Live stream: Tarsha Gale Cup, South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights
It was one-way traffic at Redfern’s Ironmark High Performance Centre as Newcastle passed the half century against South Sydney in round 3 of the Tarsha Gale Cup. WATCH THE REPLAY.
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It was one-way traffic at Redfern’s Ironmark High Performance Centre as Newcastle passed the half century against South Sydney to record a 54-6 win in round 3 of the Tarsha Gale Cup,
It would be hard to name a poor performer for the visitors, but it was debutant Jesse Southwell who stole the limelight for the Knights with an eye-catching two-try display.
WATCH THE REPLAY IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
Southwell made her mark on the match with the opening try two minutes in, before landing her second late on with a lethal side step tearing through the Bunnies defence.
The Novocastrians led 26-6 at half time with tries for Southwell, Leah Ollerton, Mia Middleton, Shanti Evans and Tori Brazier, while Parker Stanton was the lone try scorer for the Rabbitohs.
Newcastle continued to restrict Souths’ possession in the second half, with some power running seeing Andrew Johnson’s charges go over for another five tries.
Sophie Clancy came off the bench to score a double while Mercydes Metcalf, Southwell and Jules Kirkpatrick also got in on the action.
Southwell added to her try haul with seven conversions to see her side leave Redfern with a 54-6 win and two competition points.
Newcastle have put on a clinic in Redfern, downing the Bunnies 54-6 in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
— Dylan Arvela (@dylanarvela) February 19, 2022
Remember the name Jesse Southwell (sister of Hannah). Strong runner, hard tackler and a decent goal kicker. She was named at 9, then was going to play 1 and ended up playing 7. pic.twitter.com/AFx2tqILEe
“The girls were very good today,” Johnson said.
“They controlled possession and did the things we didn’t do last week really well.
“Good kick chase, building pressure and having Jess Southwell and Sophie Clancy come into the team this week really add strike to us.”
Johnson was stoked with first-gamer Southwell, the younger sister of Roosters ace, Hannah, and warned the competition to beware of the utility’s wicked side step.
“She’s been in the system for a couple of years,” he said.
“She was named at no. 9, she was going to play fullback and then a few girls went down due to Covid so she played half today – she was fantastic.
“I like her at no. 7, but I like her at fullback as well, but at the moment she’s got the right attitude and will play anywhere for the team.
“She’s got a good right-foot step, so I am sure the Steelers will be looking at that heading into next week.”
The Knights will go up against the unbeaten Steelers in Wollongong in round 4, while Souths will need to lick their wounds before hosting Canberra.
MATCH PREVIEW - A BATTLE OF BRUTE STRENGTH
By Kelsey Hogan
While it might be fullbacks and wingers who produce the highlight reel moments, all eyes will be on the battle of brute strength in the middle of the field as the Knights and Rabbitohs clash in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
The two proud clubs lay claim to having the top props in the competition with Rabbitohs Yilara Widders palming rivals off for fun while the Knights’ Lexi Beagan has proven her determination over the opening two rounds.
WATCH RABBITS v KNIGHTS IN TARSHA GALE ACTION IN THE PLAYER ABOVE FROM 12PM, SATURDAY
The pair will take centre stage in the Tarsha Gale Cup clash which will be exclusively live streamed by The Daily Telegraph as part of a season-long commitment to the NSWRL junior representative grades.
Widders has been an unstoppable force this season, producing her own highlights reel in the opening two rounds scoring two tries in the Rabbitohs season opener against the Bulldogs.
But the young forward will be determined to turn that form into winning success for South Sydney, who will play on their home surface at Redfern Oval for the first time.
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Beagan has also been in the try-scorers lists to start the season, but it is her work off the ball that has built the foundation of the Knights Tarsha Gale Cup season.
She was staunch in defence and led the team for carries across both of their games.
The Knights will be fired up to score a win over the Rabbitohs atfer being beaten in dramatic fashion on the buzzer by the Wests Tigers last weekend.
The Rabbitohs-Knights Tarsha Gale Cup match will be live streamed exclusively on The Daily Telegraph website, kicking off on Saturday at 12pm.
SERGIS BLAZES A TRAIL TO THE TOP
NRLW star Jess Sergis says it’s a “pinch-me moment” to be a role model for future women’s rugby league talent.
When the former Dally M medallist, who played junior footy for Coogee Randwick Wombats, pulls on a Sydney Roosters jersey in two weeks, she will have a generation of girls cheering on the new Fox League ambassador.
The 24-year-old star centre was front and centre of Fox League’s NRL season launch at CommBank Stadium on Tuesday, and is proud of the legacy this generation is setting for young fans.
