Wenworthville Magpies

1. Honeti Tuha

2. Bureta Faraimo

3. George Jennings

4. Dane Aukafolau

5. James Gammidge

6. Jamal Fogarty

7. Jeff Robson

8. Alex Twal

9. Cameron King

10. Rory O’Brien

11. Marata Niukore

12. Kelepi Tanginoa

13. David Gower

Interchange

14. James Hasson

15. Atini Gafa

16. Sam Gorman

17. Reece Goldsmith

First Half

Confusion from the very start as the Panthers and Wenty trot out in very similar jerseys.

Penrith receive the ball to start the game and the Magpies do a good job to pin them on their 30m line for their kick. Tuha leaps up and takes it over his shoulder nicely.

The Magpies go on the attack and pick up a mid-count six again and take full advantage of it as Fogarty pilots over George Jennings over for first points! Lovely line from Jennings and the money ball comes from Fogarty there.

Try scored by George Jennings. Conversion unsuccessful by Fogarty.

Wenty lead 4-0

4min gone

Solid carry from O’Brien from the kickoff. Niukore and Gower follow before Kelepi rolls his sleeves up. He earns a penalty with his effort and then comes back for the first run and bowls over a defender. Great run.

Poor end to the set for the Magpies though as the kick runs dead for a 20m restart.

The Panthers make a bust down the left-edge from the extended set and Tuha is knocked over at the last line of defence before cover defenders get there to save the day. The huge swing in territory proves to be the undoing of the Magpies though as the Panthers toss the ball out to the left. It hits the deck before rolling into the hands of a Penrith outside back who strolls over and plants the ball down as calmly as you’d like.

Try scored by Penrith. Conversion unsuccessful.

Penrith lock the scores up at 4-all

10min gone

Big error from the Panthers in the following set though as they heave the ball out on the full and Honeti Tuha says thank you from the following scrum! The Magpies sweep to their left as Robson hits Tuha out the back. Honeti brushes past the first defender and re-aligns himself before dashing towards the posts! Nice individual effort there.

Try scored by Honeti Tuha. Conversion successful by Fogarty.

Wenty lead 10-4

13min gone

Twal the lead prop this set. Jennings and O’Brien get stuck into the ruck as well. Gower is tackled just shy of halfway before Dane Aukafolau has a great carry after he is turned back into the ruck. Wenty bomb the Panthers on the last but concede a penalty for attacking the man in the air. The Panthers then lose the ball and Wenty, feeling quite generous, do the same in return via Marata.

A penalty then follows for Penrith.

Good defence from Wenty to start this set. Nice line speed and contact. Penrith work the ball to their left and then come back to their right via a long looping run that is eventually stopped. George Jennings then makes a great tackle on the last to kill the set but Alex Twal makes an error coming off the line so Penrith go right back on the attack.

Good vision from Penrith now midway through their set as their half reads that the Eels are very compact on their goal line and he rolls the ball in behind James Gammidge for a simple try for Malakai Watene-Zelesniak (sp).

Try scored by Penrith. Conversion successful.

Penrith lock the scores up at 10-all

20min gone

No-frills set from Penrith and another great kick-take from Tuha there. Zipped to his left and took it beautifully. Gower nearly puts Twal through a gap up the middle before Robson tries to roll the ball deep from 25m out. It takes a deflection and is adjudged to be played at as Gower gets to it first. A penalty also comes after that for much of a muchness.

Robson goes to Jennings who is well tackled and then the ball goes to Fogarty down the right edge. He never had control of the ball there as he is hit and it pops out for a turnover.

Penrith look to just ruck it out before bombing Faraimo, who takes the ball comfortably. Tuha has a neat carry and then draws a penalty as he is held down looking for a quick play the ball.

Niukore then draws a second penalty as the ball is reefed out of his hands from the tap run. Hasson and Gorman go hard to the posts before we swing left. Jennings is given the ball by Tuha and he flicks it to Gammidge as he is tackled but the winger is ruled to have lost the ball despite the attention of two defenders.

