Brisbane have gone outright top of the NRLW ladder with a tense, grinding win over St George Illawarra 22-18 at Sydney’s Commbank Stadium.
Both teams entered Sunday’s contest unbeaten but reigning premiers Brisbane made it three straight wins to start their 2022 campaign as Hagiga Mosby’s try with four minutes remaining proved the difference.
The 21-year-old crossed after St George Illawarra had levelled the scores with 10 minutes remaining through a deft reverse pass from Quincy Dodd which allowed Elsie Albert to score her maiden NRLW try from close range.
The Papua New Guinean was impressive through the middle all afternoon as the Dragons dominated the second half only to be undone by Brisbane’s lethal left edge.
With a 12-6 lead at the main break through tries from Tallisha Harden and Tarryn Aiken, the Broncos were pinned inside their own half to start the second as the Dragons’ middle forwards made inroads.
And when Page McGregor found Shaylee Bent with a cut-out pass on their 30m line, the second rower showed a clean pair of heels to fend off and streak away to level the scores at 12-12.
Brisbane fired back shortly after with their first real opportunity of the second stanza through their right edge, going through the hands as Shenae Ciesiolka found Emily Bass who dotted down in the corner.
Albert’s try levelled the scores at 18-18 following Rachael Pearson’s conversion but Mosby was too strong in the corner late as Brisbane held on.
Bent and Emma Tonegato were both strong with their carries for St George Illawarra as the pair both finished with more than 150 run metres for the game.
For the Broncos, reigning NRLW Dally M player of the year Ali Brigginshaw combined well with halves partner Aiken to capitalise on the width their forwards provided.
But it was Amber Hall (19 runs, five tackle busts) and Millie Boyle who laid the platform for the Broncos’ offence, finding numerous offloads to stretch their opponents and power Brisbane to their third win of the season.
Parramatta halfback Maddie Studdon has bagged a try and set up two more as the Eels capped their first NRLW home game at Commbank Stadium with a 24-14 win over the Gold Coast Titans.
Dean Widders’ side, who now have two wins from their opening three games of the season, staved off a fightback from the Titans after throwing away an early lead.
Studdon was in the heart of everything the Eels did right and she could have added a few more points to her tally but for a tough day with the boot (two from six).
Fullback Botille Vette-Walsh clocked up a NRLW record 250 running metres and centre Tiana Penitani was also impressive as she laid on two try assists. “I’m really pleased that we’ve got a good group of leaders,” Widders said. “They’re teaching the girls about what it takes to be at this level. “We’ve got some confidence in our group. We’re not quite there yet but we are working towards getting there.”
Studdon opened the scoring when she combined with Penitani down the left before Abbi Church barged over a few moments later to give the Eels a 8-0 lead after 10 minutes.
The Eels got a further boost when Gold Coast’s Tazmin Gray was sin-binned for a crusher tackle on Vette-Walsh. They couldn’t make that advantage count with Titans duo Steph Hancock and Hailee-Jay Maunsell hitting back.
The half-time siren went off eight minutes before it was due and the Titans opted to take a tap and then kick the ball into touch to kill off the first half. But the siren was triggered in error and the Gold Coast were penalised, with Studdon notching a penalty on the next set to tie the scores up at 10-10.
Titans coach Jamie Feeney said his side were the architects of their own downfall. “Simple fundamentals just cost us again and we don’t have too many games to make up for it,” he said. “We just didn’t execute on the day. It was deja vu from round one.”
Gold Coast’s Destiny Brill scored straight after the break but from thereon in the game was one way traffic.
Parramatta five-eighth Emily Curtain hit back with Vette-Walsh chiming in to hand the Eels a six-point buffer.
Studdon sent forward Christian Pio through a gaping hole down the left hand 10 minutes before full-time to wrap up the win.
Jess Sergis sealed the Sydney Roosters’ first victory of the NRLW season on Saturday with a try in the corner as they returned to the SCG in style, 28-12 over Newcastle.
Sergis had earlier sent a scare through the Roosters camp when she twisted awkwardly in a tackle from Ngatokotoru Arakua late in the first half. She needed her right ankle strapped but stayed on the field.
Sergis appeared to hobble around at times in the second half but played out the game in a testament to her courage. Referee Kara-Lee Nolan placed the Knights forward on report because her shoulder had made contact with Sergis’ head.
Then minutes later Arakua was placed on report for a second time — for lifting Keilee Joseph — and sent to the sin bin.
It meant the Knights started the second half with 12 players, which in turn led to two quick tries by the hosts.
Captain and fullback Corban Baxter returned to the side after two weeks out with COVID-19, and praised Sergis for her high pain tolerance. “She’s a super woman. She’s playing with a limp and can still come up with some magic. She’s a very courageous player,” Baxter said.
Coach John Strange turned the spotlight on his Jillaroos player nominating her presence as the difference from the past two losses to Brisbane and Gold Coast.
“Obviously having Corbs back was really good…. as a player she’s a great fullback,” Strange said.
“That also pushed Brydie (Parker) out to the wing and as we saw, as a winger, I don’t think there’s a better one in the game… “Then it’s pushed Yasmin Meakes from wing to back row and I thought she was outstanding on our left edge, and that also pushed Sarah Togatuki into the middle where she’s strongest.
“So it was a real knock-on effect having Corbs back and it just balanced out our side.”
Strange said Sergis rolled her ankle aggravating an old injury. “We gave her the option to come off midway through the second half but she didn’t want to,” he said. “She was brilliant.”
Winless Newcastle rebooted their halves pairing with Charntay Poko and Kirra Dibb returning. The Roosters were the first to post points after just seven minutes when Parker crossed, before Isabelle Kelly extended the margin with her own four-pointer soon after.
The Knights scored when fullback Romy Teitzel poked her nose through in the 24th minute, dragging three defenders with her, to go to the break 10-6 down.
In the second half with Arakua still in the bin, Parker got her double before second-rower Olivia Kernick got a favourable bounce from a charge-down to score the Roosters’ fourth try.
Newcastle’s Kiwi prop Annetta Nu’uausala barged over with 19 minutes left on the clock to reduce the margin but two Knights errors close to their line ended their hopes.
Joseph scored under the posts and Sergis out wide to seal the Roosters’ win.
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