In a year that has seen Jelly Adams' Port Moresby Power dominate all comers, only one side has been a consistent thorn in their side. Fittingly, the thorn comes in the form of the Newcastle Fear, who need to win today's match if they're to stay alive in the finals race.
Port Moresby Power Newcastle Fear
1 Matthew Bowen 1 Stuart Reardon
2 Deon Bird 2 Eric Grothe Jr.
3 Christian Bai 3 Brad Commins
4 Daniel Carter 4 Gareth Ellis
5 Marcus Bai 5 Leon Pryce
6 Mohammed Zian Ali 6 Thomas Leullai
7 John Morris © 7 Nathan Fien
8 Paul Anderson 8 Joe Vagana
9 Michael Marum 9 Sean Rudder ©
10 David Furlongu 10 Willie Mason
11 Andrew Ryan 11 Jamie Feeney
12 Wairangi Koopu 12 Kirk Reynoldson
13 Tiri Toa 13 Bill Narwan
++Interchange
14 Ryan Cross 14 Rob Parker
15 Travis Weatherall 15 Mick Higham
16 Etienne Fynn 16 Craig Hall
17 Semi Taduala 17 Darren Mason
In the two victories Newcastle have recorded over Port Moresby thus far in 2004, it has been enthusiasm that has been the key difference between the two sides. The trend continued as the game kicked off- the new looks halves combination of Mohamemd Zian Ali and John Morris failing to adapt and quickly being put to the test by the Newcastle forwards. The ideal start that Newcastle had prayed for came after less than three minutes, Sean Rudder getting through some lazy defence close to the line to score the opening try of the match. Nathan Fien had little trouble converting to give Newcastle an early 6-0 lead.
The early try slapped some sense into Port Moresby, who were quick to adapt their line, Mohammed Zian-Ali returning to his more familiar role as an impact forward. The move had a marked effect on Port Moresby's morale, as did Zian-Ali's 8th minute penalty goal, putting Port Moresby 6-2 adrift.
The Newcastle Fear's early excitement and enthusiasm was quickly sapped as Port Moresby began to play the kind of football that saw them finish seven points clear of the second placed Coffs Harbour Wyrms- and soon it was Newcastle who were being out-enthused. A Willie Mason error gave Port Moresby the ball, and Marcus Bai stepped around Leon Pryce and raced thirty metres to score Port's opening try. Zian-Ali missed the difficult conversion, and the scoreboard was level at 6 all after twenty minutes.
Not long afterwards, Zian-Ali committed the ultimate sin in a final, being given ten minutes in the Sin Bin after a vicious high tackle on Sean Rudder. The referee showed no hesitation in giving the Division Two player of the year some time on the sideline- but Newcastle fans and the coaching staff were furious that he wasn't sent back to the sheds for the rest of the game.
The extra man in offense didn't take long to make an impact, Willie Mason getting through some lazy defence and making easy metres. Although he was dragged down by Daniel Carter, the next play saw an enormous overlap on the Power's right flank. Brad Commins ignored the overlap, but danced his way to the line anyway. Fien's conversion was waved away, but the Fear had capitalised on Port Moresby's weakness immediately to take a 10-6 lead.
The lead could have gone to 16-6 only minutes later when Nathan Fien chipped ahead for Leon Pryce, only to have the try disallowed after it was revealed Brad Commins had taken out Marcus Bai in the chase. The Fear didn't relent, and continued to apply pressure to a tired and under-manned Power line, but couldn't get across again before Zian Ali jogged back onto the field to furious applause from the sold out Port Moresby crowd.
A brain explosion from Thomas Leullai gave the Power an excellent chance to score more points, the young five eighth penalised for a deliberate forward pass to Darren Mason. Despite being back on deck and in excellent field position, the Power instead opted to shoot for goal- Daniel Carter knocking it over from in front to have Port Moresby trailing 10-8 with five minutes of the first half remaining.
At 10-8 it would remain, Newcastle tenaciosuly defencing their line against some vigorous Port Moresby attack as the half wound down. The Fear would go into the sheds as unlikely leaders, but the fact they'd done it with an extra man would be in the back of their minds.
HALFTIME: Port Moresby 8 trail Newcastle 10
The first scoring opportunity of the second half arrived after only three minutes, Christian Bai claiming a try after he chased through a masterfully threaded Daniel Carter grubber. The video referee deliberated for an apparent eternity before ruling the young centre had failed to ground the ball. The fans weren't happy, and got downright furious when the Power were slapped with a painful penalty for holding the player down only a few moments later. Fien calmly potted over the goal to put his side ahead 12-8, the four point break giving the Fear some breathing room.
When Newcastle's defence managed to repel three consecutive sets of Power attack in the 50th minute, it looked as if they were on their last legs. The defensive struggle had been admirable, but there was only so much scrambling the Fear could handle before the Power cracked them and got one back. So often a good opportunity wasted can break a side's resolve, and it had that effect on Port Moresby. After the Fear diffused a dangerous bomb, they embarked on a dominant eighty metre set of six to put the Power on the back foot. A wobbly bomb from Thomas Leullai looked like it wouldn't produce the goods- but John Morris made a rare mistake and dropped the ball in-goal. Joe Vagana became an unlikely try-scorer when he dived on the lose ball to put his side up 16-8. Fien was unable to convert, but an eight point break was something the Fear could defend for the remaining twenty minutes of the game. Not unassailable, but far easier to defend then their tenuous four point lead had been.
If 16-8 was a potentially game winning lead, Brad Commins and Leon Pryce's 60th minute combination was the real sealer. Commins split the Power line like a ripe melon and grubbered ahead for the chase of Leon Pryce and Nathan Fien. Despite the efforts of Matthew Bowen- Fien was able to toe it ahead again for Pryce, who dived on it out wide to score Newcastle's fourth try. Fien was again unequal to the task, but the 20-8 lead gave the Fear plenty of hope for causing a third upset against the Power.
Carter had a chance to bring his side within ten in the 70th when he shot for goal following a Jamie Feeney high tackle- but the ball fell well wide to leave the Power twelve adrift. It was as close as they came to scoring, but not for want of trying- the Fear defence proving immovable once they'd established a lead to protect. While the crowd frustration manifested itself in thrown bottles and small brawls, the Fear's jubiliation was shown clearly when the entire side embraced following the siren- which signalled their first finals' win since 1997.
FULLTIME
Newcastle Fear 20
Leon Pryce
Joe Vagana
Sean Rudder
Brad Commins
Fien 2/5
defeated
Port Moresby Power 8
Marcus Bai
Zian Ali 1/2
Carter 1/2
PoM Points
Willie Mason...............3
Leon Pryce.................2
Brad Commins............1
