The VB NSW Cup enters the final stages of the season after a gripping Round 19 of action. The Warriors now sit alone atop the ladder after their second consecutive victory against the Illawarra Cutters. The Warriors travelled to WIN Stadium to pull off a rare road victory, claiming a narrow 24-22 win to leap into first place in the competition. Ken Maumalo was sensational for the Warriors, bagging a four-try haul.
The Canterbury Bulldogs stamped their premiership credentials with an impressive 24-10 victory that toppled the Penrith Panthers from the top of the table. It was the Bulldogs’ sixth win in their last eight matches and are destined for more than just a top-four finish if they carry their electric form into the finals. Corey Thompson was the hat-trick hero for the Bulldogs to send the Panthers reeling with their third-straight loss.
Mounties climbed to second place with a 30-24 win at GIO Stadium against the Newtown Jets. The scoreline flattered the Jets who trailed 30-4 before scoring four tries in the last ten minutes of the match for a more respectable result. The Jets have now lost four of their past five matches as they cling to eighth place.
It was a superb Sunday afternoon of footy at North Sydney Oval, as the Bears faithful inspired their team to a furious fight back from an 18-4 halftime deficit. However, the Wentworthville Magpies courageously held on for the memorable 27-20 victory.
The Wyong Roos maintain their top-four position after a thrilling 28-26 win over their local rivals, the Newcastle Knights. It was a seesawing encounter as both sides fought for the vital competition points. Honeti Tuha’s three-try effort wasn’t enough for the Knights who sit in seventh place as they take on the competition’s form team, the fifth-placed Bulldogs in a desperate clash at Belmore Oval on Sunday.
A jam-packed Round 20 also features the competition leaders – the Warriors – taking on the Manly Sea Eagles at Mt Smart Stadium in the FOX Sports Match of the Round; the Bears hosting the Cutters; the Panthers aiming for the bounce-back victory against Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval; the Magpies look to upset Mounties at home; and the Roos take on the Jets in a pivotal fourth-versus-eighth contest in a potential finals preview.
Click here for Round 19 VB NSW Cup highlights.
Click here for Round 20 VB NSW Cup match details and team line-ups.