Hooker Joey Lussick will be a key man for Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles on Sunday in the Intrust Super Premiership. Photo: Bryden Sharp Photography
Several players with plenty of NRL experience will be on show on Sunday when the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles make their historic debut in the Intrust Super Premiership.
In a great day of league at H.E Laybutt Field at Blacktown, three games of rugby league will be played, highlighted by the big round one match between the Sea Eagles and the Newtown Jets at 3pm.
The Jets are affiliated with NRL Premiers, Cronulla Sharks, while Blacktown Workers have formed an exciting partnership with Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. Players not chosen in the Manly NRL side will play for Blacktown Workers.
Sea Eagles Coach Pat Weisner said it will be a quality test against the Jets, who fell one week short of the grand final last season.
“Newtown have got a lot of depth and players who would probably play first grade at other clubs but just can’t break into Cronulla’s team,’’ Weisner said.
“You have players like Tony Williams, Joseph Paulo, and Jeremy Latimore in the forwards who are all NRL players. It is going to be tough and they have got some really good players. We will need to do a job on their forwards.”
Weisner has plenty of quality at his disposal too, with full-back Pita Godinet, five-eighth Cameron Cullen, half-back Jackson Hastings, and hooker Joey Lussick making up a great attacking spine.
“Our spine has got a lot of points in them but it is about getting them to the right areas of the field. They will need to play well for us if we are going to win.
“All four combined really well in the trial win over Wyong, so I see no reason why they can’t reproduce that form on Sunday at Blacktown.
“This is going to be a very high quality cup for the Intrust competition as there are a lot of players there with NRL experience who would have been hoping to be in NRL teams for round one.
“Most of the guys in our forward pack are from Blacktown and they are excited about coming up against basically an NRL pack from Newtown.
“If they can step up and do a good job, it will give them plenty of confidence and it may make people sit up and take notice of how good they are.”
Times
Sydney Shield, 11am: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles vs Wests Magpies.
Ron Massey Cup, 1pm: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles vs Wests Magpies.
Intrust Super Premiership 3pm: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles vs Newtown Jets.
Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles Intrust Super Premiership team
1 Pita Godinet (C) 2 Viliame Kaveinga 3 Matthew Wright 4 Jonathan Wright 5 Peter Schuster 6 Cameron Cullen 7 Jackson Hastings 8 Tom Amone 9 Joey Lussick 10 Jacob Samoa 11 Pat Mataele 12 Jamil Hopoate 13 Brendan Attwood (C) Interchange: 14 Kyle Eather 15 Jerry Key 16 Tyler Cassel 17 Nick Kassis 18 Omar Slaimankhel. Coach: Pat Weisner
Newtown Jets
1 Leigh Higgins 2 Jordan Drew 3 Kurt Capewell 4 Matt Evans 5 Luke Towers 6 Jason Schirnack 7 Daniel Mortimer 8 Kurt Dillon 9 Manaia Cherrington 10 Jeremy Latimore 11 Tony Williams 12 Jayden Walker 13 Joseph Paulo; interchange: 14 Jack Williams, 15 Alec Bush 16 Jaimin Jolliffe 17 Malakai Houma 21 Kenny Niko. Coach: Greg Matterson
Click here to see the player profiles for the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles
