NRLW 2022, round one: Young Knights take down Broncos; Sam Bremner stars in Roosters win
A new-look Newcastle outfit, including a 17-year-old Commonwealth Games sevens gold medallist, has proved more than a handful for three-time NRLW champion Brisbane.
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A Knights team full of new faces, including former Broncos Millie Boyle and Tamika Upton, have run over the top of three-time NRLW champion Brisbane in the season opener in Newcastle.
A teenage cross-code star shone brightly in the Knights’ maiden victory in NRLW on Sunday after a winless first campaign to start 2022.
After the men’s team failed to add to the two wins from 11 matches at home, against Canberra Raiders, this year’s Origin debutant Caitlan Johnston barged over the line in the 59th minute to seal the Knights‘ 32-14 victory.
The Knights led 16-10 at halftime and advanced that advantage early in the second half through ex-Roosters premiership prop Tayla Predebon. A Broncos’ side who had lost just three NRLW games from the 18 in their history, however was not going down without a fight.
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Captain Ali Brigginshaw’s cross-field kick to Julia Robinson closed the gap to 22-14. But that is as close as they got as the Knights rolled forward.
Ten of the starting 17 for Newcastle were making their Knights’ NRLW debut, including 17-year-old Commonwealth Games sevens gold medallist Jesse Southwell, whose skill and composure impressed legend Andrew Johns recently.
Her first half included two linebreaks and five tackle busts and her grasp on the contest showed no sign of relenting.
“She’s been unreal in the first half,” said current Parramatta player Kennedy Cherrington on Fox League’s call. “(She’s) controlling the game really well.”
Her premiership-winning older sister with the Roosters this year and new co-captain Hannah Southwell, alongside Boyle, was not as fortunate as her halfback sister, injuring her leg during the first half and not returning.
The Broncos suffered their first back-to-back losses following their semi-final defeat to the Roosters in April.
Early warning: Bremner inspires red-hot Roosters
The Sydney Roosters have made an emphatic start to their NRLW premiership defence after almost racking up a record score in their 38-16 smackdown of Parramatta.
Mother of two and former Jillaroo Sam Bremner was the standout in her return to rugby league. The 30-year-old, who replaced mother-to-be Corban Baxter, filled the stat sheet in her first match as a Rooster.
Her opposing number was two-time Olympic medallist and New Zealand rugby sevens star Gayle Broughton, making her code switch official, in her debut as an Eel.
Bremner racked up three try assists, three line break assists, two line breaks and a stunning 11 tackle breaks, loving the open field running at the back.
An opening line break from the back field in the opening 10 minutes, showed Bremner – who’s youngest is under one — had lost none of her spark.
She had a line break, line break assist and try assist plus six tackles broken by half-time leading 18-12.
Her combination with captain Isabelle Kelly – switching sides to link up — was vital in the Roosters’ fast start for the visitors, kicking them out 12-nil inside the first 15 minutes.
If not for their misses on goal, it could have been worse for Parramatta.
“Every time the Roosters have the ball, they’re (using) Sammy Bremner. She’s lightning out the back and connecting with Isabelle Kelly,” unsigned former Eel Maddie Studdon commented.
Kelly scored a double, among eight tries for her side, taking the 2018 Golden Boot winner to five tries in her past four matches and becoming the third player to score a try in four straight games.
Broughton, who secured gold in Tokyo 2021, had six tackle breaks by the break and finished with seven.
The two came head-head when Broughton was the last line of defence for a Bremner 30-metre break, at the halfway line with the score at 30-16 and 15 minutes left on the clock.
Bremner finished with 171 run metres, while Broughton racked up 145.
Roosters star driven by mother of all motivators
-Brent Read
Isabelle Kelly has the words ‘I love you’ inscribed on the back of her neck in her mother Maree’s hand writing.
It is her way of honouring the woman who inspired a career.
Kelly lost her mother before she started playing rugby league. She was forced to grow up fast, helping her father and siblings through a traumatic period in their lives.
Before Kelly ran onto CommBank Stadium for the Roosters season-opener against the Eels on Saturday, she took a moment for reflection and to think about the woman who inspired what is fast becoming one of the great rugby league careers.
“I lost my mum when I was 17 — a year or so before I started playing rugby league,” Kelly told News Corp.
“Unfortunately she didn’t get to see me play but was a massive reason why I wanted to start rugby league because of how much she was involved in the game at my local footy club. “Every time I go out there I think in my mind that I play for what she couldn’t do in her life and what she missed out on.
“I had to grow up pretty quickly. I had a younger brother who I had to care for quite a lot. I had to mature quite quickly within my age.
“It was really hard and my dad was going through a really rough time. I had to stand up to look after him. I had to look after [my younger brother] and guide him through certain things.
“I don’t know if [mum] would have liked to play [rugby league] but she was definitely an aggressive woman in everything she did. I think that is the traits I got from her.
“She only ever got to see me play touch footy when I was younger. I get all my motivation from that. I definitely get motivation for pushing to achieve more because of what she wasn’t able to achieve in her life.”
Kelly has quickly become one of the faces of a competition that has exploded in recent years.
The women’s game is on the rise, with expansion in the wind and opportunities on the rise.
It has brought with it unprecedented attention, some of it positive and occasionally negative. NRLW players got a taste of the latter this week when Brisbane star Julia Robinson exposed online trolls who body-shamed images of her working out.
“I think unfortunately that is how it is,” Kelly said.
“It is really crap because Jules is one of the athletes in our game who works the hardest. At the same time, becoming more professional we need to get used to that and understand that is going to happen.
“People aren’t going to know us but they are going to have opinions about us. I experienced that when the game was progressing at quite a young age.
“I have learnt to deal with it. I went through hard times. It is being confident in who you are and your ability. I learnt that I needed to back who I was as a player and person. I know who I was and what I stood for. I was confident in who I was.”
It is an attitude that has served her well.
Kelly was already one of the stars of the NRLW but her ascent to the Roosters captaincy has lifted her profile given she will lead one of the game’s glamour clubs.
It is a responsibility that rests comfortably on her shoulders.
Kelly learned to lead from a young age, in part because she endured tragedy.
Rugby league was her salvation.
“I love the contact, the collisions, the aggressive side of it,” she said.
“I just love getting out there and seeing what your body is capable of. I am blown away by what some of the girls can do.
“I used to wrestle my brothers in the lounge room — I have three brothers. I have always had that competitive nature.
“I always look back at when I first started and had my first [State of] Origin - I was 18. I have been lucky that when I got involved it has progressed.
“The product is huge. The girls skills - the comparison to back then is huge. It goes to show when they are training more, the product is better.
“I have so many people come up to me and say they love watching the women’s game. I gave a little jersey to a girl the other day.
“Her reaction reminded me of why we also do it. There are so many girls we are inspiring that one day, because we paved this way, are going to be professional athletes in rugby league.”
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