Magpies Have to Settle for a Point
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Despite scoring four tries to three the Western Suburbs Magpies had to settle for a draw against the Jets in their NSW Cup Round 3 clash at Henson Park today. In the end the Black and Whites were relieved to hold on for the 18 all scoreline after the Magpies were forced to come back from 18-12 down with a late try to Junior Moors with only 3 minutes to play. Gareth Moreton landed the visitor’s first conversion of the afternoon to level the scores and give Wests a shot at a miracle escape. The Jets turned the tables and gave themselves last say in the match by finding touch with the kick off but Jets half Liam Foran’s last minute field goal attempt missed to the left of the posts. After the match Wests coach Leo Epifania was happy to get the club’s first competition point off the Bluebags in 5 years and felt the result was probably fair in a game where both sides squandered opportunities to win.
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For the third straight week the Magpies got off to a great start scoring the first two tries of the match, only to let their opponents back into the game. Fullback George Keppa raced onto skipper Nathan Water’s well weighted grubber in the 6th minute and had enough time to wander around in the in goal before grounding the ball for the four pointer. With Moreton starting from the bench Keppa was drafted in to take over the goal kicking duties but was unable to land any of his three attempts for the day.
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Wests defence in the early stages held the Jets at bay. Attempting to find a way around the Magpies wall Newtown put in a hopeful short chip out wide. Speedy winger Rhys Pritchard gathered in the ball and tip-toed along the sideline to skirt around the Newtown defence for a 60m run. Pritchard found Geoff Daniella looming on his inside and put him away for an 8-0 scoreline.
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The injection of big Newtown interchange forward Ryan Verlinden changed the complexion of the game. The former Bears and Sharks big man has caused plenty of problems for the Magpies in the past and he set about doing it again for his new club with some charging runs through the heart of the Wests line. The pressure was starting to tell on Wests as their structure fell away in the last ten minutes of the half. A mighty effort repelling three sets on their line seemed to have sapped the Magpies and the Jets were soon taking advantage when Wests failed to ‘shut the gate’ in defence allowing Newtown centre Kane Linnett a clear run to the line in the 33rd minute. Newtown’s kicker Chris Tuatara-Morrison brought his kicking boots landing the first of his three conversions for the day. 4 minutes later Tuatara-Morrison grabbed his own 4 pointer when a tired Wests failed to clean up a kick and allowed Newtown to regather just metres from the line.
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Having yet again failed to make the most of a fine start Wests found themselves down 12-8 at the break. Epifania told the players not to worry about the score and to just get their completions back on track to deny Newtown any more ball than necessary. The message seemed to have worked when Moors levelled the scores just two minutes into the half with a strong run, but Verlinden and Charlie Leaeno for the Jets kept the Magpies defence backpedalling. In the 66th minute Linnett scored an identical try to his first half effort to put the Jets in the box seat for the win before the Black and White’s late game escape.
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Henson Park has been kinder to Western Suburbs in 2010 than it has for many a year, but it is turning up some strange coincidences. With both games of the Round 1 double header being decided by a single point, the Jets home ground once again proved a hard place to separate teams when Cronulla and Windsor drew 22 all in the opening match of today’s double header.
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Best for the Magpies were hooker Chris Corby, 5/8 Ben Falcone and winger Rhys Pritchard.
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Wests 18 (Moors 2, Daniella, Keppa; Moreton 1 goal
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Despite scoring four tries to three the Western Suburbs Magpies had to settle for a draw against the Jets in their NSW Cup Round 3 clash at Henson Park today. In the end the Black and Whites were relieved to hold on for the 18 all scoreline after the Magpies were forced to come back from 18-12 down with a late try to Junior Moors with only 3 minutes to play. Gareth Moreton landed the visitor’s first conversion of the afternoon to level the scores and give Wests a shot at a miracle escape. The Jets turned the tables and gave themselves last say in the match by finding touch with the kick off but Jets half Liam Foran’s last minute field goal attempt missed to the left of the posts. After the match Wests coach Leo Epifania was happy to get the club’s first competition point off the Bluebags in 5 years and felt the result was probably fair in a game where both sides squandered opportunities to win.
\
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\
For the third straight week the Magpies got off to a great start scoring the first two tries of the match, only to let their opponents back into the game. Fullback George Keppa raced onto skipper Nathan Water’s well weighted grubber in the 6th minute and had enough time to wander around in the in goal before grounding the ball for the four pointer. With Moreton starting from the bench Keppa was drafted in to take over the goal kicking duties but was unable to land any of his three attempts for the day.
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Wests defence in the early stages held the Jets at bay. Attempting to find a way around the Magpies wall Newtown put in a hopeful short chip out wide. Speedy winger Rhys Pritchard gathered in the ball and tip-toed along the sideline to skirt around the Newtown defence for a 60m run. Pritchard found Geoff Daniella looming on his inside and put him away for an 8-0 scoreline.
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The injection of big Newtown interchange forward Ryan Verlinden changed the complexion of the game. The former Bears and Sharks big man has caused plenty of problems for the Magpies in the past and he set about doing it again for his new club with some charging runs through the heart of the Wests line. The pressure was starting to tell on Wests as their structure fell away in the last ten minutes of the half. A mighty effort repelling three sets on their line seemed to have sapped the Magpies and the Jets were soon taking advantage when Wests failed to ‘shut the gate’ in defence allowing Newtown centre Kane Linnett a clear run to the line in the 33rd minute. Newtown’s kicker Chris Tuatara-Morrison brought his kicking boots landing the first of his three conversions for the day. 4 minutes later Tuatara-Morrison grabbed his own 4 pointer when a tired Wests failed to clean up a kick and allowed Newtown to regather just metres from the line.
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Having yet again failed to make the most of a fine start Wests found themselves down 12-8 at the break. Epifania told the players not to worry about the score and to just get their completions back on track to deny Newtown any more ball than necessary. The message seemed to have worked when Moors levelled the scores just two minutes into the half with a strong run, but Verlinden and Charlie Leaeno for the Jets kept the Magpies defence backpedalling. In the 66th minute Linnett scored an identical try to his first half effort to put the Jets in the box seat for the win before the Black and White’s late game escape.
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Henson Park has been kinder to Western Suburbs in 2010 than it has for many a year, but it is turning up some strange coincidences. With both games of the Round 1 double header being decided by a single point, the Jets home ground once again proved a hard place to separate teams when Cronulla and Windsor drew 22 all in the opening match of today’s double header.
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Best for the Magpies were hooker Chris Corby, 5/8 Ben Falcone and winger Rhys Pritchard.
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Wests 18 (Moors 2, Daniella, Keppa; Moreton 1 goal
