NRLW Tackle: Cowboys stars channel viral Coldplay cheating scandal in try celebration
Cowboys pair add to list of epic try celebrations in 2025, debutant’s family’s 4000km dash from Darwin, Rooster’s lucky break - check out all the talking points from Round 3 of the NRLW season.
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NRLW players just do it better.
The creativity, the consistency, the humour. Unmatched.
We’ve seen some absolute beauties across Try July but none better than from Cowboys forwards Tallisha Harden and Makenzie Weale, who pulled off a recreation of the Coldplay cheaters perfectly.
ROUND 3 LIKES
Brave Cowboys
North Queensland are starting to build the kind of resilience that can win them a title within the next few seasons.
After Saturday’s win over Cronulla, coach Ricky Henry revealed skipper Kirra Dibb was left out of the side with “things to work on”, while they lost fullback Jakiya Whitfeld was a late withdrawal with a hamstring injury.
Still the Cowboys put together their best performance of the season to stun the Sharks 16-14 in Cronulla without two of their biggest names and most experienced players.
The loss of Whitfeld in particular handed rookie Ana Malupo a special moment with a late call up to debut.
Her family travelled all the way from Darwin, leaving at 1.30am to travel the nearly 4000km be there to support her at the game.
ON THE BOARD
Gold Coast have put an end to a horror start to the NRLW season with a 24-12 win over Wests Tigers at Leichhardt on Sunday.
After scoring two tries and just three linebreaks across the first two games of the season, the Titans attack finally clicked to pull off a second-half comeback from an 8-6 deficit for their first win of the year.
Errors cruelled the Tigers in the second half as Titans scored three unanswered tries in the final 25 minutes to sink their hopes of a win at home.
Tigers looked set for their first win over the year at the 42nd minute mark when winger Caitlin Turnbull polished off a hat-trick, beating Titans fullback Jaime Chapman to ground the ball.
But the gulf in experience exposed the Tigers as the Titans started rolling, with tries to Sienna Lofipo, Georgia Grey and Ivana Lolesio overpowering the retreating defence.
The win has come at the perfect time for the Titans who travel to Auckland to face the Warriors next weekend, while the Tigers remain on the bottom of the ladder alongside Canberra, searching for their first win.
It gets tougher in round four, facing Cronulla at Shark Park on Sunday night.
SISTERLY LOVE
Congratulations to St George Illawarra forward Trinity Tauaneai who claims bragging rights over her older sister Alexis from Saturday’s win over the Bulldogs.
In one of the best games of the season, the Dragons handed the Dogs their first loss of the NRLW season with a nailbiting win. Trinity was promoted to the starting squad to face her sister head on, while Alexis kept up her insane run of form to start the season with 189 running metres, two tackle-breaks and 35 tackles.
A big day for an immensely talented and competitive family.
PREMIERSHIP FEATHERS
Sydney Roosters have declared themselves premiership favourites just three rounds into the NRLW season with a grinding 30-26 win over Brisbane.
Led by dual tryscorer Tamika Upton, the heavily favoured Broncos rebounded from an 18-0 deficit just 13 minutes in, to go agonisingly close to the biggest comeback in the competition history.
The Roosters were good enough to hold on after centre Jess Sergis was sin-binned for a professional foul with two minutes on the clock.
Rookie Broncos winger Kerri Johnson scored soon after to get within four points, and they waved away the conversion to chase the win.
It was a smart piece of game management that was spoiled by errors in the dying seconds.
It’s a huge win for the reigning NRLW premiers who are without the best five-eighth in the game, Tarryn Aiken.
ROUND 3 DISLIKES
LUCKY BREAK
She was lucky not to be penalised, but Roosters forward Amber Hall will anxiously wait on Monday’s charge sheet for a blatant late shot on Broncos fullback Tamika Upton.
Upton was shouldered to the ground late after putting in a grubber kick early in the second half of Sunday’s blockbuster.
It went unnoticed by officials at the ground, but Hall was later put on report by the bunker and now risks Saturday’s clash with Canterbury at Allianz Stadium.
RAIDERS ON THE ROPES
It’s been a shocking start to the season for Canberra.
In three games they’ve coughed up 138 points in three games, scoring just 32.
A 46-12 loss to Parramatta in Canberra was their ninth straight loss at home - a frustrating statistic for a club riding high at the top of the NRL ladder who find themselves at the bottom of the NRLW counterpart.
Originally published as NRLW Tackle: Cowboys stars channel viral Coldplay cheating scandal in try celebration
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