Author: Aaron

  • Men’s Premiership Round 15 Review: Bears Strengthen Their Grip on Top Spot

    Men’s Premiership Round 15 Review: Bears Strengthen Their Grip on Top Spot

    Bears strengthen top spot as Roosters turn the tables
    Round 15 produced four clear winners and several major late-season developments.

    The four games generated 206 points and 38 recorded tries. Three winning teams held their opponents to 12 points or fewer, while Kalamunda’s accuracy from the kicking tee proved decisive in the round’s highest-scoring contest.

    Willagee Bears 38 defeated Ellenbrook Rabbitohs 6
    Willagee reinforced their position at the top of the competition with another controlled performance.

    Saimoni Qaranivalu scored a hat-trick, Tommy Fifita crossed twice, and Kobi Aiesi and Malakai Chan Boon added one try each. Matthew Lansdown kicked five goals.

    Qaranivalu and Fifita accounted for five of Willagee’s seven tries, while the Bears’ defence restricted Ellenbrook to a single Riapo Jones try and Daniel Cyckoma conversion.

    Willagee entered the match averaging more than 53 points per game, so the 38-point return was below their extraordinary season average. Their defensive work was arguably more significant, conceding only six points.

    The Bears won the earlier meeting 56–14. Across the two games they outscored Ellenbrook 94–20, conceding only five tries in total while scoring 17 themselves.

    Kalamunda Bulldogs 42 defeated Joondalup Giants 28
    Kalamunda’s goal-kicking was the defining difference in a match that was much closer in tries than the final margin suggested.

    The Bulldogs scored seven tries to Joondalup’s six. Tommy Etchells, Elijah Joe and Josh Ngapuhi each crossed twice, while another Bulldog added the seventh.

    Joe then converted all seven tries, finishing with an outstanding 22-point individual haul from two tries and seven goals.

    Joondalup’s six tries came through doubles to Lincoln Williams and Tiger Williams, plus a try to Fraser Masterton. Tiger Williams kicked two goals.

    The try difference was worth only four points. The remaining 10 points of Kalamunda’s 14-point winning margin came through goal-kicking, with the Bulldogs scoring 14 points from goals compared with Joondalup’s four.

    It was a textbook example of why converting tries can decide matches between relatively evenly matched attacks.

    Fremantle Roosters 26 defeated South Perth Lions 6
    Fremantle produced one of the most important defensive performances of the round, restricting South Perth to a single try.

    Ishmael Leilua, Lleyton Cameron and Manson Carmody each crossed for the Roosters, while Harry Debique kicked five goals.

    South Perth’s only try came through Luke-David Wells-Talamaivao, with Kade McDonald adding the conversion.

    The result was especially striking when compared with the clubs’ earlier meeting. South Perth defeated Fremantle 66–16 in Round 6, but the Roosters reversed the result with a 26–6 victory in Round 15.

    That represents a 70-point swing in the match margin, with Fremantle moving from losing by 50 to winning by 20.

    Holding the Lions to six points was the clearest evidence of Fremantle’s improvement. The Roosters did not need a huge attacking total because their defensive effort continually denied South Perth the opportunity to build pressure.

    North Beach Sea Eagles 48 defeated Kwinana Titans 12
    North Beach delivered a nine-try performance to secure a convincing win over Kwinana.

    Wyatt Rogers scored a hat-trick, Te Ra Hare Ahuriri crossed twice, and Riley Bradley, Bow Stein, George Hough and Jay Roa added one try each. Nicholas Prance kicked six goals.

    Kwinana scored three tries through a Titans player double and Ben Russell but were unable to add any goals.

    The Sea Eagles’ 9–3 try advantage created the 36-point margin, with six different North Beach players finding the line. Rogers’ three tries alone matched Kwinana’s entire team total.

    Prance’s 12 points from the tee were also equivalent to Kwinana’s full match score.

