Pathways Hub - Week 3

The Western Suburbs Magpies have been defeated 40-22 by the Rabbitohs in Round 3 of the SG Ball Cup.

The home side showed glimpses of brilliance in the match, however ill-discipline and disappointing defence meant they were ultimately unable to secure the two competition points.

Both team's No. 6's, Junior Fagalele and Taj Alvarez traded tries early in the match, before Souths hooker, Cody Hill scored twice in quick succession to assert their ascendancy on the contest.

Powerful Wests front-rower, Christian Taupau-Moors ensured the Magpies remained in the match though, when he crashed over under the posts after 27 minutes.

Taupau-Moors recently re-signed with Wests Tigers until the end of the 2028 season.

Saint Fuatimau then showcased an outstanding display of desperation when he batted the ball back into the in-goal for Heamasi Makasini to score Wests' third try and make it a 16-16 scoreline at half-time. 

Lochlin Moses pounced on a loose ball to score for the Rabbitohs just 35 seconds into the second half and the second-rower extended the visitors' lead when he collected his second in the 39th minute. 

Makasini, who played his best match of the season to date, scored his second try not long after, however, dynamic Souths fullback, Yasin Kuscu sliced through for their sixth try of the match.

Hill secured his hat-trick effort in the 57th minute, with the conversion making it a 40-22 scoreline to the Rabbitohs, which remained until full-time at Kirkham Oval, Camden. 

UNE SG Ball Cup (Under 19s) - Balmain Tigers

Balmain have ensured they remain undefeated in the SG Ball Cup to begin the 2025 season after scoring a 32-22 home win over Manly in Round 3.

After losing impressive fullback Logan Brookes to injury after less than four minutes, and Marc Tannous and Jared Haywood already missing due to NRL trial selection, the win is arguably the Tigers' most impressive victory of the season to date.

Balmain winger, Filipe Huahulu scored in the right corner to open the match's scoring, however, the Sea Eagles hit back when Samisoni Talakai and Matthew Crossingham crossed in quick succession to give the visitors the lead.

Onitoni Large stepped through after 26 minutes but Carter Saua pounced on a Tyler Birnie grubber kick to ensure the Tigers remained in the contest, with the scoreline reading 18-10 at half-time.

Balmain lock, Blake Van Drie has been a standout to open the 2025 campaign for Balmain, and he powered over to open the second-half's scoring. 

Joseph Partch was next to post points, before Xavier Tauaifaiga collected a try of his own off the back of a neat Cohen Benson grubber kick. 

Tauaifaiga sent Partch over for a second shortly after and Talakai was the last to score for Manly to make it a 32-22 scoreline at full-time, with the Tigers emerging victorious at Leichhardt Oval. 

Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup (Under 19s) - Wests Tigers 

Wests Tigers have scored their third win in as many weeks to open their 2025 Tarsha Gale Cup campaign, after posting a 26-4 away win over the Panthers in Round 3.

The visitors were dominant at Windsor Sports Complex, leading 16-4 at half-time and never taking their foot off the accelerator. 

Wests Tigers halfback, Sienna-Mae Montgomery dummied and stepped her way through to score the first points of the match and Tiresa Leasuasu followed up with a try of her own just five minutes later.

Leasuasu has proven a real handful for opposition defenders early in the 2025 season and she powered over to extend the Wests Tigers lead.

Julia Notise produced a spectacular solo effort to grab the Panthers' first and only try after 17 minutes, before Tayleah Pasili sent Elenoa Namua over in the corner for Wests Tigers' third try.

The try of the match though went to Chaela-Lee Falls, as the winger took an intercept and raced nearly 90 metres, fending away numerous defenders on her way to the line. 

A Rhiannon Bonner cutout ball set Namua up for her second of the match, with the 46th-minute try to be the final points scored in this big Wests Tigers victory.

SLE Laurie Daley Cup (Under 18s) - Macarthur Wests Tigers 

UNE Harold Matthews Cup (Under 17s) - Western Suburbs Magpies 

The Western Suburbs Magpies have been defeated 22-8 by the Rabbitohs in Round 3 of the Harold Matthews Cup.

The loss is the first for Wests in their 2025 campaign. 

The impressive James Lanyon was the first to score for the Magpies, as the powerful winger continued his quality start to the season. 

Ziggy Lester levelled proceedings for Souths shortly before half-time, making it 4-4 at the break.

The match opened up in the second half as Charlie Bateup darted over from dummy half to put the cardinal and myrtle side ahead.

After Souths halfback Jai Davies was sin-binned for a professional foul, Bateup still managed to grab his second, after the hooker charged down a kick and raced away.

The Magpies managed to keep themselves in the match through Lanyon's 49th-minute try, however, their hooker Brock Achurch was sent off for a headbutt shortly after, to all but rule out any hopes of a Wests fightback. 

Anthony Vailangi secured the win for the Rabbitohs, with the visitors emerging victorious 22-8 at Kirkham Oval, Camden. 

UNE Harold Matthews Cup (Under 17s) - Balmain Tigers

The Harold Matthews Cup Balmain Tigers have scored their first win of the season, emerging 18-16 winners over the Bulldogs in Round 3.

After trailing 12-6 at half-time, Balmain scored a late converted try to steal victory at Leichhardt Oval.

Jarrod Kanaan pounced on a Bulldogs error in defusing a bomb to score the opening points of the match, however Chinedu Udeh's 14th-minute converted try levelled the contest at 6-6. 

Despite Canterbury halfback Evander Tafua being sin-binned, their lock forward Billy Mulheran powered his way to the line to give the Dogs the lead in the 27th minute.

Scores remained 12-6 at the break, and when the visitors scored the first points of the second stanza through Kanon Phillips, they would've been confident of scoring victory. 

Mikal Papalii-Talanai was sin-binned though for the Dogs and the Tigers pounced when the livewire Riley Fong capitalised on some second-phase play to score for Balmain. 

With just three minutes remaining, Kanaan powered and pushed his way through to collect his second of the match and Ben Lawrence's tricky conversion secured a thrilling 18-16 win for the Tigers at Leichhardt.

Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup (Under 17s) - Wests Tigers

The Wests Tigers Lisa Fiaola Cup team has scored their second win in as many weeks after emerging 28-24 winners over the Panthers in Round 3. 

After falling to a big defeat in the opening week of the competition, Wests Tigers have recovered well to now grab two impressive wins in succession. 

Their opening try at Windsor Sports Complex was spectacular, as Mia Tonga and Khiarna Munro combined to put Saige Tautalafua over after less than three minutes.

Aaliyah Womal levelled proceedings for the home side after she shot out from dummy half and fullback, Isabella Ferguson ensured that Penrith took control of the match early on.

Tonga, who was extremely hard to handle throughout the match, then set Tautalafua up for hers and Wests Tigers' second try but Betsy Fifita's effort handed the lead back to the Panthers shortly after.

The Panthers held a narrow 14-12 lead into the break, however Alavina Tu'ifua powered her way over to give Wests Tigers the early second-half advantage. 

Penrith then scored their third dummy-half try of the afternoon through Tia-Jane Golding, before Tu'ifua scored in nearly identical fashion to her first four-pointer. 

A cut-out ball from Tonga then sent Naomi Cowley over, and Golding's second try was to be the final points of the afternoon, with Wests Tigers ultimately securing a 28-24 win over the Panthers at Windsor Sports Complex.

SLE Andrew Johns Cup (Under 16s) -  Macarthur Wests Tigers