By Russ Haylock
Two in a row for Steelers in Harold Matts
The Illawarra Steelers Harold Matthews Cup team have continued their winning start to the 2023 season, defeating the Central Coast Roosters 18-16 in a close and physical encounter at Morry Breen Oval in Wyong.
In warm conditions and in front of a healthy crowd, the Steelers trailed at times in the second half, and had to fight to prevent a comeback from the fast-finishing Roosters.
The hosts barged over for the first try inside the opening five minutes of the match through their left-side forwards. The Steelers then began to warm to the contest, and after 12 minutes opened their account as five-eighth Aaymon Fitzgibbon took his opponents on down the short side, stepping back in infield and beating two defenders to put his team on the board.
Kade Reed then stepped up to convert the try, and nearly had one of his own in the next set as Hayden Buchanan and Harry Wililo combined to make a break down their edge, however Wililo’s inside ball to Reed was adjudged as a forward pass. The Steelers came close to scoring once more just before half-time, but they were held out by some good defence to leave the score at 6-6 at the break.
Under pressure
The Roosters came out firing straight away in the second half and put the Steelers under immediate pressure on their line, but a forward pass denied a second try to the hosts. They would find success only a few minutes later, with a try to their winger putting them in front. They were unable to convert, and from the kick-off the Steelers forced an error to regain some momentum.
The visitors were unable to turn this pressure into points, but scored their second try in their next set, as a towering torpedo bomb from Fitzgibbon forced an error from his opposition fullback, with the loose ball scooped up and put down smartly by Ezekiel Kennedy. Reed converted once again, and from the kick-off the Steelers marched down field thanks to a penalty and scored again through bench utility Josiah Clifford, who dived over from dummy-half. Reed was unable to convert, but this burst of points now had them ahead 16-10 with 10 minutes remaining.
A penalty for offside soon after allowed Reed to put them ahead by eight with four minutes left, and although the Roosters ran in one more late converted try, the Steelers hung on to defend one more set on their line in the dying minutes to prevail by 18-16.
The hard-fought victory puts them into fifth on the competition ladder, and they will look to continue their winning run as they take on the eighth-placed Parramatta Eels at Collegians Sporting Complex this Saturday.
>>Check out all the Steelers Harold Matts Tries from Round Two
Pearman double secures win for Steelers in SG Ball
The Steelers SG Ball team have avenged their tight Round One loss to the Penrith Panthers by outlasting the Melbourne Storm 34-20 on their trip to the Victorian capital.
The match still hung in the balance at 22-20 with less than 10 minutes remaining, but two late tries to utility Seth Pearman ensured the visitors came away with the two competition points. The Storm were on top early in the match, with their outside backs scoring two tries in the first 10 minutes to put them ahead 8-0.
The Steelers then hit back with three unanswered four-pointers, the first to James Walsh, who combined with fullback Wesley Pring in a wraparound play to score on the left-hand side of the ground.
Four minutes later they were in for their second as Pring combined with halfback Taj Ford off a scrum to run in a try in the corner. Kane Graham then scored their third, diving over from close range after centre Te Umuariki Heremia-Tukere came close to scoring off a kick for himself. Ford was able to convert two tries within this run of points, making the score 16-8 with 10 minutes to go in the first half.
The Storm were able to hit back with a converted try off a lovely chip and chase kick just before the break, tightening the game once more as the Steelers went into the sheds with a narrow two-point lead.
>>Check out all the Steelers SG Ball Tries in Round Two
Steelers bring it home in second stanza
An error from the Storm from the first set of the second half gave the Steelers an early chance to extend their lead, with Pring and Ford again wreaking havoc from the scrum win, but the Storm were up to the task in holding them out.
Soon after the Storm forced a repeat set, as Steelers winger Jacob Haeata touched the sideline in an attempt to prevent a 40/20. The Storm capitalised with a converted try in the next set, the score now 20-16 in favour of the home side.
Neither side was able to hold the momentum as errors became more frequent, however the Steelers were able to level the scores as hooker Kyan Hjaltason caught the markers off guard and muscled his way over the line. Taj Ford then slotted an important conversion from out wide to put his team in front.
Both teams continued to attack and look for points, but none could come up with any until Pearman scored next to the posts thanks to a superb offload from Heremia-Tukere. Ford made no mistake with the conversion, and another Pearman try iced the game, as the Steelers ran out 34-20 winners to secure their first win of the SG Ball season.
The win moves the Steelers SG Ball outfit into seventh on the ladder, and like the Harold Matthews and Tarsha Gale Cup teams, will also take on the Eels next Saturday in a triple-header at Collegians Sporting Complex.
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