The Glebe Dirty Reds had strong victories in the Ron Massey Cup and Sydney Shield, while the Kaiviti Silktails came close to an upset on the weekend.
Ron Massey Cup & Sydney Shield | Close Encounters with Canterbury
Glebe Dirty Reds 40 def 14 Penritih Brothers
The Glebe Dirty Reds bounced back from last week’s disappointing loss to Mounties, posting a comprehensive 40-14 win over Penrith Brothers at St Marys today.
Sterling performances from halves pairing Joe Taipari and Adam Fearnley laid a solid platform for the Dirty Reds, steering the side to five first-half tries.
Fearnley crossed first, regathering his own bomb to score adjacent to the posts, before Jonah Ngaranoa - who rejoined the club from Blacktown Workers during the week - scored the next try after just eleven minutes, with Joe Taipari scoring one of his own soon after.
Lleyton Finau and Temesia Jilivecevece bagged tries of their own before the break, while Taipari was perfect with the boot converting all five tries.
The Dirty Reds came out firing in the second half, scoring two more tries despite having captain Craig Garvey in the sin bin. Winger Alex Young scored an intercept try while forward Charles Vaka also crossed, taking the lead out to 40-nil.
Glebe then took the foot off the accelerator, with Brothers rewarded for their perseverance to score three late tries for a final score of 40-14.
The Glebe Dirty Reds Ron Massey Cup side will enjoy the bye in Round 6, before facing St Marys Saints in Round 7.
Glebe Dirty Reds 32 def Manly Leagues 24
Meanwhile, the Sydney Shield side led 24-0 at half-time with their clash with Manly Leagues, off the back of strong runs from wingers Adam Batty and Saiyasi Ikanidrordro along with smart ball playing from skipper Connor Garetty.
Manly fought back after the break taking advantage of a strong wind to close the deficit, but a crucial hit by Ben Ernest turned momentum back to Glebe, who ran out deserving victors 32-24.
The Glebe Dirty Reds will enjoy the bye in Round 6, before hosting Cabramatta Two Blues in Round 7.
Jersey Flegg Cup | Silktails Strong in Manoa Thompson Bowl
Kaiviti Silktails 14 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 22
The Kaiviti Silktails took it to the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Erskineville Oval in Round 7 of the Jersey Flegg Cup, narrowly defeated 22-14 in a wholehearted effort in the second leg of the Manoa Thompson Bowl.
With a seven-day break between their last match, the energy and effort from the Silktails was evident from the first whistle, with second rower Joseva Rateri scoring the opening try of the match just four minutes in.
Souths replied a few minutes later, with Rateri bagging his second as the sides were locked up at 12-all at the break.
A penalty goal saw the Silktails break away and reclaim the lead, however a further two tries late in the contest saw the Rabbitohs claim victory by eight points.
For General Manager Damon Spooner, the effort was evident of a side looking to reverse their fortunes as they continue to adapt to the Jersey Flegg competition.
"Round 8 was a little different for us in terms of preparation for game two of the Manoa Thompson Bowl," he explained.
"This club is proud to recognise past Fijian pioneer players like Manoa that played both at NRL club and for Fiji. The effort and energy was a massive improvement on previous weeks.
"The week was an educational exercise to study and learn the history of that club and Moana’s playing career what he has given to the game and Fiji.
"Our players were pushed to the limit, which will only make them better, and despite not coming away with the win, most people at the game would agree it was very entertaining to watch."
QLD Cup | Jets Bested by Tweed Heads
Ipswich Jets 12 def by Tweed Heads Seagulls 38
It was a tough outing for the Ipswich Jets in Round 6 of the QLD Cup, downed 38-12 by the Tweed Heads Seagulls at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.
The visitors started hard and fast, with three tries in the opening quarter to set up a handy 16-nil lead at half-time.
Unfortunately, the intermission was unable to lift Ipswich's spirits, with their opponents scoring a further four tries in the second stanza, before a sin-bin saw the Jets capitalise through centre Aaron Schoupp in the 60th minute.
Fullback Byron Johnson touched down for the side's second, but following a sin-binning of their own, Tweed had final say in the match with another four-pointer to consolidate the Jets to last place on the ladder.
The Ipswich Jets will enjoy a week off with the bye in Round 7, before hosting the Northern Pride when they return to the field in Round 8.
