Norths Devils v Ipswich Jets
Bishop Park on Saturday, June 11 – 4pm
Norths Devils
1. Lachlan Maranta 2. Michael Lucas 3. David Faamita 4. Luke Pollock 5. Rogan Dean 6. Sean Yorston 7. Todd Murphy 8. Francis Molo 9. Billy Brittain (c) 10. Jai Arrow 11. Harry Pondekas 12. Matiu Love-Henry 13. Jayden Berrell 14. Jarryd Dodd 15. Billy Solah 16. Paul Steele 17. Rez Phillips 20. Dylan Smith
Coach: Mark Gliddon
Ipswich Jets
19. Wesley Conlon 1. Carlin Anderson 3. Ben White 4. Nemani Valekapa 5. Richard Pandia 6. Christopher Ash 7. Dane Phillips (c) 8. David Fa’alogo 9. Mikaere Beattie 10. Nathaniel Neale 21. Jesse Roberts 22. Tyson Lofipo 16. Billy McConnachie 11. Samuel Martin 12. Sebastian Pandia 13. Fakahoko Teutau 14. Haydan Lipp
Coach: Ben Walker and Shane Walker
Last time they played: Round One 2016
Ipswich Jets 38 (Marmin Barba 2, Joshua Seage, Marion Seve 2, Carlin Anderson, Michael Purcell; Carlin Anderson 5 goals) def Norths Devils 24 (Dylan Smith 2, Francis Molo, Paul Ulberg; William Brittain 3 goals, Liam Tyson 1 goal) at North Ipswich Reserve.
Overall Record:
Head to Head: Norths 23 Ipswich 15 Drawn 2
ROUND 14
The last time these two clashed it was round 1 and both clubs were full of optimism and hope for a new season.
The Jets hadn’t won a round one game since 2010 and they conquered their round one demons with a win 38-24.
The Jets and Devils will face off this week looking to kick start their season, both are at the wrong end of the table and need to find momentum.
The Jets’ record against Norths isn’t great- 15 of 40. The Jets have won sixlost 11 and drawn one at Bishop Park. As well as two wins and a draw in last three games.
The Jets in 13th on 8 points while the Devils are in 12th on 11 points.
The Devils have scored 250 points this year to the Jets 292 that’s a 42 point advantage to the Jets.
In defence the Devils have allowed 348 points to the Jets 351, that’s a three point advantage to the Devils.
The Jets have scored 56 tries this year with Carlin Anderson being the Jets’ top try scorer with 8 while Anderson is also the Jets’ leading points scorer with 68 points having kicked 18 goals.
The Devils have scored 45 tries this year 12 less than the Jets. While failing to defend 61 to the Jets 58 tries.
DEVILS
Norths are coming off game against the Townsville juggernaut which they lost 32-12. The Blackhawks exposed the Devils’ defence scoring 6 tries to the Devils 2.
The Devils are winning at 50% at home this year having beaten the Pride and Tweed at Bishop Park but lost to the Bears and Souths.
The Devils’ half Todd Murphy is not to be taken lightly. Murphy is an experienced campaigner who directs Norths around the field and is their on-field boss.
Broncos’ prop Francis Molo scored a try against the Jets in round 1 and after playing NRL for the Broncos over the last two years Molo is yet to crack the Broncos again this season and will be looking for a big second half to the Intrust Super Cup season.
Norths have also named Broncos’ Jai Arrow who is back playing for Norths after three NRL games.
Arrow was close to the form forward of the Intrust Super Cup before he went to play for the Broncos; he’s
similar to a younger Corey Parker. Arrow’s stats averaged per game are phenomenal: 170m, 32 tackles, and 18 hit ups. He had played 80 minutes every week too.
Jack Reed is also expected to play for Norths with him missing from the Broncos’ Captain Run on Wednesday morning and Jordan Kahu filling in at left centre.
Reed has played 25 games for Norths in 2010 and 14 games for Souths Logan in the Intrust Super Cup while Lachlan Maranta has played 31 games for Norths including two this year.
Both Reed 121 games and Maranta 65 games have extensive NRL experience.
JETS
The Jets have won two games on the road this year: against the Falcons and Souths but lost three.
The Jets have had a lot of home games in the first half of the season with eight games being at home in the first 13.
The Jets will now have to play largely away for the second half of the year having only three home games in the next 10 games.
Against the Seagulls the Jets suffered from a slow start and found themselves 16-0 behind after 15 minutes.
Nat Neale was outstanding again for the Jets, topping the tackle count with 40, the runs made with 22, the metres made with 221. He scored a try, five offloads and a mammoth 10 tackle breaks.
The Jets’ attack is interesting; last season the Jets had seven players score 10 or more tries. This season the Jets don’t have anyone yet in double figures half way through the season.
The Jets scored 53 tries last year from over half way, this year they have scored eight.
The Jets are scoring more in the oppositions’ 20m zone: having scored 43% of their tries last year this year they’re scoring 60%.
The Jets averaged nearly six tries a game last year this year it is closer to four.
In defence the Jets have missed an average of 30 tackles per game, which is better than the 33 they averaged in 2015.
The Jets are making less tackles per game than last year having dropped from 261 tackles to 248 per game. The Jets average points against per game is up from 21 last year to 27 this year.
This week against Norths Sam Martin will play his 115th game for the Jets- going past Luke Walker who played 114. This makes Sam Martin the 8th most capped Jets’ player. On 115 games Sam will be equal with Keiron Lander. Keiron like Sam played 115 games for the Jets and 114 Intrust Super Cup games.
Next week against the Blackhawks Sam will sit alone on 116 games for the Jets and in 7th spot for most games for Jets.
Sam has scored 22 tries in his 114 games and is closing in on 100 points.
The Jets play their best football when they’re relaxed and barely seem awake. Like Mark Waugh. At the moment in the search for wins they’re trying too hard and passes aren’t going where they want which leads to frustration and trying harder. Like the out of form batsman the harder they try the more the nicks fly waist high at a slow pace to slips and they’re out.