Match Report: Mounties thrash Wyong once again

With winger Sitiveni Moceidreke posting a personal tally of 24 points with a hat-trick of tries and five goals from nine attempts, the Mulga were untroubled to post their biggest win of the season to date.

Wyong had to play the last 60 minutes of the match with 12 men after winger Reece Robinson was sensationally sent off in the 20^th minute by referee Kasey Badger for dissent.

Mounties made the most of a Wyong error in the first ninety seconds of play.  From the turnover set, second rower Jack Murchie burst through ineffective Wyong defence wide out to score the opening try.

Sitiveni Moceidreke converted for a 6-nil Mounties lead after just two minutes.

Mounties doubled their lead in the 10^th minute, when after prop Charlie Gubb was held up just short of the Wyong line at the end of a scrum and penalty double set, fellow Mulga prop Makahesi Makatoa crashed over under the posts on the next tackle.

Moceidreke converted from in front for a 12-nil Mounties lead.

Wyong then conceded double penalties in quick succession in the 17^th minute, the second of which saw Moceidreke.land a simple penalty goal from close to the posts for a 14-nil lead.

The flash point of the match then came six minutes later.   

After Robinson had a try disallowed in the right corner for not grounding the ball in goal, his exchange with touch judge Ben Teague in back play before the 20-metre optional restart saw Teague make the report that led to the Roosters NRL squad member’s dismissal.

Mounties then made the most of their numerical advantage when Moceidreke scored down Robinson’s wing on the next set from the ensuing penalty for 18-nil.

Mulga hooker Craig Garvey then burrowed over from close range 12 minutes from half-time to give the visitors a commanding 24-nil half-time lead with Moceidreke’s conversion.

Things got worse for Wyong when classy half Mitch Cornish was forced to take no further part in the match after half-time with a right shoulder injury sustained when he attempted to tackle Mounties winger Mikaele Ravalawa late in the first half.

Moceidreke bagged his second try in the 53^rd minute when he finished off a left-sided raid wide out.  He duly converted to extend the Mounties lead to 30-nil.

To their credit, Wyong fought bravely with their 12 men without Cornish for the majority of the second half, and were rewarded when Italian international winger Josh Mantellato finished off good lead up work from centre Paul Momirovski to get the Roos’ only points in the 63^rd minute.

However, the extra work with only 12 men on the field told as Mounties pulled away in the final 10 minutes. 

A brilliant pick up of a Kurt Baptiste kick and subsequent 60-metre burst from Mulga fullback Brad Abbey sent Moceidreke away to complete his hat-trick in the corner with 10 minutes left.

Young Mounties interchange second rower Corey Horsburgh burst over from close range three minutes later to bring up the Mulga’s 40 points with Moceidreke’s conversion, before interchange centre Alofi Mataele completed the 44-4 scoreline with his try wide out in the final minute.

Mounties will look to continue their winning form against the New Zealand Warriors at GIO Stadium, Canberra next Saturday, while the Roos will try to turn around their form slump against the Newcastle Knights in the first M1 local derby for the season at Morry Breen Oval next Saturday.