It was a big week in the NRLW as the Roosters claimed their first win of the season. Photo: Sydney Roosters/Twitter
It was another action-packed weekend in the NRLW, with the Roosters, Broncos and Eels all victors in the third round, as the season reaches its halfway point.
Here’s what we learned about your club.
Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights
The Roosters recorded their first win of the season, winning big against the Newcastle Knights on Saturday afternoon at the SCG.
Sydney started the game well and led the contest by 10-6 at the half. The Roosters would score two tries in the opening half, but they would struggle to convert, which prevented the margin from being much bigger.
The Roosters kicked into gear in the second half, scoring four tries to one, as they would come away with their first victory of the season.
Isabelle Kelly was the star of the show for the Roosters throughout the entirety of the match, with two try assists, as well as collecting a try herself. Kelly was electric all afternoon with several tackle bursts important passes, and gained the most run metres on the ground, with 151.
The win is Sydney’s first of the season, and is an important one as the grand finalists of the inaugural three years look to put themselves back into finals calculations with a strong run home.
Meanwhile, it was a very disappointing afternoon for Newcastle as it remains winless in the 2021 season so far.
The Knights would be back into the contest before the halftime break when superstar Romy Teitzel would burst through to try to stem the Roosters’ momentum.
However, from there, things would go from bad to worse all afternoon, as the Roosters took control. Undisciplined acts led to a sin-bin for Ngatokotoru Arakua just two minutes into the second half. From there, the mountain was too big to climb, as the Knights slumped to three straight defeats.
Final Score: Roosters 28-12 Knights
Next week, the Roosters will travel to Newcastle to take on the Paramatta Eels. Meanwhile, Newcastle will return home to McDonald Jones Stadium, taking on the second-placed Dragons.
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Brisbane Broncos
The top of the table contest between the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Brisbane Broncos certainly lived up to expectations in one of the greatest matches of all time.
The Broncos burst out of the gates with a try in the third minute of the game thanks to Talisha Harden, and when Tarryn Aiken scored, the lead would be restored, as the Broncos led 12-6 at half-time. However, the Dragons would have other ideas in the second half.
Shaylee Bent scored in the 46th minute of the match to level the scores before the lead would swing again. Emily Bass would score a try in the 55th minute to give the Broncos the lead, before another twist would occur. Just four minutes later, St. George would score again through Elsie Albert, as the lead would be levelled to 18 after 59 minutes.
However, Hagiga Mosby would score the winning try after 65 minutes, and the Broncos would ultimately win a thriller by just four points.
Importantly, there were many important questions answered throughout the match for both sides.
For Brisbane, it was an important reminder that there are many challengers for their coveted trophy, which they are favourites to win yet again.
The side’s confidence should be very high, and it will be hard to see them losing another home and away game this season.
There were also a lot of important learnings from the clash for the Dragons, as they showed when they are at their best, they can match it with the best, and were very nearly able to come away with the win.
Albert attempted everything in her power to get her side the victory, losing no admirers in the defeat.
Final Score: Dragons 18-22 Broncos
Next week, the Broncos will return to Queensland for an away game against the Gold Coast Titans in the first-ever all Queensland clash. The Dragons will look to bounce back as they head to Newcastle to take on the winless Knights.
Paramatta Eels vs Gold Coast Titans
The Paramatta Eels have claimed third spot on the NRLW ladder, following an important ten-point victory over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon at CommBank Stadium.
Paramatta started the game brilliantly, with two tries in the opening ten minutes, thanks to Maddie Studdon and Abbi Church respectively. However, the Titans would storm back into the contest thanks to tries from Stephanie Hancock and Hailee Jay-Maunsell to have the contest all square at ten each heading into the half.
Bo Vette-Welsh played one of the greatest games in NRLW history, in a record breaking performance. With the game all tied up at 14, the superstar fullback would score a crucial try, and with that try converted, the Paramatta lead would extend to six points. Vette-Welsh also broke the record for run metres in an NRLW game, with 260.
For the Titans, Destiny Brill fought very hard to make things work for the home side, and with an important try in the 36th minute, the Titans would be well and truly entrenched in the contest.
Unfortunately, it would be a bridge too far for the Gold Coast who would ultimately succumb to defeat by ten points.
Paramatta fans were reminded that they have one of the best players in the NRLW at their disposal, and if they can all click at the right time, they can go very deep into finals action. The Eels also showed when they are attacking, it is the benchmark of the competition, however, the question remains as to whether they can do it for long enough.
Meanwhile, from a Titans perspective, the loss is a very disappointing one in a clash that could have major implications on them throughout the remaining two fixtures. Gold Coast has fallen to fourth on the NRLW ladder, and with the Roosters gaining momentum in their victory, more pressure is placed on the Titans if they are to feature in finals football.
The Titans have no bigger test than this weekend against the Broncos who are top of the table, in what should be a brilliant game in front of a big crowd at home.
Final Score: Eeels 24-14 Titans
Next week, the Eels will take on the Roosters in an important matchup which is expected to have major finals implications. Elsewhere, the Titans will host the Brisbane Broncos on the Gold Coast in a huge game for the city of Queensland.
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