Around the Grounds | Junior Reps Round Nine

By Claire Stegbauer

The final round of the regular season delivered another compelling weekend of NSWRL Junior Representatives football, with ladders now locked in and finals matchups set. With everything on the line, the competition’s top sides once again rose to the occasion, reinforcing their status as the teams to beat.

UNE SG Ball Cup

Storm surge late to down Roosters in seesawing contest

The Melbourne Storm have overcome a spirited Sydney Roosters outfit 28-18 in Round 9 of the UNE SG Ball Cup, breaking open a tightly contested match in the closing stages at Seabrook Reserve.

The Roosters made the perfect start, striking first through Joshua Fesolai. A powerful carry from Lui Lee laid the platform, and while the initial shift broke down, Fesolai was quick to regather the loose ball and dive over in the left corner. The conversion was missed, but the visitors held the early advantage.

Melbourne responded midway through the first half off the back of a scrum. Hooker Lockyer-Azile Foliola darted out of dummy half, drawing in defenders before releasing Alize Clarke, who crashed over to level the contest. The conversion gave the Storm a narrow lead.

Building momentum, the Storm struck again from another attacking scrum. This time it was halfback Hayden Watson who stepped up, weaving his way through the defensive line to score. Having returned from a wrist injury late in the season, Watson’s influence was immediate, and his successful conversion extended the lead.

The Roosters clawed their way back into the contest before the break through a penalty goal, levelling the scores at 6-6 heading into halftime in what had been a tight, physical first half.

The Roosters regained momentum early in the second, with quick play-the-balls generating speed through the middle. After Darcy Smith was held up near the line, he managed to flick the ball out to Carter Mareko, who finished the movement to put his side back in front. Mareko converted his own try to stretch the lead. But the Storm hit back quickly in a game that refused to settle.

Cruz Dangerfield threatened the line before the Storm shifted right through Watson, who again played a key role, linking with Joseph Litidamu. With only the fullback to beat, Litidamu reached out to plant the ball down, with the conversion pushing Melbourne back in front.

The Roosters responded once more in dramatic fashion. Mareko put up a towering kick that caused chaos in the Storm backfield, with fullback Wivenshalom Tyrell dragged back into the in-goal and losing possession. Darcy Smith was on hand to capitalise, grounding the ball to level the scores at 18-18 after the conversion.

Foliola again took control, and after sustained lateral movement failed to break the line, the hooker backed himself with a powerful solo run to crash over, giving the Storm a crucial lead inside the final 10 minutes.

The final blow came soon after in spectacular fashion. Applying heavy kick pressure, the Storm forced an error before the ball found its way to Litidamu who put through a chip kick to himself before kicking the ball forward a couple more times, regathering under pressure to score a remarkable try and seal the result.

Harold Matthews Cup

Knights dominate second half to overpower Bears

The Newcastle Knights produced a clinical second-half performance to defeat the North Sydney Bears 28-6 in Round 9 of the UNE Harold Matthews Cup at Hills Grammar, turning a tight first half into a commanding win.

It took 15 minutes for the game to spark into life, but when it did, it was the Knights who struck first. Riley Rostron showcased his class, shaping to pass left before slicing straight through the defensive line to score untouched. The conversion was missed, but the visitors had the early advantage.

The Bears responded shortly after, matching the Knights’ intent. Five-eighth Morgan Carter combined well with his spine before taking matters into his own hands, dummying his way through the line and crossing for a well-earned try. The successful conversion handed the Bears a narrow 6-4 lead heading into halftime. From there, however, the game shifted dramatically.

The Knights came out of the break with intent and quickly took control. Shifting the ball quickly through the hands, they found space on the left edge, sending William Hoffman over in the corner to reclaim the lead.

Momentum continued to build as Theodore Ballard threatened the line, only to be held up. But off the back of a quick play-the-ball, the Knights attacked the short side, exposing numbers on the right and putting Benji Thompson over.

The turning point came soon after, with Bears playmaker Morgan Carter sent to the sin bin. Down to 12 players, the home side struggled to contain the Knights’ attacking surge.

Targeting the left edge, fullback Ryder Tupou backed his speed, taking on his opposite number one-on-one and finishing strongly to extend the lead. Rostron then added to his impressive performance, darting out of dummy half and burrowing his way over for his second try of the afternoon, with both conversions successful to push the score out further.

With the game firmly in their control, the Knights delivered the final blow in style. Reading the play perfectly, winger Nate Vincent intercepted a loose pass on his own 10-metre line and sprinted the length of the field, outpacing the chasing pack to score a standout try and seal the result.

Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup

Eels produce stunning comeback to edge Bulldogs in thriller

The Parramatta Eels have pulled off one of the comebacks of the season, overturning a 16-point deficit to defeat the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24-22 in a dramatic Round 9 clash of the Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup at Eric Tweedale Stadium.

It was the Bulldogs who struck first, setting the tone early with sustained pressure deep in attacking territory. Hooker Shafenior Lui directed play close to the line before sending Giovanna Suani over from a simple crash play in the fourth minute. The conversion was successful, handing the visitors an early 6-0 lead.

The Eels responded shortly after through persistence. Aaliyah Soufan launched a towering kick that caused chaos in the Bulldogs’ backfield, and after a repeat set, Billie Va’a dug deep to power her way over despite multiple defenders. Ava Jones converted the scores to level. However, from there it was all Bulldogs in the opening half.

Finding dominance through the middle, Riley Fruean-Otineru produced a powerful solo effort, barging her way over under the posts. Moments later, off a scrum 20 metres out, Leteena Medland spotted space just left of the uprights and charged through the line to extend the lead.

The pressure didn’t stop. Medland backed up with a huge 40-metre carry to put her side on the front foot once again, and after Olivia Va’alele was held up, a quick flick pass found Levonah Motuliki, who crossed out wide to cap off a dominant first-half period.

At halftime, the Bulldogs held a commanding 22-6 lead and looked in complete control. But the second half told a completely different story.

The Eels came out firing, sparked by individual brilliance. Bailey Ma-Chong ignited the comeback in the 41st minute, spotting the absence of a fullback and putting in a clever chip kick for herself, regathering to score and breathe life back into the contest.

That momentum continued almost immediately. Soufan again identified space in the backfield, this time driving a grubber deep into the in-goal, where Zyon Ligaliga won the race to the ball to reduce the deficit further. With the conversion successful, the Eels were suddenly right back in the contest. With five minutes remaining, the pressure mounted.

Freedom Crichton Ropati crossed for her first try of the afternoon after a simple shift to the right edge, narrowing the margin to just two points. The conversion was missed, leaving the Eels chasing late.

With under a minute to play, Bulldogs player Violet Hiku was sent to the sin bin, handing Parramatta a crucial one-player advantage for the final set. The Eels made it count.

On the last play of the game, with just seconds remaining, they shifted left before quickly sweeping back to the right through the hands of their spine. The ball found Crichton Ropati, who stepped back inside off her right foot, beat her opposite and twisted through contact to slam the ball down in a remarkable match-winning moment.

The conversion was missed, but it didn’t matter.

From 22-6 down to 24-22 winners, the Eels completed a stunning four-try second-half comeback, showcasing resilience, composure and belief in one of the most thrilling finishes of the Tarsha Gale Cup season.

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