Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles recorded their biggest win of the NSW Cup season with a commanding 48-6 victory over the Sydney Roosters at 4 Pines Park today.
The victory eclipsed the previous biggest win for the team, a 46-10 win over Parramatta Eels two rounds ago.
Winger Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega scored two of the side's nine tries as they kept their opponents to just one try late in the match.
A 30-0 lead at the break showcased Blacktown’s ability to score across the field as the side had four tries in the opening 30 minutes of the bout. Tries on either side of half-time proved to be the difference as the Roosters struggled to get themselves into the match, succumbing to their 13th loss of the season.
The win sees the Sea Eagles push further up the ladder with 20 competition points as they chase a top-five spot that will clinch finals football. Young winger Clayton Faulalo continued his amazing form to score his 18th try of the season to date to remain at the top of the leaderboard for tries scored.
The Roosters heaped on the pressure with five straight sets in Blacktown’s territory in the opening stage of the match. They thought they were in for a try on the left edge in the seventh minute, only for the referee to blow a penalty for an obstruction call as the home side breathed a sigh of relief.
The Sea Eagles bounced back from their tough defensive efforts to score the first points two minutes later through Vaega. The winger timed his run perfectly to take a looping cut-out pass from halfback Jake Arthur before pushing past his opposing winger in the corner. Five-eighth Cooper Johns converted from the sideline for an early 6-0 lead.
Blacktown had a chance for further points five minutes later as the halves combined for a tryscoring opportunity. Johns ran at the line on the last tackle and snuck a grubber kick through the line towards the in-goal with Arthur chasing hard. He dived but was unable to gather the ball as he knocked it on, gifting his opposition a set of seven tackles.
Sea Eagles continued to dominate with a try for Faulalo in the 18th minute with his 18th of the season. Another looping cut-out ball deep in the Roosters territory freed up Harper with space, passing to Faulalo to give him enough space to dive over in the corner. Johns continued his accuracy as he nailed the conversion from the sideline to take the score to 12-0.
Blacktown were playing free flowing football as they scored their third try three minutes later through second-rower Karl Lawton. There was a break in play down the right sideline and fullback Kaeo Weekes found himself in open space with his opposite number left to beat. He dragged him out before throwing a low pass in-field to Lawton, who raced away to score. Johns converted from next to the posts to extend the lead to 18 points.
Prop Sean Keppie got involved with the scoring as he crashed over underneath the posts in the 26th minute. The Blacktown forward did well to support the run of play and took an offload metres out from the line before wrestling out of a tackle to score. Johns easily converted from in front to bring the score to 24-0.
The Sea Eagles scored on the stroke of half-time with a stunning try from utility Jamie Humphreys. Arthur threw another exquisite cut-out ball on the left edge to find Vaega. The winger tip-toed down the sideline and beat two defenders before kicking the ball in-field to Arthur and Humphreys. The latter watched the ball as it slowly rolled and dived on it as it crossed the tryline to score. Johns converted from next to the posts to give his side a 30-0 lead at the break.
Blacktown lock Dean Matterson showed some fine footwork at the line to slip out of a tackle and outpace the fullback to score under the posts in the 44th minute. Johns converted for a 36-point scoreline.
The Sea Eagles then scored two tries in the space of three minutes to take their lead out to 44 points. Harper fooled the defence with a dummy to score in the 51st minute and Vaega grabbed his second try three minutes later after spinning out of a tackle and dragging a defender with him before slamming the ball down.
A scuffle on the field led to two players being sin-binned, with the Roosters losing centre Jonah Ngaronoa and the Sea Eagles losing Harper.
Blacktown scored their ninth try in the 65th minute through Weekes on the left edge after a perfectly placed chip kick to the corner, with the scoreline just shy of a half-century at 48 points.
With seven minutes to play, the Sea Eagles had another player sin-binned with Fulton spending the remainder of the match on the sideline.
The Roosters scored their only try with five minutes left to play, with second-rower Corey Ross pushing past the defence to score on the right edge. Ngaronoa converted for a 48-6 scoreline.
Faulalo had a chance to score on the cusp of full-time with a strong run down the right sideline, only to be held up inches out from the tryline. The siren sounded as the ball was played, with the referee calling an end to the game with the Sea Eagles claiming a 42-point win.
The Sea Eagles head back to Blacktown to host the North Sydney Bears in Round 19 of the NSW Cup at HE Laybutt Field on Sunday July 9, 3pm.
