Cougars Maul Blacks
Friday 8th April, 2005

Corrimal 42 (Ric McGuinness, Pete Tweddle (3), Matt Kearns, Ben Smede, Adam Kerr, Trent Jansen Tries; Adam Kerr (5)Goals) defeated Port Kembla 10 (Mark Simon, Lincoln Hutchison Tries; Mark Simon Goal)

A pumped up Corrimal outfit and a string of injuries saw Port Kembla convincingly defeated by Corrimal. The cougars had answers for everything The Blacks tried to throw at them, and if not for allowing the two Port tries in, played almost a perfect game of football.

Led by captain Don Tweddle up front and brother Pete and five-eighth Ben Smede out wide, The Cougars bounced back from a round one drubbing at the hands of Collegians to down Port in a lopsided second half display.

Port went into the match on the back of a win against last season's runners up, Thirroul. They would also be without new signing Daniel Matthews, the Port forward ruled out for the season after being diagnosed with a fractured back. Starting centre Josh Edwards also missed the match with an arm injury, as did replacement hooker Ben Carr, while Luke Watts was out due to illness.

The game opened with a typical charging run from Don Tweddle into the centre of the Port Kembla forwards. Michael Cross opened his account on the second tackle with a rattling tackle on a Corrimal opponent. Inside the first minute, Port were down a player when Matthew's replacement for the match, Matt Skora, was taken from the field with an ankle injury. Skora was to play no further part in the game.

Port received the first penalty of the game just one minute in when Junior Phillip was taken high by Trent Jansen. Four minutes into the game, Port tried to push a pass on their own forty metre line, only to cough up possession to Corrimal. Michael Cross was then penalised for a high shot, before Adam Kerr brushed off a defender and sliced through to go over for Corrimal's opening try of the night. Kerr converted his own try and The Cougars led early by six.

It took a further ten minutes for Port to reply when Lincoln Hutchison, perhaps Port's best on the night, sent Stuart Phillpott through a neat hole. Phillpott drew Corrimal fullback Luke Stafford and threw back inside to a following Lincoln Hutchison who crossed for his first try in Port colours. Mark Simon's conversion attempt hit the upright to leave Corrimal with a two point margin.

Jason Sullivan looked to get Port on a roll a few minutes later when he broke through the Corrimal defensive line deep inside Port territory. With the defence converging on the half way line, Sullivan tried to kick inside for Matthew Michalowski, starting in place of the injured Josh Edwards, only to see his kick miscued, turning possession over to Corrimal.

The next fifteen minutes were scoreless, with both teams having their opportunities to score. Nathan Heffernan lost the pill in the play the ball before Junior Phillip pulled off a try saving tackle on Don Tweddle just ten metres from the Port try line after Tweddle had disposed of his opposing defender in another one on one contest.

Corrimal fullback Luke Stafford got outside his marker in the 22nd minute, only to see the final pass go to ground. Up the other end of the field, Phillpott was penalised for a high tackle on Stafford, both touch judges converging on referee Mick Dupille to give their version of events. Mark Simon made breaks on consecutive tackles to move Port fifty metres up field, then a referee's call found Port to have knocked the ball forward somehow.

Port started to string together some good offence, and in the 27th minute, a Phillpott kick and Port chasers saw Stafford knock on in goal. Simon kicked in the following set, toed the ball forward and regathered, only to lose the ball under heavy pressure trying to reach out for the try line.

Ten from half time, Jason Sullivan was ruled to have knocked the ball forward, even though the ball was propelled towards his own goal line. Arguing the call, Dupille had no hesitation in penalising Sullivan for backchat, giving Corrimal good position just ten out from Port's line. The Cougars didn't waste any time with winger Ric McGuinees crossing in the corner immediately. Kerr's sideline conversion attempt hit the post to leave Corrimal with a10-4 lead.

Three minutes later, another 50/50 call went against Port when they were ruled to have knocked on. Corrimal split the defence on their second tackle, with Pete Tweddle crossing for the try and Kerr adding the extras to go up by two converted tries.

Trent Hill threatened with a kick and chase, but Phillpott was first t the ball, kicking it back twenty metres for Sullivan to clean up. Port made it to the fifth tackle only to see Luke Roberts knock on from dummy half. The half ended with Corrimal receiving a penalty three from the bell, and knocking the ball forward on the stroke of half time.

Port's second half started off in promising fashion with Lincoln Hutchison making a decisive break up the centre of the ruck. The ball went through the hands of Phillpott and Terry Hol, before Mark Simon received the ball and ran twenty metres to score. He converted his own try and the margin was back to just six inside the first minute of the second half.

Cross continued his strong game, combining with Luke Roberts to pull off a big hit on the Cougars pack, Corrimal throwing the ball into touch on the next tackle. It was the six minute mark when Nathan Heffernan limped from the field with a leg injury, Port now reduced to two on the bench.

The Cougars then stepped up a gear, the Corrimal based side running in four tries in the space of ten minutes against a Port side a shadow of last week's team. Pete Tweddle shrugged off defenders in the 7th minute, his 15 metre run earning his second try. With Port ruching out of the line in the 11th minute, Pete Tweddle strolled through for his third try of the game, Kerr converting to make the scoreline 26-10 in favour of Corrimal.

A neat Ben Smede chip mid-field was regathered, the final ball sending winger Matt Kearns over the line, before Trent Hill kicked across field to find his winger, the ball going straight through the arms of one Cougars player, but finding Pete Tweddle on the wrap around. Tweddle found Trent Jansen inside of him, the second rower running in Corrimal's seventh try of the game. Kerr converted for a 36-10 lead midway through the second half.

In his first run on game in the top grade, Matthew Michalowski made the most of his limited opportunities. He earned Port a penalty in the 25th minute when Matt Kearns roughed the teenager up in a tackle. But it was Corrimal who scored again in the 28th minute when Pete Tweddle was brought down from behind in a try saving tackle by Daniel Bunt, only to see five-eighth Ben Smede stroll over on the next play untouched. The Kerr goal gave Corrimal a 32 point lead over Port.

With Cougars fans crying out for a half century of points, Mark Simon tried to breath some life back into Port, kicking and then chasing the ball, toe-ing it through down the sideline, only to fall at the final hurdle, unable to regather the ball five out from Corrimal's line.

Port looked close to going over again three from full time, the final pass from Hutchison to Hol ruled to have gone forward. The match ended with Corrimal recording a comprehensive win over Port, leaving the Blacks in the bottom three on the ladder on percentages.

Corrimal's win was well deserved. Their forwards always seemed to be on a roll, and their backs were efficient in their play. Ben Smede was the playmaker leading the Cougars from five-eighth, while Pete Tweddle outplayed his backline opponents. It was hard to pick a standout in their forwards, Don Tweddle leading from the front early, but then seemingly allowing his team mates to take the limelight. The likes of Trent Jansen and Matt Fisher somewhat dominated their Port counterparts.

The true impact of the win perhaps came afterwards, a band of Corrimal supporters cheering each and every one of the Corrimal players individually as they left the dressing sheds in a display of true mateship.

For Port, it's back to the drawing board for this week's game against Wollongong. The Blacks will already be without Daniel Matthews, out for the season. Nathan Heffernan and Matt Skora will need to undergo assessments of their fitness in the lead up to Saturdays game, while Daniel Jiminez is also in doubt after coming from the field in the final ten minutes injured.

Lincoln Hutchison had a standout game for Port, and together with Luke Roberts and Michael Cross, were Port's only real bright lights. Mark Simon was always in the thick of the action, but his usual command performance was mostly kept in check by Corrimal's defence.

