todd Smith, to deem the defensive line had been obstructed in the lead-up, but there was no denying Reynolds a few minutes later, backing up a break from Robson, to score behind the posts, pushing the lead out to 20-6 after 31 minutes.
The home side’s opening half onslaught wasn’t done with yet however as Soni Luke’s deft kick into the goal enabled interchange forward, Joseph Ratuvakacereivalu to score and send the Magpies into the sheds leading 26-6 at the break.
The Magpies picked up where they left off in the opening ten minutes of the second half, after back-to-back penalties allowed the home side to score through Sam McIntyre and Heleta. The winger’s second try of the afternoon came courtesy of a masterful lofted cut-out pass from Reynolds, to give Western Suburbs an unassailable 36-6 lead.
The Warriors finally stemmed the flow of points with a try of their own through winger Setu Tu from close range but still trailed 36-10 midway through the second half.
But it was the Magpies who would complete the afternoon’s proceedings with Robson, scoring a well-deserved try, after plunging over from dummy-half before Reynolds had his second try for the game with a typical never-say-die kick chase effort into the in-goal line.
Next up for the Magpies is a return to Campbelltown Stadium next Sunday to take on the defending premiers, Canterbury Bulldogs, while the winless Warriors face another road trip next Sunday when they take on the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles at HE Laybutt Sporting Complex.
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/03/23/canterburycup-nsw-round2-scores-highlights-news-reports/
