Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles suffered a 26-12 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in round eight of the NSW Cup on Saturday.
The Blacktown Workers team were boosted with the addition of Manly NRL centre Morgan Harper.
Hard working prop Kurt De Luis and experienced NRL player James Segeyaro also returned to the side this week.
Blacktown Workers started brightly with prop James Roumanos scoring a converted try in the 12th minute when he carried three defenders over the line after backing up a great break by half-back James Segeyaro.
Unfortunately, Blacktown Workers then conceded four straight tries to the Rabbitohs to trail 20-6 at half-time at Ironmark High Performance Centre at Redfern.
Blacktown Workers winger Bilal Maarbani crossed for his team’s second try 14 minutes into the second half when he dived over in the corner after good lead up work by five-eighth Eiden Ackland, Segeyaro, and centre Alfred Smalley.
Souths then crossed for one more late try for their 14 point win. The loss leaves Blacktown Workers with one win from seven matches.
De Luis had a strong game for Blacktown Workers, making 44 tackles and running 186 metres as he continues to push for a place in the Manly NRL team.
The 10th placed Blacktown Workers now play the bottom placed Western Suburbs Magpies at 4 Pines Park on Saturday, May 7, at 12.40pm, in the second game of a triple header.
South Sydney 26 (Jake Tago, Jaxson Paulo, Peter Mamouzelos, Josiah Karapani, Maila Chan-Foon tries: Dean Hawkins 3 goals) d Blacktown Workers 12 (James Roumanos, Bilal Maarbani tries, Jake Toby 2 goals).
Blacktown Workers team
18 Jake Toby, 2 Bilal Maarbani, 3 Alfred Smalley, 4 Morgan Harper, 5 Ray Vaega, 6 Eiden Ackland, 7 James Segeyaro, 8 James Roumanos, 9 Tyran Ott 10 Kurt De Luis, 11 Luke Hodge, 12 Jacob Sykes, 20 Adam Fearnley; interchange: 13 William Swann, 14 Joe Tramontana, ,15 Jordan Main, 17 Bruce Ward; reserve 16 Kenny Soumpholophakdy
