That news was how centre Ben Smith pulled up after missing virtually the entire NRL season with a knee injury.

The news was good.

Smith didn't reproduce his representative form - no one expected him to - and Eels coach Michael Hagan wouldn't have been concerned if he hadn't have produced any form.

The news was that the strapping centre got through his 40 minutes healthy.

Wenty didn't reproduce the form which has them sitting five points behind North Sydney in second place.

The Magpies admitted that Wests had been the better team.

Shannon Gallant had the chance to snatch it for Wests after the siren, but his conversion attempt sailed just besides the post.

Wenty played for the first 20 minutes and ran to a 12-6 lead, but Wests had the best of the rest.

One moderate Magpies effort could be excused in an intense season.

Fullback Tim Mortimer, half James Maloney and back rower Broderick Wright could be excused from any criticism in the below-par performance.

No criticism could be levelled at Wenty's Jim Beam Cup team either.

The Sydney Bulls, who are the competition favourites, were expected to win by 50 points against the injury-ravaged Magpies.

Instead, the Bulls scored a try in the last minute and won 32-30.

This was simply one of the gutsiest Magpies efforts in many a season and, as with Wests in the NSW Cup, they had been the better team.

They'd been the better team for 79 minutes.

The loss makes them now only a mathematical chance of making the finals, but should they not make it, they certainly gave a performance to remember.

Meanwhile, Wenty will get the gauge on how they're going when they meet leaders North Sydney at North Sydney Oval on Saturday.

The Jim Beam Cuppers will travel to Cabramatta on Sunday.

Winger Eric Grothe was suffering from a bulged disc and missed Sunday's NSW Cup game.