    For North Beach, the result provided a much-needed attacking boost and showed the damage they can cause when their finishing receives consistent service.

  • Val Murphy Trophy Round 15 Review: Bears Produce a 98-Point Masterclass

    Val Murphy Trophy Round 15 Review: Bears Produce a 98-Point Masterclass

    Bears hit 98 in a round of attacking explosions
    Round 15 of the Val Murphy Trophy was dominated by high-scoring performances.

    The five matches produced 320 total points and 59 recorded tries. Winning teams accounted for 274 of those points and 51 tries. Only South Perth’s 10-point victory over Fremantle was decided by fewer than 24 points.

    Willagee Bears 98 defeated Ellenbrook Rabbitohs 0
    Willagee delivered the performance of the round, recording 17 tries and 15 goals in a relentless 98-point display.

    Rhys Smith led the try-scoring with four, John Leota collected a hat-trick and Tahupotiki Awhitu-Kerei crossed twice. Eight other Bears also scored, giving Willagee 11 different try scorers.

    Te Putuangaanga Huriwai-Brown completed a remarkable individual afternoon with a try and 15 goals for 34 points. His goal-kicking success rate was approximately 88 per cent, ensuring almost every Willagee attacking opportunity was fully rewarded.

    The most impressive aspect was not simply the size of the score but the distribution of the damage. The Bears were not reliant on one combination or one area of the field.

    Willagee had won the earlier meeting between the clubs 40–26. Round 15 therefore represented an enormous defensive improvement as well as an attacking explosion, with Ellenbrook held scoreless after posting 26 in the first encounter.

    North Beach Sea Eagles 62 defeated Kwinana Titans 6
    North Beach crossed for 12 tries through nine different scorers, overwhelming Kwinana with both individual brilliance and attacking variety.

    Wyatt Rogers scored three tries, while Bailey Hepper added two. Javhan Jones, Rikeem Richards, Rico Pryor, Justin Buckley, Lachie Lewis and Jay Roa completed the scoring.

    Rogers and Buckley finished with an identical 14 points each. Rogers combined three tries with one goal, while Buckley scored once and kicked five goals.

    Kwinana’s six points came from a Titan try and Jonathan Rofe’s conversion.

    The Sea Eagles also defeated Kwinana 84–10 earlier in the season. Across the two meetings, North Beach outscored the Titans 146–16, showing a clear advantage in this matchup.

    South Perth Lions 26 defeated Fremantle Roosters 16
    The closest contest of the round belonged to South Perth and Fremantle.

    The Lions scored five tries through five different players: Marc Fariu, Jordan Tumoana, Kee Davids, Xavier Cavanna and Kieren Lis. Tane Cassidy added three goals.

    Fremantle remained within striking distance through tries to Kredenz Hikairo-Seller, Trent Griffin and Owen Gallagher, with Griffin converting twice.

    South Perth’s 5–3 advantage in tries was ultimately the difference. Fremantle stayed competitive but could not find the additional score required to turn pressure into a genuine late challenge.

    The result also completed a strong pair of performances by the Lions against the Roosters. South Perth won the earlier meeting 38–12, giving them a combined 64–28 advantage across the two games.

    Kieren Lis scored four tries across those meetings, including a hat-trick in the first encounter and another try in Round 15.

    Joondalup Giants 36 defeated Kalamunda Bulldogs 12
    Joondalup’s attack was shared across six scorers as the Giants recorded a convincing away victory at Hartfield Park.

    Dylan Davis crossed twice, with Steven Hanson, Hudson Duncan, Philip Saunderson, Nick Farrell and Isaiah Rapana each scoring once. James Smith kicked four goals.

    Kalamunda’s entire try-scoring output came from Steven Crosbie, who crossed twice. Daniel Jones converted both tries.

    The Bulldogs were still within range through their two converted tries, but Joondalup’s ability to consistently find new scorers eventually created the separation. The Giants won the try count 7–2 and scored 28 points through tries alone.

