LUXURY PAINTS IPSWICH JETS PRESS RELEASE
Jets (3) v Easts Tigers (6) at North Ipswich Reserve, Saturday 27 August – 11.45am
Ipswich Jets
1. Ono So’Oialo 2. Francis Ledger 3. Josh Damen 4. Tu’u Maori 5 Finecallum Faingaa 6. Mikaere 7. Chris Ash 8. David Tahavalu 9. Peter Whittaker 10. Rowan Winterfield 11. Mitch Koina 12. Matthew Brown 13. Lachlan Roe 14. Isi Hafoka 15. Ben Sullivan 16. Max Felosi 17. Toby Key
Coach: Mark Bishop
Easts Tigers
1. Javarn White 2. Adrian Henley 3. Jack Schaffer 4. Michael Kai 5. Leone Cama 6. Guy Hamilton 7. Brent Warr 8. Sam Bielefeld 9. Mackenzie Reid 10. Josh Everett 11. Kevin Bell 12. Brandon George 13. Frank Fualema 14. Josh Crosby 15. Michael Volkanovski 16. Anton Iaria 17. Keni Pouhila
Coach: Jason Di Lizio
This year so far
IPSWICH JETS 28 (Josh Damen 2, Mikaere Beattie, David Tahavalu, Mitch Koina, Ben Sullivan tries; Mikaere Beattie 2 goals) def EASTS TIGERS 22 (Jacob Paul 2, Josh Everett 2, Jack Schaffer tries; Sam Gee goal) at North Ipswich Reserve.
EASTS TIGERS 38 (Connor Jones 2, Frank Fualema 2, Sam Bielefeld, Chris Ostwald, Adam Crear tries; Adam Crear 5 goals) def IPSWICH JETS 30 (Ono So’Oialo 2, Francis Leger, Jacob Sinn, Lachlan Roe, Finecallum Faingaa tries; Ono So’Oialo 3 goals) at Suzuki Stadium, Langlands Park.
3 v 6 Final
These two teams have clashed twice this year for one win each.
The Jets are coming off a last round win over Valleys that saw them finish 3rd on 44 points. While the Tigers game against Carina never eventuated.
IPSWICH JETS 36 (Landon Hayes 2, Dan O’Reilly, Ben Sullivan, Mitch Koina, Max Fesolai tries; Francis Leger 4, Tu’u Maori 2 goals) def VALLEYS DIEHARDS 22 (Tom Collins 2, Stacey Everitt, Josh Essex, Ryley Kajewski tries; Andy Lancaster goal) at North Ipswich Reserve.
The Jets will now take on Easts in an elimination final with the winner going through to play the winner of 4 v 5.
The Jets will have a line up bolstered by Intrust Super Cup experience: Chris Ash, Landon Hayes, Pete Whittaker, Josh Damen, Ono So’Oialo.and Mikaere Beattie have all played up this year and still qualify for the BRL finals.
Coach Mark Bishop is confident that Pete Whittaker is about to have a great finals series.
“Peter Whittaker (Ninga) is set to light it up. His Intrust Super Cup debut this year has really lifted his confidence and he is playing even better than any time in his career. Ono So’Oialo will be great at the back and Rowan Winterfield will do his standard 40 tackles and 30 hit-ups from front row.”
Bishop has prepared his Jets’ side to be ready for the finals. “Business as usual, you may just have to start nursing some injured boys through.
We wanted to go into the finals on a positive note and winning form. The boys really dug deep considering we played 38min of the 2nd half with 12 men. That showed a couple of the boys that they can play big mins when needed.”
The Jets finished third on 44 points while the Tigers will come into this finals clash from 6th spot and finishing on 35 points.
In attack the Jets have scored 628 points from 18 games at 34 points per game. While the Tigers have scored 549 at 30 points per game. That’s a 79 point advantage to the Jets.
In defence the Jets allowed 349 points at 19 points per game while the Tigers let through 411 at 22 points per game. That’s again the Jets in front in defence by 62 points.
The Jets’ leading try scorer is Josh Damen who has 11 tries. While for the Tigers Jack Schaffer has contributed 10 tries this season.
The Tigers’ best attacking weapon Javarn White will be no stranger to the Ipswich Jets having played 66 games for the Jets and also becoming a huge part of the Jets attack from fullback.
The Tigers will be looking to Adam Crear with 105 points from four tries and 44 goals.
The Jets will have two big advantages this finals series; the experience of last season and winning the BRL premiership and that of the side playing against Easts six have now played Intrust Super Cup.
There is still a job to do and being premiers and having Intrust Super Cup experience doesn’t guarantee a win but the Jets are certainly in a good spot at the start of a finals campaign.