Went continue to contain Penrith to their own half as they bomb Tuha from their 40m mark. He takes it easily but as Wenty cross the halfway line Niukore grasses it again. Tough game for the young backrower to date.

The Panthers make their rare trip to the red zone count as Gammidge is again caught in No Man’s land. Once more the kick is the option but it comes through the air this time. Malakai leaps over the shoulders of a turning Gammidge and comes down to slam the ball into the turf for the go-ahead four pointer.

Try scored by Penrith. Conversion unsuccessful.

Penrith lead 14-10

31min gone

Penrith kick from shy of halfway and find Gammidge who steams back into the kick chase line. Good effort. Wenty work the ball down the left with Jennings before using Danny Howard to centre the pill. Robson rolls it in behind on the last where Penrith quickly clean it up.

The two teams have settled into the grind now but as I type that the Panthers concede a ruck penalty. Bit of luck there as Cameron King made a meal of picking the ball up.

Howard and Gower are up for the first runs. Gower offloads it and it hits the deck as Wenty stand there looking. Somehow Tuha manages to get the ball back along with a six again call. Dane Aukafolau finally gives some impetus to the set with a strong carry as we then go back to our left with Jennings. Robson looks to roll the ball in behind the right edge as the Penrith custodian deadset runs full bore into the post. He is alright mind you and Wenty get a line drop out.

Faraimo and Gower have early carries before we sweep left to Tuha who is taken cleanly. Another tidy Robson grubber nets a second drop out. Great application of pressure here.

Gorman of all people takes the ball back from the drop out. No fear there. Hasson is up next and then Robson links up with Tuha who turns Jennings back into the ruck. Jennings is showing plenty of power here.

Deja Vu? Robson has done it again as he earns a third drop out. This one goes perilously close to troubling the scorers as Jennings flies through for it but is barely beaten to it by a defender. Jennings has stayed down afterwards though. He is in severe discomfort. Not good.

Niukore has the first run as he works the ball back to the centre of the field. A few tackles later King and Gorman link up in front of the posts as Gorman flies onto a short ball from the ground! Crazy guts on show there as Gorman spears past two defenders to score.

Try scored by Sam Gorman. Conversion successful by Fogarty.

Half Time

Wentworthville Magpies 16 lead Penrith Panthers 14

In an encouraging sign, Jennings is up and has walked unaided to the change rooms. Was he winded badly diving for the ball perhaps? Hopefully it isn’t anything serious as he has looked very handy in the first half.

Second Half

Early error from the Magpies as the second half gets underway. Reece Goldsmith comes in for a carry and drops the pill cold. Penrith are happy to oblige us when an error in return and Wenty will pack in for a scrum 10m off their line.

Gower has a nice run up the middle and he sheds a tackler and keeps driving. Fringe first graders have started to get pulled for the looming NRL trial. Atini Gafa is playing fullback for Tuha while Cameron King is also off.

Wenty complete there set with a long kick but then give away a penalty to let Penrith start knocking on the door but once again there is a loose error to take pressure off. Niukore rallies for a monstrous run as he leaves a defender struggling on the ground before the Magpies bomb it to their left but Penrith do a great job of defusing it.

Robson, Fogarty, Aukafolau, Jennings (unknown if injured) are also off for an early conclusion. Gower, Tanginoa, O’Brien, Niukore and Twal are the notable players left. As I type that Gower comes off.

Bit hard to call play now mind you as Wenty trot out a stack of Ron Massey players. Danny Howard is currently holding the fort on the bench on his lonesome so this will be interesting to spectate.

Penrith earn a penalty for offside defenders and find touch just passed half way. They work their way into our red zone down their right-edge before playing the ball across the ruck and find the gap in Wenty’s ruck defence. Nice ball but a bit too easy there.

 

Try scored by Penrith. Conversion successful.

