Juniors Report Round 8: Regional Roosters Claim Cup Double

Two of the Club’s junior teams claimed premierships on the weekend, with Central Coast Roosters winning the Laurie Daley Cup and Andrew Johns Cup grand finals on Saturday at HE Laybutt Field in Blacktown.

The under-19 (Laurie Daley) and under-17 (Andrew Johns) tournaments featured the best young players from various NSW regions outside of Sydney, and the Roosters went undefeated to win both competitions.

In the Andrew Johns Cup, captain and lock James Miller was named man of the match as a rock-solid Roosters team defeated Illawarra South Coast Dragons 14-2.

Speaking to nswrl.com.au, Miller was immensely proud of the efforts from all his teammates to ensure the Dragons did not score a try in the 60-minute contest.

"Honestly, I give full credit to the boys," Miller said.

"We had a good season where everyone had a hand in every game and every win that we had, no matter if they were playing or just training they still made an effort to help us out all the way.

"When I got the man of the match trophy honestly I looked around at every other person that could have got it as well."

Down 2-0 at half-time, it wasn’t until the 42nd minute that the Roosters got onto the scoreboard with Jake Elliott scoring the opening try of the game. Elliott collected a deflected kick and run 95 metres to score the try, which helped turn the arm wrestle in favour of the Tricolours.

Tyrone Durrell scored the Roosters second try, but with 10 minutes remaining, Central Coast had a narrow 8-2 lead.

The game was sealed in the final minute, with halfback Zac Gillett crossing over for a try and Malachi Smith nailing the conversion attempt to put an exclamation mark on a great grand final performance.

A superb second half saw the Central Coast Roosters claim a 24-14 win in the Laurie Daley Cup grand final.

The Northern Tigers put up a great fight early, but a try from Roosters hooker Tyler Moriarty just before half-time ensured scores were level going into the second half.

A penalty goal put the Tigers back in front early in the second half, but second rower Jye Boyle and Moriarty both completed their braces by scoring their second tries to give Central Coast a 10-point win.

A full match report for the Laurie Daley Cup grand final is on the NSWRL website.

We had a good season where everyone had a hand in every game and every win that we had, no matter if they were playing or just training they still made an effort to help us out all the way.

James Miller Central Coast Roosters Andrew Johns Cup Lock

While finals are a couple of weeks away for the metropolitan junior competitions, the Club’s sides took a significant step towards playing finals football with some great results on the weekend.

A 10-try performance in the Tarsha Gale Cup has seen the girls secure a spot in the finals.

The move from halfback to hooker did not bother Taneka Todhunter, who scored a hat-trick in the 50-0 win over Parramatta Eels at New Era Stadium in Cabramatta.

Sophie Whitton, Zoe Cass and Otesa Pule claimed two tries each to help the Roosters significantly improve its for-and-against differential.

With two games remaining, the fifth-placed Roosters can’t fall out of the top six but need to win the last two games against Canberra and Wests Tigers and have other results go their way to finish second and have a bye in the first week of the finals.

In the SG Ball Cup, the Roosters have almost guaranteed themselves a spot in the finals after defeating Parramatta 36-22.

The Eels had the advantage during the first half, but a late try and conversion from five-eighth Sandon Smith put the Tricolours ahead 12-10 at half time.

Zac Montgomery featured in first grade trial against West Tigers, and the promising second rower led the way for the Roosters in the second half.

Montgomery scored two of the Roosters’ five second-half tries to inspire the Tricolours to a win over another top-six side.

Currently third on the SG Ball ladder, a win this Saturday against the fifth-placed Canberra Raiders will secure the squad a finals berth.

Mixed results in the Harold Matthews Cup on Saturday now sees both Central Coast and Sydney teams needing wins in the final two rounds for both finish in the top six and secure a spot in the finals.

Sydney slipped to seventh on the ladder after a 28-16 loss to Parramatta, while Central Coast are now fifth after thrashing South Sydney 54-6. 

Central Coast’s 10-try performance – including four from winger Mason Stottelaar - against Souths gave them a huge for-and-against boost to leapfrog Sydney and sixth-placed Western Suburbs.

Sydney take on the winless Canberra Raiders this weekend and play Western Suburbs in the final round, with the match potentially determining if one or both Roosters sides make the finals.

Central Coast have an arguably tougher two games, playing second-placed Parramatta and third-placed Penrith Panthers.

ROUND 8 SCOREBOARD

LAURIE DALEY CUP

Central Coast Roosters 24 (Jye Boyle 2, Tyler Moriarty 2 tries; Jessi O’Neill-Pethebridge 4 goals) def Northern Tigers 14

ANDREW JOHNS CUP

Central Coast Roosters 14 (Jake Elliott, Tyrone Dorrell, Zac Gillett tries; Malachi Smith 1 goals) def Illawarra South Coast Dragons 2

TARSHA GALE CUP

Sydney Roosters 50 (Taneka Todhunter 3, Sophie Whitton 2, Zoe Cass 2, Otesa Pule 2, Rease Casey tries; Ruby Smith 5 goals) def Parramatta Eels 0

Next Round: Canberra Raiders, 11:30am Saturday at Mascot Oval

Ladder: Fifth, have secured a spot in Tarsha Gale Cup finals

SG BALL CUP

Sydney Roosters 36 (Zac Montgomery 2, Corey Ross, Sandon Smith, Jordan Swann, Thomas Deakin, Kyron Fekitoa tries; Sandon Smith 4 goals) def Parramatta Eels 22

Next Round: Canberra Raiders, 2:30pm Saturday at Mascot Oval

Ladder: Third, 1.5 wins ahead of seventh-placed Illawarra Steelers with 2 games remaining

HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP

Sydney Roosters 16 (Cassius Tia 2, Cooper Toy tries; Josh Durkin 2 goals) def by Parramatta Eels 28

Next Round: Canberra Raiders, 1pm Saturday at Mascot Oval

Ladder: Seventh

Central Coast Roosters 54 (Mason Stottelaar 4, Noah Goodman 2, Cade Melon, Oliver Juras, Ethan Strange, Blake Steep tries; Hayden Ritchie 7 goals) def St George Dragons 6

Next Round: Parramatta Eels, 11am Saturday at McCredie Park

Ladder: Fifth