http://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2017/03/19/fogarty_overcomes_fo.html
They secured the most significant moves in their respective careers playing alongside each other, but this afternoon two former Burleigh Bears lined up on opposite sides of the field.
Jamal Forgarty and Cameron Cullen were, without doubt, central to the Intrust Super Cup success the Bears experienced in 2016 – the club’s first premiership in 12 seasons. With Forgarty at halfback and Cullen at five-eighth, the pair were among the best in the competition, with Fogarty topping the point-scorers’ list and Cullen earning five NRL games for the Titans. Unsurprisingly, both players caught the eye of NRL recruiters and were quickly snapped up by Sydney-based clubs: Fogarty by the Eels and Cullen by the Sea Eagles.
Cullen’s class was immediately clear in Blacktown’s opening game, setting up two tries and scoring a third in an effort that earned him an NRL selection in Round 2. Fogarty, meanwhile, had been adjusting to life at Wentworthville in the opening fortnight and in the teams’ Round 3 match-up, came out victorious.
“It’s good to get one up against ‘Cullo’,” Fogarty tells NSWRL.com.au. “Back home he always used to get it on top of me so it’s just good to get one back on him.
“We’ve had a rough start for the first two rounds – that’s on the back of our own performances – but today we sort of clicked into gear and the results showed.”
Fogarty is yet to experience the bright lights of the NRL and while regular Eels halfback Corey Norman sat out Round 3, it was Jeff Robson to get promoted this week. The 23-year-old knows improvement is needed before he’s next in line, which he hopes will come throughout the season.
“I’ve just got to fix up my own game before that opportunity comes and hopefully I can do that,” Fogarty says. “The consistency’s a big part and I’ve just got to keep working on it.
“As a half, you can’t duck in for 20 (minutes) and duck out for 20 – just little things like that and getting better polish on the ends of sets.”
Hailing from the Gold Coast Hinterland town of Beaudesert, the former Titans Holden Cup player is adjusting to life in Sydney while adjusting to the new set-up on the field as well.
“The move’s been really easy; all the blokes at Parramatta are legends and they’ve just made the move real comfortable,” Fogarty adds. “They always ask how the partner’s going and my two young ones which is a good thing.
“We’re absolutely enjoying our time at the moment.”
With the first win under the belt in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW, Fogarty’s next task will be the Newcastle Knights as the Magpies travel to Toronto in search of another two competition points.
Replies
Well done to fog on a good performance today and i like his honesty about Cullen and not being ready for 1st grade yet.
Reports on the match thanks to NSWRL home page
Magpies Extend Sea Eagles' Winless Run
Simon Masterton (Twitter: @OiSimmo)
The Wentworthville Magpies have shown their class at Ringrose Park this afternoon, convincingly overcoming the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles 52-8 in Round 3.
Magpies playmakers Jamal Fogarty, Troy Dargan and Scott Schulte were in rare form for the home side, while the efforts of Cameron Cullen and the left-edge attack of Jonathan Wright and Peter Schuster didn't go unnoticed for the Sea Eagles. With the rain clearing up and the Ringrose Park surface in pristine condition, it allowed Wentworthville to put on the flurry of points and keep Blacktown winless in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW.
It didn't take long for Wentworthville to open the scoring, with Bureta Faraimo taking on three defenders and crossing in the corner just four minutes into the contest. That try came before Blacktown even had a chance with the football, thanks to two early penalties that put the Magpies in an attacking position. Fogarty missed the conversion from out wide for a 4-0 lead.
When the Sea Eagles did get an opportunity to attack, they made no mistake; their first attacking raid delivered points thanks to a well-placed Cameron Cullen grubber. That kick was pounced on by Wright, who made it three tries in as many appearances for the new joint venture. Once again the difficult conversion attempt was waved away and scores were locked at four apiece.
Cullen already having a major influence on the game for the Sea Eagles, it was his opposite number's turn to lay on some points and in the 26th minute, Dargan put Nathan Davis through a gaping hole to score under the posts. Fogarty converted to make scores 10-4.
Minutes later Fogarty had his own four-pointer, finishing a good effort from Magpies captain Cody Nelson to run 40 metres to the try line. Converting his own try the home sed led 16-4 as they gained the ascendency at Ringrose. The Sea Eagles had one last roll of the dice and nearly came up with a try through Schuster, but the winger was forced into touch and 16-4 was the half-time score.