    Joondalup also won the earlier meeting 48–0. Their combined score across the two games was 84–12, although Kalamunda improved significantly by finding two tries in the rematch.

    Rockingham Sharks 52 defeated Alkimos Tigers 12
    Rockingham’s scoring pattern produced the most unusual statistic of Round 15: all five Sharks try scorers crossed exactly twice.

    Byron Tautaiolefua, Cole Eru, Kelston Mudu, Ben Cottam and Haydyn Wade each recorded doubles, giving Rockingham 10 tries without a single one-try scorer.

    Wade added six goals to his two tries and finished with 20 individual points.

    Alkimos replied through Richard Aiolupotea and Kingston Pene, with Jack Wray converting both tries.

    The Sharks’ scoring balance made them particularly difficult to contain. Rather than one player dominating the match, five separate players repeatedly broke through the Alkimos defence.

    Rockingham had also defeated the Tigers 34–8 earlier in the season. Across the two meetings, the Sharks scored 86 points to 20, with Round 15 representing an improvement of 18 points in their attacking output.

  • Women’s Premiership Round 13 Review: Giants Make a Statement

    Women’s Premiership Round 13 Review: Giants Make a Statement

    Giants make a statement as Rabbitohs remain in control
    Women’s Premiership Round 13 produced two decisive results at Charlotte’s Vineyard Sports Pavilion. Joondalup delivered the round’s biggest statement with a 40–8 win over Willagee, while Ellenbrook continued their strong campaign by defeating Fremantle 28–8.

    Across the two games, the winning teams scored 68 points to 16, with an average winning margin of 26 points.

    Joondalup Giants 40 defeated Willagee Bears 8
    Joondalup produced one of their most complete attacking performances of the season, crossing for nine tries through six different scorers.

    Journey Kereopa recorded a hat-trick, Kairo Morunga crossed twice, while Crystal Walters, Anneka Stephens, Chanelle Edwards and Ngamata Moekaa each added a try. Moekaa also converted twice.

    Willagee scored through Tara McNally and a Bears player, but two tries were never going to be enough against a Giants side that continually found different avenues to the line.

    The 9–2 try count tells the story. Joondalup scored more than four times as many tries as the Bears and turned an important contest into a 32-point statement.

    For the Giants, the performance showed they possess far more than one or two attacking threats. For Willagee, the challenge will be restoring the defensive resilience that had previously made them one of the competition’s leading sides.

    Ellenbrook Rabbitohs 28 defeated Fremantle Roosters 8
    Ellenbrook’s victory was built on balance rather than one dominant individual.

    All five Rabbitohs tries were scored by different players: Kalissa Moon, Frieda Ah-Sam, Tatyana Fisher, Chey Campbell and Ariana Ruru-Hinaki. Shamaia Grey added four goals, giving Ellenbrook an 80 per cent conversion rate from their five tries.

    That spread of scorers is an encouraging sign. Fremantle could not simply shut down one key player, with Ellenbrook receiving contributions from across the field.

    The Roosters crossed twice through Mariah Bell and Name PRIVATE but were unable to add a conversion. The final 5–2 try count gave the Rabbitohs a clear advantage, while Grey’s eight points from the tee turned a 12-point try-scoring difference into a 20-point final margin.

    Fremantle created enough to find the line twice, but Ellenbrook’s defensive control and ability to complete their scoring opportunities proved decisive.

  • Mapu-Satiu’s Late Try Lifts Willagee Past Kalamunda

    Willagee Bears 18 defeated Kalamunda Bulldogs 16

    Iverson Mapu-Satiu crossed for a late match-winning try as the Willagee Bears held off the Kalamunda Bulldogs 18–16 in a closely fought contest.

    With Kalamunda leading 16–12 inside the final minutes, Mapu-Satiu ran a strong line on the left edge and powered through the Bulldogs’ defence to level the scores.

