Round 1 Match Report
With much anticipation the 2025 Knock-On Effect NSW Cup competition kicked off for the Bears on Sunday as we took on the Sydney Roosters at Wentworth Park. The game was a tight arm wrestle from start to finish. Bears took to the field missing powerhouse prop Phil Makatoa who is recovering from a left orbital fracture and fast paced winger Tui Katoa who is working through hamstring tightness. For near on twenty minutes the game remained scoreless as both teams worked through round one roughness. Heading into the last tackle of the set, Jesse Marschke puts up a bomb and finds a charging Matt Komolafe who takes it to the white line to light up the scoreboard. The conversion is unsuccessful, and the score sits 0 – 4 to the good guys for the remainder of the half.
The second half kicks off and again the game goes scoreless for the first fifteen minutes, until the Roosters find the Bears defense lacking on a last tackle and easily nab the points. The try goes unconverted, and the scores are locked at 4-all. Only moments later, Roosters are back on the attack after a Bears mistake that saw us kick out on the full. The tr-colours make the most of the momentum and to add their scoreline with a converted try, 10 – 4.
As the game clicks into the last ten minutes, Joe Chan is penalised for offside which gives the Roosters a two pointer and extends their lead to 12 – 4. Not done yet, Bears push forward and big Ben Talty powers for the try line. Matt Stimson converts from in front and the score narrows to 12 – 10. Not enough minutes left in the game to go one more and the Bears concede their first loss of the season.
The game was clunky, especially towards the end, and missing congeniality. “We made four errors in the second half, but they were crucial errors” commented Head Coach Tony Barnes. He went on to say that the team was able to create opportunities but were “unable to ice them” and “missed a spark towards the end” that saw the win go to the opposition. Good to game one out of the way and now to focus on the season ahead.
ROUND 2:
This Sunday the boys head to Belmore Sports Ground to take on the Doggies. The game will be played as a curtain raiser to the NRL match, Bulldogs v Tigers. Get to the ground early and cheer on your mighty Bears!
This season you can turn up or tune in to every game with BarTVs official live streaming (subscription payable).
Click HERE to read our Round 6 Junior Reps report including all try scorers and successful conversions for our pathway programs.
Check out the Bears named to pull on a red & black jersey this week >>
Team Draws & Game Results: Draws – North Sydney Bears
NSWRL Official Live Stream of Games
Watch every game of the knock-On Effect NSW Cup 2025 season live via the official NSWRL BARTV live stream. This is a subscription service with two payment tier options of $6.95 for a 48 hour period or $19.95 per month. You will have access to all games during the subscription period.
