THE Jamberoo Superoos have continued their impressive unbeaten start to the 2021 Group Seven Rugby League competition by thumping the Warilla-Lake South Gorillas 42-10 at Cec Glenholmes Oval on Sunday.
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The home team were looking to continue their dominance over the Superoos, which saw them down Jamberoo three times in the space of six weeks at the end of the 2020 season on their way to the decider against Gerringong, but fell well short.
The Gorillas got a horror start to the game when fullback Jacek McLaurin dropped what appeared to be a straightforward bomb inside the first minute.
From the resulting scrum win, former Gorilla junior Kyle Stone showed enormous power to crash over wide of the posts.
Another former hometown favourite Daniel Burke converted for a 6-nil lead.
The game then became a tug-o-war with both sides facing stern defence, but in the 20th minute, a piece of Mark Asquith magic blew the game wide open.
With play seemingly broken down on the final tackle and 20 metres out from the try line, the ball was thrown wide to Asquith and he delicately grubbered the ball through and won the race to the ball to score a spectacular try.
Burke converted from touch for Jamberoo to lead 12-nil.
Four minutes later the visitors were in again when the ball was spun wide and a prop Jayden Morgan found centre Simon Maslanka on the burst for the third Superoos try and a very handy 16-nil advantage.
The Gorillas really needed to be next to score and launched an impressive attacking raid just three minutes later, but it all came unstuck when half Cam Vazzoler threw a long cut-out pass, straight to Jamberoo flyer Nathan Gallestegui who raced 90 metres to score in the corner and take his side to a 20-nil lead.
Three tries and 14 points in just nine minutes proved to be devastating for the home side and certainly silenced their vocal supporters.
After going close on several occasions, the Gorillas finally got on the board and it was the classy Vazzoler who was the instigator in the 37th minute when he placed a delicate grubber into the in-goal and replacement fullback Dean Nelson trailed through to dive on the ball under the posts.
Vazzoler converted for Jamberoo to lead 20-6 at the break.
This seemed to give the home side some hope and they put pressure on after the break, before a bizarre piece of play by Jamberoo replacement prop Kieran Pearce broke their hearts.
From a standing start of the final tackle in the 48th minute, Pearce put a delicate kick behind the Warilla defence and somehow regathered and threw a pass to Jono Dallas who spiralled a pass out wide for centre Jake Clarke to grab the ball and score.
This seemed to be the end of the section for Warilla and 10 minutes later, Mark Asquith shrugged off two defenders to cross under the posts for Burke to convert.
To their credit, the Gorillas did hit back through an incisive run by Vazzoler out wide to score, which allowed the home side to be the first team to crack double figures against the Superoos this season, but he was unable to convert.
That was as close as the Warilla side were to get as replacement winger Ben Barnard was the recipient of a one-on-one strip by Dallas and then some fancy footwork by Jake Clarke to grab a double and Burke landed two sideline conversions to round out a resounding win.
Jamberoo fullback Jarryd Smith was the standout in many good performances for the winners, while Jayden Morgan, centre Simon Maslanka and Kyle Stone also stood out.
Jake Brisbane, Duke Grant and Jamie Burns tried hard to lift the Gorillas.
The Roos next face the Jets at Kevin Walsh Oval on Saturday, while the Gorillas host the red-hot Eagles at Cec Glenholmes Oval on Sunday.
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