The Illawarra Steelers won all four grades in Round 7 of the NSWRL Junior Reps played on Saturday at Collegians Sporting Complex.
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Steelers Dominate in SG Ball Victory
The Illawarra Steelers defeated the North Sydney Bears 50-14 in SG Ball, securing a dominant victory at home. The hosts scored two converted tries in the first 15 minutes through second-row Drew Langdon and winger Saifiti Saifiti to establish a 12-0 lead.
The Bears were next to score; however, the Steelers didn’t let them settle, with Langdon crossing for his second before tries to Aaymon Fitzgibbon and Reed, the first of his hat-trick.
In a player-of-the-match performance, captain Kade Reed led from the front, scoring at will and showcasing his strong kicking game, keeping the Bears on the back foot.
“We’ve had a bit of a tough couple of weeks, so to get the back-to-back wins now from a good win last week and a good win today is good for our season,” Reed said post-match.
“The start wasn’t too disciplined, and we didn’t complete well, but we stuck in there, we defended our line pretty well.”
With a 24-point lead at the break, Coach Shaun Timmins asked his troops to keep it simple in the second half.
“He (Timmins) just wanted us to focus on ourselves, whatever happened, just keep our heads up, turn around, and get the ball back to whatever we got to do,” he said.
Another standout was Langdon, who missed the early part of the season through injury.
“It’s good to be out with the boys again and be healthy, playing the footy I want to play,” Langdon said.
“Still a few things I need to execute in my game, but that’ll just come with a few reps. Obviously, not playing a bit last year or most of last year; it’s just good to be back.”
“I’m playing my part in the back row, just trying to do my job for the team and the boys around me.”
“So hopefully, I can help get the boys on the front foot with a few carries and then just be strong in ‘D’. That’s what I want to achieve,” he said.
Pictured: Remara Performance Player of Match Kade Reed (SG Ball Cup)
Harold Matts Continue Dominant Streak
The Steelers’ Harold Matthews side secured a dominant 30 – 10 victory over the Bears; secured on the back of a strong first half, establishing a 24-4 lead at the break.
Jett Brookfield scored the match’s first try, followed by Cooper Morrison and Oliver Burton within the first 15 minutes. By the time the Bears crossed for their first try, the Steelers were still on top at 14-4.
“I feel like we controlled the whole game, so yeah, it was good,” Brookfield said.
“They fought to the end, so you know, we always had to play to the last minute, and I feel like we did that. It was a good team performance.”
Co-captain Cooper Morrison says the hard work the team put in during the pre-season paid off, and he was pleased with the team’s performance.
“It feels good. It’s like all the hard work of pre-season is just paying off now. I’ve just got to stay in place and keep doing what I’m doing,” Morrison said.
Pictured: Remara Performance Player of Match Asher Chapman (Harold Matthews Cup)
Lisa Fiaola Steelers Keep Season Alive With Bounce Back Win
In the day’s first match, the Lisa Fiaola Cup Steelers bounced back from last week’s loss to the Sharks with a must-win 38-8 victory over the Manly Sea Eagles, letting their opponents know they are far from done in the competition.
Scoring their first two tries in the opening ten minutes, the Steelers quickly took control. The Sea Eagles fought back just before half-time, closing the gap to 10-4 at the break.
The team’s second-half performance was dominant, scoring five tries to the one. The try scorers were Halle Barrett (3), Charlotte Nicolson (2), Ella Churchill, Holly Czornobej, and Juliet Merheb.
Knowing they can’t afford to lose a game in the final three rounds if they want to play finals footy, Barrett’s hat-trick was all the sweeter.
“I think this week we had to work very hard to get that result, and I think, yes, after the past few weeks, it just feels great to get a win,” Barrett said.
“We’ve got a big next two weeks, and we’ve just got it all ahead of us now. So it’s only up from here, hopefully.”
Charlotte Nicolson’s contribution in the second row was instrumental to the win, posting a try and five conversions, but she was quick to praise coach Brad Reh and left-edge partner Barrett after the match.
“He (Reh) was just saying we needed to complete our sets, stop making those errors, and have heaps of urgency,” Nicolson said.
“I spoke to Halle and my forwards and just knew we had to get off that ten as fast as we could and have that urgency.
“And I knew Baz (Barrett) had my back throughout the game. It’s been an honour to play with her and these girls.”
“I’m very excited for what’s to come.”
Pictured: Remara Performance Player of Match Ella Greatz (Lisa Fiaola Cup) with coach Brad Reh
Tarsha Gale Secure Hard-Fought Win
The Steelers scored a come-from-behind win in the Under-19 Tarsha Gale Cup with a hard-fought 22-12 victory after the Sea Eagles had the upper hand early, scoring the first try within the game’s first five minutes.
With injuries becoming a concern, after two forced interchanges in the first 20 minutes—including halfback Alex Down who didn’t return, hooker Tori Shipton and Madalynn Bullock stepped up, each scoring a try just before half-time to give the Steelers a 10-6 lead.
Player-of-the-match Shipton showcased her running game, scoring two tries for her team and playing a crucial role in their victory.
“They were a hard side, and we had a lot of downs, but we trusted each other, and we backed each other, and that’s what got us through—just trust and supporting each other,” Shipton said.
“When our teammates were down, we used that as motivation to push harder because they’re family.”
Shipton said the team took a lot from Coach Courtney Crawford’s half-time pep talk.
“I think we just needed that extra boost from Courtney—just a reminder that we’ve got this. She (Crawford) said, we just need to stick together, which is exactly what we did.”
After shifting from the back row into the halves earlier in the season to cover for injuries, five-eighth Tahlia O’Brien was called upon to take control of the side when her halves partner Down was injured.
“Oh, it’s not the ideal situation, but I think the first half was a bit scrambled,” O’Brien said.
“I wouldn’t say there was major panic, but there were some concerns. However, we know our team can back each other up and keep our structure.”
“We kept our heads high, and in the second half, we stayed motivated and positive, keeping our heads up. Knowing we had a few players out—actually, most players out—we had that motivation.”
“We’re a team, and we stuck together. We did it for each other and for the players who were injured.”
“While losing players isn’t ideal, the girls’ mindset was solid. We kept our structure right, kept it simple, and stayed focused.”
“It was a tough game. We defended our line for what felt like heaps of sets. But our mindset was good; we backed each other up, did what we could, and came out with the win.”
Pictured: Remara Performance Player of Match Tori Shipton (Tarsha Gale Cup)
Words: Angelina Raula