NRLW 2022 Round 3: All the latest news and results
Newcastle secured a finals berth after snatching a last-gasp victory over Parramatta. See every NRLW result here.
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Hooker Olivia Higgins crashed over from close range to keep Newcastle’s undefeated record intact and secure a finals berth for the Knights as they snatched a last-gasp win over a desperate Parramatta in an NRLW thriller at McDonald Jones Stadium.
After trailing for much of the match, Higgins dived over from dummy half to level the scores before Kirra Dibb slotted the extras with two minutes remaining to secure a famous 18-16 win.
It came after Parramatta scored consecutive tries to grab back their half-time lead after centre Rikeya Horne’s second try put the visitors up 16-12.
Winless Parramatta now must win their final two games against Gold Coast and Brisbane Broncos up north – and hope results fall their way - to grab a finals’ spot similar to how the defending premier Roosters did last year, in fourth.
Wet and windy conditions fluctuated throughout and once the sun started to shine, so did the Knights but they could not haul in the 6-4 lead Parramatta took into half-time, despite a season highlight try from new recruit, and former Bronco, Tamika Upton that reduced the deficit to two.
Seven Knights survived the February clash against Parramatta last season which the Eels pipped by a point, with Upton, co-captain Millie Boyle and 17-year-old halfback sensation Jesse Southwell the new faces all making an impact on Sunday.
The new-look Knights were winless from five games in their first campaign earlier this season and have now gone three in a row.
The achievement of the finals’ berth made extra significant by the fact it has been done without Boyle’s co-captain, and fellow new recruit, Jesse’s sister Hannah Southwell with a season-ending ACL in round one.
SOUTHWELL JILLAROOS BOUND?
Corey Parker had been so impressed by the impact of Jesse Southwell in her first season, he suggested even before a ball was carried in Newcastle that the Commonwealth Games’ rugby sevens gold medallist could be Rugby League World Cup bound.
“I know Ali Brigginshaw has had that number seven jersey sewn up for some time, but we’ve seen from Southwell suggests to me … she is the future of NRLW in the (halfback role),” Parker said.
Southwell sent an injury scare through the Knights’ camp when she landed awkwardly on her right ankle after being brought down by Eels’ prop Najvada George who was placed on report for an alleged hip drop tackle.
PRESTON UNCONVENTIONAL
With the wind getting up in the first half, Parramatta halfback Tayla Preston employed an approach that was part 1980s and part another sport.
Attempting to convert the first try of the match which put the Eels in front, Preston approached the ball straight on, rather than round the corner, and stabbed it with her toe
“That was more like a spot kick in soccer,” Matt Russell remarked in the call on Fox League.
“It’s not around the corner, but it’s not a toe poke either … it’s somewhere in-between.”
“I haven’t seen it any coaching manual,” women’s rugby league great Tarsha Gale remarked.
The style proved fruitful slotting two from the sideline, but then closer to the posts missed her attempt to put the Eels a converted try ahead.
NO CATCHING UPTON
Tamika Upton’s try in the first half to keep the Knights within touching distance of Parramatta at half-time was the class and athleticism that could turn the Knights into premiers.
The Queensland Origin and former Broncos fullback beat three defenders, starting with a shimmy to burst 15 metres down the short side “and find a way”, as Fox League’s Matt Russell described, reaching out over the line in the southern corner.
BRONCOS BOUNCE BACK TO REIGNITE FINALS CHARGE
- Martin Gabor
Jaime Chapman became the third Bronco to score an NRLW hat-trick as Brisbane got their finals campaign back on track with a crushing 22-4 win over the Titans in the Queensland derby.
Brisbane headed into Saturday’s clash at the foot of the table following a couple of heavy losses that had some people writing off their finals chances.
But they sent a timely reminder to the rest of the competition with Chapman’s three tries and a couple of assists to Tarryn Aiken proving the difference in greasy conditions.
While the left edge had a field day, it was Chelsea Lenarduzzi who delivered the play of the afternoon when the representative forward fought her way through five would-be defenders to crash over for a barnstorming try.
Lenarduzzi is in some doubt for next week’s crunch game against the Dragons after she limped off late with a leg injury.
TITANIC BLUNDER
The Titans had done well to cut the margin to eight points early in the second half but their comeback ended abruptly after a brainsnap from one of their best players.
Just after Madison Bartlett scored, the Titans were about to be gifted terrific field position when Brisbane’s short kick-off failed to go 10 metres.
But instead of waiting for the ball to stop rolling, Georgia Hale – who made a game-high 47 tackles – picked it up to concede a needless penalty.
The Broncos kicked it deep, worked their way into a threatening position and then scored on the final tackle through Shenae Ciesiolka to make it 18-4.
The result leaves the Titans winless ahead of next week’s game against the Eels who are also searching for their first win of the season.
Parramatta still has a game up its sleeve and they travel to Newcastle to take on the unbeaten Knights on Sunday.
The Eels showed patches of brilliance with Gayle Broughton and Tiana Penitani combining for a couple of stunning tries last week but they’ll need more from their forwards if they want to contain Newcastle’s powerhouse pack.
Millie Boyle has been getting all the accolades but Caitlan Johnston and Tayla Predebon have been equally destructive, and their second-phase footy has led to plenty of points through the middle this season for Newcastle.
