Red and Black Report: Edition No.24

Each week we’ll be keeping you up to date with how our Canterbury Rugby League products are performing in Australia’s elite and lower-grade competitions.

Here’s how they went in Round 24:

NRL

Burnham junior Jazz Tevaga made his second top-grade appearance of the season for the embattled New Zealand Warriors, playing 44 minutes off the bench in the loss to South Sydney and racking up an extraordinary 39 tackles, as well as carting the ball up three times.

Another ex-Chevaliers junior, Kodi Nikorima, enjoyed another solid display in the Brisbane Broncos’ No.7 jumper. He made 25 tackles and seven runs for 62 metres in the 24-12 win over St George Illawarra, with fellow playmakers Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt stealing the show this time around.

Halswell product Matt McIlwrick dropped back to Wests Tigers’ bench in a late change, but he played 50 minutes of the joint venture’s plucky 22-18 loss to the heavyweight Sydney Roosters, reeling off 33 tackles and two dummy-half runs. The journeyman hooker has played all 22 games for the Tigers in 2017.

Riccarton old boy Lewis Brown spent time in the back-row and at hooker during 30 minutes off the bench in Manly’s disappointing loss to Canterbury, making 19 tackles and scoringa late consolation try – the 33rd of Brown’s 193-game NRL career.

INTRUST SUPER PREMIERSHIP

Christchurch-born Pita Godinet featured at fullback as the resurgent Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles edged out Illawarra 24-22 on Saturday.

Back in the minor premiership-winning Wyong Roos line-up, Jayden Nikorima scored a try from five-eighth in the 26-all draw with the Warriors on Saturday.

INTRUST SUPER CUP

There was no Setaimata Sa for Mackay Cutters, but Nathan Saumalu featured at centre in the 30-20 win over Ipswich Jets – a result that moved the Cutters up to seventh on the ladder.

Souths Logan Magpies fullback Jaymayne Isaako got plenty of goalkicking practise in as his side whipped Central Queensland Capras 52-10, kicking eight goals in the nine-tries-to-two rout. Isaako remains in fourth spot in the ISC pointscoring stakes, but he is just 12 points shy of the second-placed Ase Boas.

Meanwhile, former Halswell Hornets and Rockcote Canterbury Bulls speedster Ken Tofilau (pictured) bagged yet another try for the second-last Capras, his 17th of 2017 – good for fourth in the competition.

Photo Credit: Allan Reinikka – The Morning Bulletin