FIRST GRADE TEAMS:
PORT KEMBLA: 1.Jason Sullivan, 2.Juita Suka, 3.Nathan Heffernan, 4.Matthew Michalowski, 5.Terry Hol, 6.Stuart Phillpott, 7.Mark Simon, 8.Michael Cross, 9.Luke Roberts, 10.Junior Phillip, 11.Daniel Jiminez, 12.Matt Skora, 13.Lincoln Hutchison, 14.Oscar Ferreira, 15.Lulia Lulia, 16.Jesse King, 20.Daniel Bunt
CORRIMAL: 1.Luke Stafford, 2.Ric McGuinness, 3.Brian Walsh, 4.Pete Tweddle, 5.Matt Kearns, 6.Ben Smede, 7.Trent Hill, 8.Ben Westblade, 9.Luke Jewitt, 10.Don Tweddle, 11.Matt Fisher, 12.Trent Jansen, 13.Adam Kerr
 

Port started the game without Ben Carr and Luke Watts, out with injury and illness. Matt Skora was also called into the First Grade line up during the week. On the positive, Lulia Lulia was available at the last minute after being released from duties with the Dragons Jersey Flegg team for this weekend.

Port knocked on when on their fifth tackle after just two minutes, Corrimal hooker Dean Potts able to score shortly after for a 4-0 lead. Although early in the match, Port were not showing the same sort of determination and control as they did the previous week. Too many mistakes and dropped ball forced Port to absorb four straight sets of Corrimal attack, their defence being the only thing that stopped Corrimal from putting three or four tries on them in the opening few minutes.

Corrimal did go over in the seventh minute through winger Blake O'Grady, before they scored again in the 13th minute on the back of another dropped ball by Port and a fortuitous penalty, the two instances combining to take Corrimal 90 metres up field.

Port didn't score until the 22nd minute when they held the ball for their first full set of six. It resulted in Troy Fleming going over in the corner, Port trailling the fired up Corrimal side by 16-4. Even before the first grade fixture, it was evident that Corrimal had huge support in the crowd, and at times, the normally vocal Port supporters were drowned out by the Cougar brigade.

Port received two straight penalties in the 25th minute giving them an ideal opportunity to attack Corrimal's line, only to see the ball spilled on the first tackle. Corrimal then went the length of the field and crossed through Dave James to take the margin out to 18. Two minutes from half time, and Port put together their best set of six of the game, even though there were no points at the end of it.

The Blacks did look like narrowing the gap on the stroke of half time, only to see the normally reliable Lulia Lulia drop the ball with the try line wide open. Instead, Port went into the break down by three converted tries.

Port started the second half in good manner, forcing an immediate Corrimal error. But the frustration of Port's coaching staff and supporters continued to build with Port relinquishing possession on the third tackle through another dropped ball.

Mohamad Hijazi was having a good game for Port, and crossed from dummy half twelve into the half, the first time Port had back to back sets completed. Daniel Bunt converted to narrow the gap to twelve.

Any hopes Port had of mounting a comeback were doused when Corrimal hit back in the 16th minute, halfback Kris Walton waltzing through some feeble defence to cross for Corrimal to take a 28-10 lead with under twenty minutes to play.

The Cougars defence was super to this point, repelling many of Port's raids and forcing many of Port's mistakes. In the 26th minute, some over enthusiastic defence and a professional foul saw a Corrimal player spend the remainder of the game in the sin bin.

Port capitalised on the reduced Cougars team to score immediately when Brent Douglas powered over from close range. Bunt converted for a 28-16 scoreline, giving Port a faint glimmer of hope, eight minutes left on the clock.

Corrimal held firm though, their determination far superior to that of Port. In the end, it came down to Corrimal wanting the win more and doing what it took to get it.

Port were unlucky to lose Keiran Jack to what is a suspected broken hand.

Port's final try came two minutes from full-time when Oscar Ferreira stole a try in the corner. Bunt's conversion attempt dropped a couple of metres short of the posts, and Corrimal had the win 28-10.