The second stanza started in similar fashion to the first, with Wentworthville taking little time to extend their lead. George Jennings showed his explosiveness as he smashed through the defence and found space - while Cullen never gave up his chase, the winger would run 50 metres to score.
Suddenly the Magpies appeared to be doing it easily with more points coming just three minutes later, this time through second-rower Jack Morris. Once again it was Fogarty who set up the try and he then converted it, bringing scores to 28-4.
When the Sea Eagles got their chance they almost scored a sensational try, with Pita Godinet tapping the ball on to Tyler Cassel in space. Cassel knocked the ball on at the line, however, and Godinet got no reward for his efforts. They were soon denied another certain try when Wright was deemed to have thrown a forward pass to outside man Schuster, who would have raced 40 metres to score. Two plays later the Magpies made them pay for their missed opportunities as Faraimo and Schulte combined for another long-range four-pointer, which was converted for a 34-4 score line.
The game soon reached an extended break as the Magpies' Alex Twal went down with a serious injury and was carefully stretchered from the field by staff. Upon the resumption, the Sea Eagles finally found a way through for their second as Pat Mataele scored, but the conversion was missed and scores were 34-8.
The Magpies weren't finished with and after a Pita Godinet error, they got the chance to put on more points. Big men Rory O'Brien and Sam Gorman combined for the next try, with the latter diving over and bringing up 40 for the home side. In the ensuing set, the Magpies broke through once more for perhaps the easiest try of the day; a simple left-side movement brought a big overlap and Faraimo strolled in to make it a hat-trick.
A last-ditch effort brought the Magpies yet another late try, due to an in-goal fumble from Ray Lesoa. Gorman dived on the loose ball for his second, which was converted for the full-time score of 52-8.
Wentworthville Magpies 52 (B Faraimo 3, S Gorman 2, N Davis, J Fogarty, G Jennings, J Morris tries; J Fogarty 8 goals) def Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles 8 (J Wright, P Mataele tries)
Even though Blacktown/Manly were missing a heap of players this is still a terrific win, well done boys.
I was wondering why Nathan Davis very recently left Titans as he would be playing first grade with them with all of their injuries. Davis may end up being a better pick up then Auva'a and George Jennings and I would have him above Faraimo, and Folau in the pecking order (handy pick up). Does anybody know why Davis suddenly left Titans?
Sad to read that Twal suffered a serious injury. Does anybody know that type of injury he picked up?
At full strength this second grade team will be very strong.
so we have signed 3 NRL standard centre/wingers waiting to play 1st grade and not including Falonk and Bureta, yet have no hookers left, a suspended utility player, a 5/8th still learning his craft, and no decent half back-up. Hmm, recruitment Makes sense......
Its hard to comment on recruitment when we don't know the exact position of the salary cap. We don't know if IDG will return soon or is serious. King returns next week and Robson is probably a better hooker then half (too slow for half these days, but defends well enough to play hooker and give us another kicking option from dummy half). Davis would be on very modest money and would be second tier probably around the 50-70K. Seggy would have been a good pick up but he would want decent coin (250K+) as well as his former club wanting a six figure transfer fee. Our recruitment this year has been pretty good. Don't forget there was no elite halves available this year and no elite hookers.
BD, read last week that the transfer fee had been agreed to with the Sharks and Sege was to start training before this weekend just gone, thing is, is the transfer fee included in the cap?
I wonder in some respects that if King is ok for this weekend and I have never seen him play would he be a better option at 7 with Robbo at 9, but not too sure any gain is there. Many have said King did ok at 7 last year after injury so that is the spot that's needed to be filled this week. Robbo at 9,????
I really hope that Twal's injury is not that bad as he seemed to be coming along well and a player the eels need to tie up.
1 try 8 goals have a look at my thread match report and other, lets not forget that like our loss on Friday night being only round 3 same with Wenty after 2 losses and now 1 win.
http://www.1eyedeel.com/forum/topics/wenty-isp-round-three-report-f...
Cheers.
I don't often read long blogs, i've got the attention span of a ADHD suffering labrador pup.
Not a bad effort by Fog.
Looks like at least the FOG understands where he is in the pecking order and what he needs to do to get a chance at FG. Unlike Benj who wants him there now.