Ipswich Jets v Mackay Cutters
North Ipswich Reserve on Saturday, July 16 – 4.30pm
Ipswich Jets
1. Wesley Conlon 18. Michael Purcell 3. Ben White 4. Nemani Valekapa 5. Richard Pandia 14. Christopher Ash 7. Dane Phillips (c) 22. Tyson Lofipo 9. Mikaere Beattie 16. William McConnachie 21. Jesse Roberts 11. Samuel Martin 10. Nathaniel Neale 6. Haydan Lipp 8. David Fa’alogo 12. Liam Capewell 13. Fakahoko Teutau 15. Sebastian Pandia
Coach: Ben Walker and Shane Walker
Mackay Cutters
1. Liam Taylor 2. Jordan Pereira 3. Jack Creith 4. Tautau Moga 5. Johnny Faletagoa’i 6. Grant Rovelli 7. Delayne Ashby 8. Ryan Kinlyside 9. Joshua Chudleigh 10. Braden Uele 11. Joss Boyton 12. Andrew Davey 13. Brenden Treston (c) 14. Jacob Pottinger 15. Ross Bella 16. Leonati Feiloakitau-Fetuani 17. Isaac Richardson 19. Dalton Phillips
Coach: Jim Wilson
Last time they played:
MACKAY CUTTERS 38 (Liam Taylor 2, Leonati Feiloakitau-Fetuani, Jordan Pereira, Regan Verney, Tautau Moga, Braden Uele tries; Liam Taylor 5 goals) def IPSWICH JETS 36 (Joshua Damen 2, Tyson Lofipo, William McConnachie, Haydan Lipp, Dane Phillips tries; Hayden Lipp 6 goals) at BB Print Stadium, Mackay.
Head to Head: Ipswich Jets 11 Mackay Cutters 6
ROUND 19
The Jets are now on 18 points and two points outside the top six. While the Cutters are in 14th place on nine points.
The Jets have scored 396 points this season and conceded 407 for a points differential of -11. While the Cutters have scored 326 points and let in 527 for a difference of negative 201.
That’s a sizable advantage to the Jets of 70 points in attack and 120 in defence.
The Jets have scored 72 tries and let the opposition across for 68.
The Cutters have scored 59 tries this season and had 95 scored against them.
Liam Taylor is the Cutters leading point scorer with 130.
Jets’ leading points scorer is still Carlin Anderson despite not playing since the game against Norths. Richard Pandia now is equal with Anderson on eight tries and the Jets’ leading try scorer.
The Cutters’ record in Ipswich won’t be pleasant reading for them having only won twice at the Reserve and once at Briggs Road. Although they did win a Grand Final at the Reserve in 2013.
The Jets had won the last three meetings between these two sides, before the Jets loss this year to the Cutters.
MACKAY CUTTERS
The Cutters haven’t had a great year; they’ve won two games this year; one against the Jets in round nine. The other win was against the Falcons they also had a draw against Souths.
The Cutters are yet to win a game away from home this year.
The Cutters defence away from home has let them down with them conceding 38 points against from 8 games.
The Cutter’s haven’t travelled to Ipswich since 2014 and it wasn’t a great night out.
The Jets’ win over Mackay equalled the Jets biggest ever win of 62-10 against Tweed in 2008 at Briggs Road, it was also the Cutters’ biggest ever loss and most points ever scored against Mackay in their history.
The Jets were only ahead 10-4 at half time and then scored 52 points in the second half. In a complete masterclass.
IPSWICH JETS 62 (Carlin Anderson 3, Marmin Barba 2, Nemani Valekapa, Brendon Marshall, Josh Cleeland, Dane Phillips, Billy McConnachie, Matt Parcell tries; Marmin Barba 8, Wes Conlon goals) def MACKAY CUTTERS 10 (Curtis Rona, John Asiata tries; Liam Taylor goal) at North Ipswich Reserve.
The Cutters are coming off the bye but their last game was against the Falcons where they had a win.
Liam Taylor was outstanding for the Cutters; 17 runs from fullback, 131 meters, one try assist, one line break assist, one line break and three tackle breaks.
Taylor also didn’t miss a tackle in a side that missed 36. Taylor changes between full back and in the halves but still does a lot for the Cutters.
The Cutters’ hooker Josh Cudleigh is coming off his NRL debut for the Cowboys and will be full of confidence. Cudleigh does a lot of work for the Cutters in defence. He made 36 tackles against the Falcons. He is very effective from dummy half and will keep the Jets alert.
Tautau Moga won’t be any stranger to the Jets having gone to school at St Peter Claver College. Moga is also coming off an NRL game this week for the Cowboys.
Moga is a big centre who tries to physically dominate his opponent and use his excellent footwork.
Cutters’ number six Grant Rovelli takes care of nearly all the Cutter’s kicking game. Against the Falcons he received the ball 49 times which is more than any other Cutter and kicked 12 times for 376 meters to space four times.
IPSWICH JETS
The Jets now have the Cairns’ hoodoo behind them and move on to the Cutters. The Jets have now won four games in a row.
This week will be the Jets’ second last home game this year so it’s a chance to keep building momentum and consolidating the great work of the last month.
The Jets defence has been excellent over the course of the last month missing on average 27 tackles.
Which is lower than the season average of 33.
Against the Pride the Jets missed 22. As well as having 56% of the ball, a huge 36 more runs with the ball, and five more line breaks.
Jesse Roberts has now played 14 games for the Jets and has improved dramatically as the season has progressed.
Roberts was players’ player against the Pride.
17 runs, 190 meters, two try assists, one line break assist, one line break, three tackle breaks, seven off-loads, 26 tackles and zero missed tackles.
Roberts moves very well for a big man and his defence has been outstanding; making 196 tackles this season with only 15 misses. In attack he has contributed 161 runs and 29 tackle breaks.
Roberts also has a terrific off-load against the Pride he off-loaded for two tries.
David Fa’alogo has been named to come back into the Jets’ side this week. Fa’alogo has played 11 games for the Jets. Making 198 tackles, 110 runs and 959 meters.
Fa’alogo takes hard runs and is very intimidating in defence. He has only 18 miss tackles to his name in 2016.
Four Jets’ backs made big meters against the Pride with Wes Conlon 152, Ben White 178, Nemani 195, and Richard Pandia 188.
The Jets executed 34 off loads against the Pride; if the Jets get that chance again then they can get in and behind the Cutter’s defence to cause mayhem.
The Jets have won four games in a row, they’re building momentum and starting to find their groove. Saturday is another chance to make sure the whole competition gets the message.