IF National Rugby League clubs are looking for a halfback to help steer them out of the doldrums in 2013, they need not look any further than the Orange junior dominating the NSW Cup with the Bluebags.
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Daniel Mortimer has scored 36 points in two semi-final victories with Newtown in the last fortnight, helping his Jets side account for Illawarra and most recently the North Sydney Bears at Leichhardt Oval.
Thanks to Mortimer, the Jets are fast becoming the giant killers in this year’s NSW Cup finals series.
And they’ve now got Goliath in their sights.
The Jets take on 2012 minor premiers and two-time defending champions the Canterbury Bulldogs in next Sunday’s preliminary final, again at Leichhardt.
A Mortimer plotting the downfall of the Bulldogs - it’s blasphemy.
“The Bulldogs won the minor premiership. It’s our grand final this weekend really,” the lively No.7 said.
“If we can pull off a win here in this one it’ll give us a red hot shot at the grand final. We have to be better than we were last week though.”
If Mortimer gets better the Jets will be morals.
The Sydney Roosters playmaker has been in red-hot form and again against North Sydney stepped up to the plate when his side needed him most.
Down 30-24 with five minutes remaining, Mortimer found his way through some tired Bears defence to score, then kicked the goal to draw the game level, taking the semi-final into golden point extra time.
The Jets then received a penalty and it was the boot of Mortimer that sealed the win.
“We got the penalty about 35 out with a bit of a breeze so I thought I’d go for it. It hung right there for a while and came back in at the last second for me and dropped,” the CYMS junior said.
“It’s great. The Newtown fans out there love their footy. You go out there and they make you feel like a star.
“They’ve gotten us home over the last couple of weeks really.”
Mortimer has been kicking for Newtown since regular super-boot Jack Littlejohn went down injured two weeks ago.
It’s a role Mortimer is relishing, booting 12 straight goals.
“I haven’t missed yet. I’m really enjoying it,” he said.
The Balmain Tigers and Newcastle Knights go head-to-head in the NSW Cup’s other preliminary final.
NEWTOWN JETS 32 (Justin Carney 2, Mose Masoe 2, Daniel Mortimer tries; Mortimer 6 goals) def NORTH SYDNEY BEARS 30 (Luke Keary, Bennett Leslie, Brendan McKinnon, Curtis Johnston, Ryan Carr tries; Keary 5 goals).