Veteran lights up new stadium as Roosters lock in finals spot
Sam Bremner should be on the plane to the World Cup after she stepped past rival fullback Emma Tonegato to help the Roosters book their spot in the NRLW finals with a crushing win over St George Illawarra.
The defending premiers were far too classy with a 34-6 win over the Dragons in the grand-final rematch to open the new Allianz Stadium on a special night in Sydney.
They only just snuck into the top four last season before they marched all the way to the title, but the Roosters are leaving nothing to chance and look like the team to beat after a third-straight win to move to the top of the table.
Not even constant drizzle could put a dampener on the historic night as the Chooks overcame a slow start thanks to the brilliance of Raecene McGregor who has a league-high seven try assists after three games.
The halfback will be a huge asset for New Zealand at this year’s World Cup with the classy playmaker laying on two tries with her trusty right boot before she produced a stunning no-look pass to put Otese Pule over for her first try in the NRLW.
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MONALISA SMILE
Monalisa Soliola will forever be the answer to a trivia question after she crossed for the first try at the new Allianz Stadium.
The Dragons teenager was promoted to the starting side and it proved a masterstroke when she punished some sliding defence to score the first try of her NRLW career.
The Dragons looked good from the moment Kezie Apps took the first carry at the new stadium, with the skipper then busting through for the first line-break minutes later before she was brought down by Bremner.
But they struggled for fluency in attack after that and they’ll have a few players racing the clock to be fit next week when they look to bounce back from their first loss.
SUPERSTAR SAMMY
Bremner’s return to the NRLW is one of the best footy stories of the year and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The veteran fullback is playing as well as ever just a year after she gave birth to her second child, finishing the night with a game-high 191 metres.
Bremner came up with the play of the night when she burst through and then zipped past Tonegato to score a try that should see her in the Jillaroos squad for the World Cup.
Hardworking Rooster who helped build new stadium
This is the house that Keilee Joseph built.
Forget about the bickering off the field with South Sydney trying to claim the new Allianz Stadium as their own, because the brand new precinct is the home of the Roosters.
And they can thank one of their NRLW stars for helping put it all together.
Fittingly, Keilee Joseph was one of the first athletes to step foot onto Allianz Stadium when the Roosters played the Dragons in the grand-final rematch.
Joseph’s journey to the Roosters is one of perseverance and it’s poetic that she built her career brick by brick by becoming the first player to graduate through the club’s pathway program into the NRLW.
She’s famous for scoring a crucial try in last season’s semi-final against Brisbane and good judges have her earmarked to make her Maroons debut in 2023.
But it’s her amazing link to the new stadium that takes her story to the next level.
Because while everyone waited for the new facility to be built, she was in there toughing it out to make sure it’d be ready for Friday’s double-header.
“I can’t believe that I actually got to be there and help it come together. Now I get to play in the first game ever,” she said. “I told other people that have been building it that I played for the Roosters so they gave me a private tour of the stadium.
“For us to be treated like the men is really good to see.”
Joseph has made a name for herself in the famous red, white and blue jersey, but she regularly swaps the Tricolours for a hi-vis jacket and a helmet working for Borger Cranes.
While working in Moore Park she would direct the big Franna cranes and do all the rigging, and if you’re at the stadium, you’ll see her handy work with the massive pot plants out near the swimming pool.
“You definitely couldn’t do it by hand. They’d have to be at least a tonne,” she said.
Sounds tough, but what’s that like compared to being belted by Brisbane’s Amber Hall last week?
“I’d have to say getting smashed by Amber was tougher,” she said.
“When I looked up and saw her running at me, I knew I had to take the big hit. I woke up on Sunday morning and I was very, very sore. It was worse than a usual shift.”
The NRLW is full of players like Joseph who split their time between training and other full-time jobs to make a living. The 20-year-old was nearly late for training on Tuesday because she was working on another site.
“Yeah I was a bit busy building an overhead crane,” said Joseph, who used to travel from Queensland to Sydney as part of the Roosters’ development squad.
“I started doing this stuff down here, but the company has an office up in Queensland as well so I work for both.
“I’m the one on the ground who directs the crane and does all the rigging. I’ve been doing that for two years.
“I needed something to do while I was playing footy, and luckily for me, my good family friends own Borger Cranes. They’re really good with me and I probably wouldn’t have been able to both play and work without their help.”
Friday’s match at Allianz Stadium was originally slated for a Sunday timeslot at Leichhardt Oval, but NRL coach Trent Robinson fought hard to ensure the women’s team got to open the venue as part of a double-header.
Superstar centre Jess Sergis has overcome a glute problem and cannot wait to run onto the new surface after getting a taste last weekend at the official opening.
“There were eight or 10 of us that got recognised on field, which was pretty special,” Sergis said. “To walk on the stage and see everything from that perspective was special and I can’t wait to see what it will look like on Friday night when we run out in front of what I hope is a packed out crowd.
“It’s going to be the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of. It’s going to be a huge day for women’s rugby league.
“It’s the game of the round that we’ve all been waiting for. It’s going to be special to be the first teams to play at the new Allianz. The Dragons are playing great football so this will be a good test to see who’s playing better football.”
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Originally published as NRLW 2022 Round 3: All the latest news and results
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