By Newtown Jets Media
Experience proves the difference as the Jets fall to Illawarra.
Saturday’s narrow loss against Illawarra at Henson Park might have been a great learning experience for the young Newtown Jets Intrust Super Premiership team, but these were two invaluable competition points that slipped away.
The Jets came out firing and opened up a 16-0 lead in the first fifteen minutes and then led 22-6 at the 23rd minute mark. Illawarra fought back with two more tries, including one in the last minute of play before the halftime siren sounded.
The experienced Illawarra forward pack had the better of play in the second half as they methodically ran down Newtown’s lead.
The Jets had extended their lead to 28-16 soon after halftime, thanks to a clever bit of opportunism by winger Edrick Lee. Illawarra responded with two converted tries in rapid succession to draw level at 28-all after 55 minutes. The men in red took the lead for the first time in the game with fifteen minutes left to play, and they seemed to have applied the coup de grace when they increased this lead to 38-28 five minutes before fulltime. Two minutes before the siren the remarkable Edrick Lee turned on some individual brilliance and sent hooker Manaia Cherrington racing in under the posts. The Jets turned on a desperate flurry of attacking play in the last minute but Illawarra held on to win 38-34.
The Newtown Jets are back home again at Henson Park next Saturday, 27th May, when they host neighbouring club Canterbury-Bankstown at 3.00pm.
Illawarra 38:
Josh Kerr, Jacob Host, John Tohi, Patrick Herbert, Adam Clune, Matt Dufty, Reuben Garrick tries;
Shaun Nona 5 goals
defeated
Newtown 34:
James Tuitahi 2, Jesse Ramien, Matt Evans, Edrick Lee, Manaia Cherrington tries;Fa’amanu Brown 5 goals (including two conversions each one centimetre in from the sideline!)
Half-Time: Newtown led 22-16.
Newtown’s team was:
Leigh Higgins, Edrick Lee, Matt Evans, Jesse Ramien, James Tuitahi, Daniel Mortimer, Fa’amanu Brown, Kurt Dillon, Kurt Kara, Tepatasi Fuiavailili, Jack Williams, Jayden Walker, Jayden McDonogh.Bench: Jaimin Jolliffe, Saulala Houma, Manaia Cherrington, Kenny Niko.
