Rockingham Sharks 22 – Joondalup Giants 32
By PETER ROWE
A dazzling first half hat-trick from young gun Lincoln Williams set up a Joondalup victory at Port Kennedy Sportsplex on Saturday afternoon as the NRLWA Fuel to Go & Play Premiership reached the halfway mark.
But it was another youngster, Rockingham centre Byron Tautaiolefua, who opened the scoring after six minutes, crossing on the right edge to give the Sharks an early lead, off their second set of the game.
The lead though lasted barely two minutes after an error from the kickoff saw Williams dance his way to the try line.
“He’s quality,” Giants coach Matt Gowland said after the game.
“I asked him to test the backrowers and centres early and he did. He has pace and skill, going to be a great player.”
Two more individual efforts before the half-hour gave the Giants a solid lead and veteran Jo-Jo Ranger added another, blowing through poor Sharks defence on 34 minutes to give the visitors a 24-6 lead at the break.
But the Sharks regrouped, words were spoken in the sheds, and they came out fired up with winger Cameron Webb the first to cross, 10 minutes into the second half.
“I told them the performance was unacceptable,” coach Reece Potter said. “They responded and we were back in the game.”
And when Brody Gilchrist found a whole to go through eight minutes later it was game on.
Webb couldn’t hang on to a long pass with the try-line beckoning, as the Giants fought to stay in the game, and then against the run of play, a break from deep in their own half set up Davie Martin to race 40 metres to score and extend their lead again with ten minutes to play.
“We had to hang in there for sure,” Gowland said. “I knew Rockingham would come back at us and they did. Then at the end we got that late try to seal it.
“I was pleased overall, although the first five minutes and that 10-15 minute period after the break worried me. We’re not the finished article by a long stretch but we are improving with every game.”
Another rising star, Rockingham’s Crockett Henry, playing at hooker, dived over from dummy half with five minutes to go but a late penalty after a goal line drop out failed to go the distance earned Joondalup the extra two points on the field and on the day.
For Potter it was another disappointing day. “We forced our way back in to the game then fell away at the end,” he said.
“Siddo (Chris Siddons) was awesome again, another 80 minute performance for a prop, and Detroit (Tamanui) was also superb. And putting young Crockett at hooker, we might have found the right spot for him.”