The NSW Cup Warriors Move On

The NSW Cup playoffs started a week earlier than the NRL and NYC and saw the Warriors eliminate Mounties 36-28 at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday. After scraping into the top eight two weeks ago the NSW Cup Warriors side put in a good effort to topple the fifth place Mounties side to move onto the next stage of playoffs.

As a result of the win the Warriors take on the Illawarra Cutters who finished fourth but were defeated by the minor premiers Penrith. The Cutters are coming off a heavy defeat in week one of the finals going down 42-6. However, the Warriors did not lose either game to the Cutters in the regular season with a 12-all draw at Eden Park and a 35-28 Warriors victory later in the year at WIN Jubilee. The game kicks off at 8.10pm NZT at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney on Sunday.

The NSW Cup grand final is played a week earlier (September 28) than the NRL as the winner of the NSW Cup will take on the winner of the Queensland Cup on NRL grand final day on October 5.

Junior Warriors Bring In The Big Guns

The Junior Warriors have snuck into the top eight with a 18-all draw with Penrith on Sunday. They have continued a seven year long streak of making it into the playoffs and will take on the Roosters this Saturday at Allianz Stadium with a 5pm NZT kick off.

It was a tough game against Penrith for the Warriors despite some impressive stats with forwards Jazz Tevaga and Adam Tuimavave-Gerrard notching up 48 and 43 tackles respectively. Fullback Brad Abbey, center Ken Maumalo and winger Ngataua Hukatai gained close to 150 metres each.

As the NRL side failed to make the finals this year, Coach Stacey Jones was able to welcome back a few well experienced campaigners into his squad. David Fusitu'a and Tui Lolohea who both made their NRL debuts this year are still eligible to play in the Under 20s competition. Some more experience was added by Solomone Kata who has played in the NSW Cup Warriors side 13 times this year.

JUNIOR WARRIORS TEAM LIST

1 BRAD ABBEY

2 NGATAUA HUKATAI

3 KEN MAUMALO

4 SOLOMONE KATA

5 METIA LISATI

6 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA

7 MASON LINO (c)

8 SAM LISONE (c)

9 KURT ROBINSON

10 KOUMA SAMSON

11 MARATA NIUKORE

12 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD

13 JAZZ TEVAGA

Interchange:

14 OFAHIKI OGDEN

15 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY

16 NATHANIEL ROACHE

17 IULIO AFOA

18 JAMES BELL

COACH: STACEY JONES