Defending champions surge into contention with a dominant 38-12 win, while Dapto edge Corrimal and Thirroul ran out convincing winners over Sutherland-Loftus.
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The defending premiers have sent a clear warning to the rest of the competition, with Wests producing a commanding performance to defeat Collegians 38-12 at Sid Parrish Park in Round 6 of the Harrigan Cup on Saturday.
In a contest that began as a typical arm wrestle between two heavyweight rivals, neither side could break through during a tense opening 20 minutes. Once the Devils found their rhythm, however, they quickly took control.
Halfback Dane Chisholm (pictured, Round 1) was instrumental in the opening try, creating space for Dylan Palmer-Quigg to link with winger Lachlan Hurst, who crossed in the corner. Justin Rodrigues nailed the sideline conversion for a 6-0 lead.
Five minutes later Chisholm was again at the centre of the action, putting Palmer-Quigg through a gap before the back-rower powered over. Rodrigues added the extras to extend the advantage to 12-0.
The Devils continued to build momentum on the half-hour mark when interchange back Junior Amone, moments after entering the game, shifted the ball wide for captain Tautau Moga to score in the corner and push the lead to 16-0.
Collegians refused to go away, with veteran second-rower Charli Runciman crossing for a converted try just before halftime to reduce the deficit to 16-6 and give the visitors a glimmer of hope.
Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly extinguished after the break as Wests ran rampant, piling on four unanswered tries to blow the game open and underline their premiership credentials. Collegians managed a late consolation try, but the Devils were never seriously threatened as they completed an emphatic 38-12 victory.
Elsewhere, Dapto held on for a hard-fought 26-18 win over Corrimal at Dapto Showground. The Canaries appeared in control before the Cougars mounted a spirited late comeback, but the home side did enough to secure the two competition points.
At Thomas Gibson Park, Thirroul delivered a comprehensive 38-0 victory over Sutherland-Loftus. The Butchers controlled proceedings from start to finish, while the Pirates remain searching for their first win of the campaign.
Lower Grades
Wests and Collegians played out an enthralling 24-all draw in Harrigan Plate competition, Thirroul kept their unbeaten streak alive defeating Helensburgh 24-6 and Corrimal had a comprehensive 64-4 victory over Dapto.
In Harrigan Shield action, Windang and Mt Kembla played out a 16-all draw, scores were locked 14-all between Avondale Greyhounds and Figtree. Avondale Wombats defeated Northern Suburbs 26-10 and Berkeley scored seven unanswered tries in their 40-0 victory over the Cougars.
File Image credit: Mark Newsham