George Webb and Mohamad Hijazi were easily Port's best, while Brent Douglas added some much needed impact and solidity of the bench. Jesse King had a good first up game in his return to Port. The Blacks need to regroup for Wollongong this weekend at home, a game which is crucial to keep them in the mix given what seems to be the evenness of the competition this year.

PORT KEMBLA TEAM
1.Matt Richards, 2.Neil Sumner, 3.Oscar Ferreira, 4.Nick Kosiak, 5.Troy Fleming, 6.Daniel Bunt, 7.George Webb, 8.Kim August, 9.Corey Condon, 10.Kayne Spinks, 11.Julian Ulukita, 12.Daniel Ryman, 13.Jesse King, 14.Brad Handcock, 15.Brent Douglas, 16.Keiran Jack, 17.Daniel Nunez, 18.Kane Armstrong, 19.Allan McLachlan, 20.Tom Ulukita, 21.Lulia Lulia, 22.Mohamad Hijazi
 

Port Kembla 42 (Aaron Troiano (2), Scott Crowther (2), Joel Court, Anthony Harris, Burim Saliji, Nicholas Henry Tries; Ben Nagy (4), Dean Erskine Goals) defeated Corrimal 6 (Luke Rukavina Try; Wally Archibald Goal)

The Wollongong Asphalt Under 18's were again the leading team for The Blacks on a night where injury and errors typified much of Port's game.

After an initial ten minute period which saw Corrimal put it to The Blacks, Port scored tries in the 11th (Scott Crowther), 13th (Aaron Troiano), 22nd (Crowther), 24th (Nicholas Henry) and 31st (Joel Court) minutes of the half. Four conversions had Port up 28-0 at the main break.

Matt Nagy was having a blinder at fullback, and he almost scored in the second minute of the second half, only to be caught inches short. Winger Aaron Troiano, keen to show selectors of the Illawarra team what they forgot to select, dived over from dummy half for his second try Port leading 32-0 after 37 minutes of play.

Most of the next ten minutes saw Corrimal put to the test, Port camped inside the Cougars territory. Corrimal's resolve held fast for this period until in the 13th minute of the half, a Corrimal error handed Anthony Harris the opportunity to crash his way over for Port's seventh try and a 36-0 lead.

Corrimal threatened to worry the scoreboard attendant when they raided Port's line in the 20th minute, only to have the final pass find a Port defender.  Port made a break before Aaron Troiano was brought down. Corrimal's scrambling defence then forced an error from Port, Pas Gaudiosi, filling in for Matthew Michalowski, spilled the ball.

Corrimal's commitment was unquestioned. They were outplayed by a better Port side, but the Cougars juniors never shirked their responsibility. Their efforts were rewarded in the 24th minute when Luke Rukavina scored for Wally Archibald to convert. Corrimal were on the board, although down by 36-6.

Port's final try came seven from full-time when Burim Saliji scored a hooker's try close to the sticks, allowing Dean Erskine to make the easy conversion.

Port were again good across the park, but were best served by Matt Nagy and Scott Crowther, the two backs starring for Port. Aaron Troiano had another solid game on the wing to remind selectors he is still about, while Anthony Harris justified his selection in the Illawarra Divisional squad with a lead from the front performance.

Port's biggest test of the year so far comes this weekend when they take on Dapto at Noel Mulligan Oval as a lead up to Reserve and First Grade clashes with Wollongong Bulls.

PORT KEMBLA TEAM
1.Matt Nagy, 2.Aaron Troiano, 3.Joel Court, 4.Scott Crowther, 5.Joseph Gander, 6.Ben Purcell, 7.Aaron Griffiths, 8.Anthony Harris, 9.Burim Saliji, 10.Gavin Walsh, 11.Jon Koot, 12.Ben Nagy, 13.Pas Gaudiosi, 14.Kaine Edwards, 15.Rennie Carnevale, 16.Dean Erskine, 17.Shane Makea, 18.Nicholas Henry