Penrith lead 20-16

52min gone

 

Good contact from O’Brien midcount but the Panthers manage to recover via an offload. They find themselves over halfway with a tackle to spare and dab the ball in behind on the last as Gafa cleans it up and heads in field. Wenty then pick up a penalty and Niukore has a storming effort from the tap. He gets up gingerly and the trainer is right there. Looks no good. Done his forearm or elbow maybe?

Meanwhile Wenty get another penalty and tap on. We play right then left and some nifty hands see the Wenty second-string winger crash over in the left corner. Nicely built up set there.

 

Try scored by Wenty. Conversion unsuccessful.

Wenty lock the scores up at 20-all

58min gone

 

O’Brien and Howard are first up this set. #20 has a run before SAM BLOODY GORMAN bursts through the middle! Baller run there as he steps passed the fullback and it then brought down by cover defenders. Wenty rapidly shift it to their right where Gafa does brilliantly to double pump and basket-ball pass it to Jordan Martin who dives over in the right corner. Great sequence of plays there!

 

Try scored by Jordan Martin. Conversion unsuccessful.

Wenty lead 24-20

61min gone

 

Repeat of last start now as O’Brien and Howard get us going. Twal is the third man up this set and Wenty eventually kick from just shy of half way. Jordan Martin leads the chase and makes the first up tackle. Penrith keep plugging away up the middle before bombing Gafa on the last. The makeshift fullback secures the ball and then picks up a penalty to get Wenty out of their red zone.

Sammy Gorman nearly produces some more magic as the Magpies kick to Martin who bats the ball back infield. Gorman toes it ahead and nearly makes a spectacular dive to score but is just beaten by the dead ball line. Heroic effort.

Penrith march downfield with the aid of the 7-tackle set and then pick up a penalty late in the count. Big chance to reclaim the lead here.

Dockar-Clay tries to dart over from dummy half and is repelled and a poor pass from the ruck follows, allowing Wenty to get off their line. Penrith take the ball to their right to bring up the last and then run it down the same edge where Wenty man up and kill the play. Great stand.

A relieving penalty follows as Wenty work their way out. Touch is found 10m short of halfway.

Wenty spin the ball to their right where Gafa chimes in with a straight line. There is a tidy kick to complete the set and it nets Wenty a line drop out.

Jordan Martin fields the drop kick and carts it back. Wenty venture down their left and Kelepi Tanginoa roars to life off a short ball. Great left foot step to beat the front line and he dishes out an encore performance for the fullback as he leaves him clutching at the foot-of-the-mountain air. LOVE ME A BIG MAN TRY!

 

Try scored by Kelepi Tanginoa. Conversion successful.

Wenty lead 30-20

71min gone

 

Gafa gets into the thick of things around the ruck to aid his big men this set. Wenty drive the ball down their left afterwards and then kick down the narrow left edge to complete the set. Penrith are looking bunched in the closing exchanges of the game and they just look to punch it up the middle. They spring to life as I type that as they play a clever looping play that splits Wenty open from 15m out but Atini Gafa comes flying across to make a superb cover tackle and round the runner up 1m short. Brings a close to the set too. Super play!

 

Ooph. Wenty kick the ball out on the full. Looking for a big territory-turning kick there but it just got too much. Penrith squander the gifted possession though as Dockar-Clay drops the ball.

This time around Wenty get it right as they drill the ball into touch at the conclusion of their set. 4min left on the clock now.

Gafa puts the big goose step on show now as he races around to clean up a grubber kick and then torpedoes himself into the goal line. Alas there is an error from the Magpies shortly after so Penrith go on the attack again. Wenty muster another terrific goal line stand, this one in the dying moments of the game and force a deep kick from the Panthers that rolls dead for a 20m restart with under a minute to play.

Wenty are content to play one-out from the resumption of play and in doing so bring a close to play having secured a gutsy victory.

 

Full Time

Wentworthville Magpies 30 DEF Penrith Panthers 20