Magpies stun Saints in huge semi-final upset, secure Grand Final place; NSWRL Wrap
St Marys had gone through the entire season unbeaten, but are now staring at elimination.
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The Wentworthville Magpies have pulled off the unthinkable, beating the previously-unbeaten minor-premiership winning St Marys Saints to secure their place in the 2023 Ron Massey Cup Grand Final in two weeks' time.
Though the Saints hit the ground running and took an early lead, the Magpies controlled the middle stages of the game, assisted by a sin-bin and a penalty goal to take a 12-point lead early in the second half. Though the minor premiers fought back valiantly to get within a converted try, they ultimately fell short.
The Saints will now play Glebe, who made light work of Ryde-Eastwood in the elimination semi-final. Though the Hawks offered plenty of resistance and were full of confidence after bouncing the defending premiers last week, a strong opening and finish saw the Reds claim a 28-10 win.
In the Sydney Shield, St Marys have secured their spot in the grand final with a win over local rivals Brothers. The Saints shot out to an early lead thanks to a four-try first half and were never headed.
Brothers will now take on the Hills Bulls after they also managed to get past Ryde-Eastwood in a high-scoring contest. The Bulls surged to a 20-6 lead midway through the second half before the Hawks came home with a wet sail, leading to some tense moments in the final stages. Ultimately, the Bulls held on for a four-point victory.
RON MASSEY CUP
WENTWORTHVILLE 18 (C Tupou, J Delailoa, K Walkington-Meads tries; L O’Brien 3 goals) D. ST MARYS 12 (D Fale, Z Greene tries; Greene 2 goals).
GLEBE 28 (J Tufuga 2, B Maarbani, D Makoare-Boyce, C Ellis tries; Makoare-Boyce 3, D Arahu goals) D. RYDE-EASTWOOD 10 (L Suli-Ruka, Z Mackay tries; Mackay goal).
NEXT WEEK: St Marys v Glebe at HE Laybutt Fields, Saturday 3pm
SYDNEY SHIELD
ST MARYS 28 (M Tuavao 2, D Brown, D Sykes, S Laban tries; R Stokes 4 goals) D. PENRITH BROTHERS 10 (J Smith, J Chan tries; D Boney goal).
HILLS BULLS 26 (J Jaber 2, S Walpole, T Haika, D Smith tries; J Rizk 3 goals) D. RYDE-EASTWOOD 22 (R Jones, W Malloy, C Kelso, J Boumhelm tries; N Ferris 2, J Wright goals).
NEXT WEEK: Brothers v Hills Bulls at HE Laybutt Fields, Saturday 1pm
Feature Image via NSWRL.
