NRLW teams for finals week 1: Jesse Southwell, Millie Boyle cleared for sudden-death clashes
NRLW finalists the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights have received good news on the verge of the playoffs — check out full teams here.
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Sydney Roosters have scored a double boost for their semi-final clash against Gold Coast on Sunday with Millie Boyle and Keeley Davis both cleared to play.
Skipper Isabelle Kelly confirmed the good news on Tuesday at the NRLW finals launch at rugby league HQ in Sydney.
“Millie is good, she’ll be there this weekend, Keeley’s good, she’ll be there this weekend,” Kelly said.
Star prop Boyle has missed the past two weeks with a shoulder injury, while Davis was rested from last week’s clash with the Cowboys with a hamstring strain.
Knights halfback Jesse Southwell has also been cleared of a serious leg injury and will be fit to play the Broncos at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
The 18-year-old was taken from the field with a bad cork against the Tigers on Thursday night.
“It was a pretty nasty cork, she couldn’t walk properly on Friday, but she went for a scan and it was just a nasty cork, so she’ll be all good,” said her sister Hannah on Tuesday.
The Roosters will be desperate for Boyle’s experience up front against Gold Coast after teenage prop Pani Hopoate pleaded guilty to a hip drop tackle which handed her a two week suspension.
Hopoate’s ban adds to an already depleted Roosters side who will be missing centre Jess Sergis with a fractured finger.
Elsewhere, the Titans are keeping a lid on hopes Jillaroos utility Taliah Fuimaono could make a surprise return against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Fuimaono hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury in round one, and although she has trained for the past two weeks, she is yet to take the field.
She was named 18th player in the Titans’ 30-6 win over Canberra on Sunday afternoon, but the Titans are on a four-game winning streak coming into Sunday’s clash.
“I’m hopeful, that’s on the books, but at the moment I’m working closely with the physios and doing everything I can to be in the best position possible where if I am needed, and that’s what’s best for the team, that I am ok (to play),” Fuimaono said on Monday.
“Anyone playing in the NRLW wants to play in the finals, but [coach Karyn Murphy has] been really clear on that, it’s going to take all 24 of us to take this premiership.
“I’m just focusing on what I can control and what I can do off the field. I’m trying to do what I can off the field to contribute.”
KNIGHTS v BRONCOS
Sunday, 2.05pm, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Knights: 1. Tamika Upton 2. Sheridan Gallagher 3. Shanice Parker 4. Abigail Roache 5. Jasmine Strange 6. Georgia Roche 7. Jesse Southwell 8. Tayla Predebon 9. Olivia Higgins 10. Caitlan Johnston 11. Laishon Albert-Jones 12. Yasmin Clydsdale 13. Hannah Southwell 14. Nita Maynard 15. Tiana Davison 16. Kayla Romaniuk 17. Jacinta Carter 18. Felila Kia 19. Tamerah Leati 20. Rima Butler 21. Caitlin Moran 22. Jayde Herdegen
Broncos: 1. Hayley Maddick 2. Julia Robinson 3. Mele Hufanga 4. Shenae Ciesiolka 5. Ashleigh Werner 6. Gayle Broughton 7. Ali Brigginshaw 8. Tafito Lafaele 9. Destiny Brill 10. Brianna Clark 11. Tazmin Gray 12. Romy Teitzel 13. Mariah Denman 14. Lavinia Gould 15. Jasmine Fogavini 16. Chelsea Lenarduzzi 17. Lauren Dam 18. Jada Ferguson 19. Grace Griffin 20. Narikah Orchard 21. Keisha-Leigh Coolwell 22. Hannah Larsson
Team news: Jesse Southwell has been cleared of a leg injury and has been named in the halves alongside Georgia Roche, who was rested against the Wests Tigers last week. Sheridan Gallagher has also been cleared of a knee injury and has been named on the wing. For the Broncos, there are no changes to the team that thumped St George Illawarra in the final round.
ROOSTERS v TITANS
Sunday, 4.15pm, Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Roosters: 1. Corban Baxter 2. Jayme Fressard 3. Brydie Parker 4. Isabelle Kelly 5. Mia Wood 6. Tarryn Aiken 7. Jocelyn Kelleher 8. Millie Boyle 9. Keeley Davis 10. Teuila Fotu-Moala 11. Otesa Pule 12. Olivia Kernick 13. Keilee Joseph 14. Joeli Morris 15. Grace Hamilton 16. Mya Hill-Moana 17. Amelia Pasikala 18. Millicent Scutt 19. Lexi Kiriwi 20. Lily Rogan 21. Tyler Bentley 22. Jessica Sergis
Titans: 1. Evania Pelite 2. Karina Brown 3. Jaime Chapman 4. Niall Williams-Guthrie 5. Destiny Mino-Sinapati 6. Chantay Kiria-Ratu 7. Lauren Brown 8. Shannon Mato 9. Brittany Breayley-Nati 10. Jessika Elliston 11. Zara Canfield 12. Shaylee Bent 13. Georgia Hale 14. Sienna Lofipo 15. Stephanie Hancock 16. Rilee Jorgensen 17. Dannii Perese 18. Taliah Fuimaono 19. Kaitlyn Phillips 20. Laikha Clarke 21. Hailee-Jay Maunsell 22. Emily Bass
Team news: Millie Boyle, Keeley Davis and Amelia Pasikala have all been named to return for the Roosters in the do-or-die semi-final against the Gold Coast on Sunday afternoon. The trio will be welcome inclusions for the second-placed side, forcing the club’s newest signing, their assistant strength and conditioning coach Millicent Scutt, to the extended bench after making her NRLW debut last week. The Titans are unchanged from their round nine win over the Raiders with Taliah Fuimaono named in the 18th jersey as a chance to return from an ankle injury that has plagued her all season.
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