    Tamaha Teirney then calmly converted from approximately 10 metres inside the sideline, giving Willagee a two-point advantage.

    Kalamunda attempted a short, wobbling kick-off from the restart and came close to regaining possession, but the Bears recovered the ball and held on until fulltime.

    Bulldogs strike first

    Kalamunda opened the scoring in approximately the 13th minute after Ben Solomona sparked the attack through the middle of the field.

    Solomona dummied, broke through a tackle and offloaded to a supporting runner. After the Willagee defence recovered, Kalamunda shifted to the right before moving the ball back across the field on the final tackle.

    Dyshan Simpson finished the movement on the left edge to give the Bulldogs a 4–0 lead, although the conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

    Willagee responded in the 25th minute following an early shift and a dangerous dummy-half run that generated a quick play-the-ball close to the Kalamunda line.

    Emmanuel Maliko took advantage of the retreating defence and crossed underneath the posts. The conversion put Willagee ahead 6–4.

    Smith turns defence into attack

    The Bears extended their advantage in the 32nd minute when Kalamunda attempted to shift the ball near the Willagee try line.

    Rhys Smith intercepted the pass and raced almost the length of the field to score beside the posts.

    The successful conversion gave Willagee a 12–4 lead and completed a significant turnaround after Kalamunda had controlled much of the opening period.

    The Bulldogs responded before halftime through the lively Elijah Joe.

    Joe burrowed over from dummy half beside the posts in the 35th minute, with the conversion reducing Willagee’s lead to 12–10 at the break.

    Second half becomes an arm wrestle

    The opening stages of the second half were dominated by strong defence, penalties and handling errors, with neither side able to build sustained attacking pressure.

    Willagee forced a line drop-out with a well-placed grubber but immediately surrendered the opportunity by dropping the restart.

    The Bears later created another promising opportunity close to the Kalamunda line, only for a forward pass from dummy half to bring the attacking set to an end.

    Willagee received several penalties as the second half progressed and repeatedly moved into attacking territory, but the Bulldogs’ defence continued to scramble well.

    Kalamunda also placed pressure on Willagee’s kicking game, forcing errors and preventing the Bears from finding a consistent rhythm.

    Simpson’s second restores the lead

    The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead in approximately the 70th minute.

    A long pass from Langi found Simpson on Kalamunda’s left edge, with the winger crashing through the defence to score his second try of the match.

    The successful conversion moved Kalamunda ahead 16–12 with around 10 minutes remaining.

    Willagee appeared to have created the ideal opportunity to respond after producing the game’s only 40/20, but the Bears knocked on while attempting to play the ball.

    Kalamunda then made an error on the following possession, handing Willagee another opportunity to attack.

    This time, the Bears took advantage.

    Mapu-Satiu ran onto a well-timed pass, hit a hole in the defensive line and forced his way over on the left edge.

    With the scores locked at 16–16, Teirney converted the pressure kick to put Willagee in front.

    The Bears then survived Kalamunda’s short kick-off attempt to complete a dramatic 18–16 victory.

    By the numbers

    Both teams scored three tries, but Willagee’s perfect three-from-three conversion record proved to be the difference.

    Kalamunda completed its opportunities more consistently and appeared to make fewer errors across the contest, while Willagee overcame several incomplete sets and missed attacking chances.

    The Bears’ ability to capitalise on the game’s biggest moments ultimately decided the result. Smith’s long-range intercept try, Mapu-Satiu’s late finish and Teirney’s flawless goal-kicking allowed Willagee to secure the two competition points.

    Simpson was the game’s only multiple try-scorer, finishing with two tries for Kalamunda.

    Scorers

    Willagee Bears 18
    Tries: Emmanuel Maliko, Rhys Smith, Iverson Mapu-Satiu
    Goals: Tamaha Teirney 3

    Kalamunda Bulldogs 16
    Tries: Dyshan Simpson 2, Elijah Joe
    Goals: 2