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“I think it’s really exciting that they get to look up to us and they can see a pathway, a career and set goals for themselves,” Sergis said.
The Australian and NSW captain missed the opportunity to play in the NSW Under-19s Tarsha Gale Cup but has been following the competition and thinks “it’s great to see more coverage” of the game.
“The exposure shows you how fast the game is growing and that the NRL really believes in this campaign and program,” Sergis (right) said.
“Unfortunately I missed it but it’s just great how much talent is coming through and that we’re able to witness it. I think coverage not only grows the game itself but it grows the girls’ confidence.”
With The Daily Telegraph to exclusively live stream a match of the round every Saturday, Sergis said it was an important reminder that it all started at “grassroots level”.
“Obviously we are getting so much more exposure in the NRLW and opens but I think it all starts at a grassroots level and to get even more girls in the game they need to see the younger pathways players, not just the professional ones on the TV,” she said. “It all starts from the ground up so the exposure is a really smart move and they should be watched.
“Backing the girls show they care and they want to grow the competition.”
Fellow trailblazer Hannah Hollis backed Sergis to make a huge impression.
In her sixth season covering Fox League, Hollis will steer fans through each day of live action from Thursday to Sunday.
“With the growth of the NRLW it makes sense to have representation from our elite athletes and having the likes of Jess Sergis on our books is really special for the network and something we’re really proud of,” Hollis said.
“She has incredible insights and has played with the very best and we want to celebrate that.
“She just knows what it takes to be the best and that’s what the fans at home want to see. This is the future and you can’t be what you can’t see so it’s great to have these faces on television.”
WIDDERS MAKING HRE OWN NAME IN TARSHA GALE CUP
South Sydney born and bred, Yilara Widders is red and green to the core.
For the Rabbitohs’ inaugural Tarsha Gale squad, there’s a familiar flavour emerging from the South Sydney stars with the daughter of former Rabbitoh Dean Widders tapping into the hardworking culture at Souths.
Widders scored one of the best solo tries of the season in round one when she bumped off a couple of defenders before throwing a dummy and crashing over for one of two tries in Souths’ loss to Canterbury.
Rabbitohs head of elite pathways and player development Joe O’Callaghan said the young back rower has been a leader through her pride and commitment to the club.
“She’s not a natural leader as a talker but her physicality has really led the side,” O’Callaghan told The Daily Telegraph.
Like father, like daughter 💪💥 Yillara Widders, daughter of Dean Widders, made history by scoring our first try in the 2022 Tarsha Gale Cup 🙌 ðŸ°â¤ï¸ðŸ’š #GoRabbitohs@NSWRLpic.twitter.com/l6TnjQReoq
— South Sydney Rabbitohs 🰠(@SSFCRABBITOHS) February 10, 2022
“There’s a lot of pride there. Yilara has been quite open about how excited she was that we were putting a team together this year and has really shown how proud she is to wear a jersey her father once wore.”
With Widders lining up for the Rabbitohs against Newcastle this weekend in a match streamed live on The Daily Telegraph website, O’Callaghan said the daughter of the 219-game NRL veteran now needs to focus on “the mental sides of the game.”
“It’s just as important mentally as physically playing at this level week in week out and I think that’s her challenge now,” he said.
“The girls are getting into the grind now, they’re coming up to their third game and it’s a really big step up from local footy.”
“Yilara is a year younger than some of the other girls and she hasn’t played a lot of this level. She’s quite exciting with some of the things that she can do but it’s all the little parts of her game that we want her to focus on.”
Widders is not the only player in the Rabbitohs Tarsha Gale Cup side with a recognisable last name with Fifita Koloamatangi, the sister of Rabbitohs back-rower Keaon, and also Shyla Mundine, a cousin of former NRL flyer Anthony Mundine.
Still in its infancy, O’Callaghan said the Rabbitohs development program has placed a big focus on equal opportunities and professionalism for the Tarsha Gale competition.
“One thing that we’ve really worked hard on is that as a club we don’t really look at them anymore as boy’s pathways and girl’s pathways players, we want to recognise them as a Rabbitohs pathways player,” he said.
“We’ve been really driving home. Anything we do off field or on field for the boys, the Tarsha Gale will get the exact same experience.”
“Not only coaching, but resources, staff whatever it might be. We want our tarsha girls to get the same experience and we’re hoping over time that will rub off on them in their development and professionalism.”
The Rabbitohs-Knights Tarsha Gale Cup match will be live streamed exclusively on The Daily Telegraph website, kicking off on Saturday at 12pm.
Originally published as Live stream: Tarsha Gale Cup, South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights
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