NRLW round two: Hannah Southwell faces suspension as Roosters win 24-10 over Dragons
The Dragons’ loss to the Roosters could compounded, with star recruit Hannah Southwell potentially facing suspension over a late shot on Jocelyn Kelleher that saw here sin binned.
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Star recruit Hannah Southwell could be in hot water after the Dragons lock was sent to the sin bin for a late shot on Jocelyn Kelleher that caused “significant whiplash” in their loss to the Roosters.
The Dragons were down 14-10 with 15 minutes to go when the veteran rushed out of the line to put pressure on the opposition halfback but whacked her late and was sent from the field.
The penalty proved costly with Dally M winner Olivia Kernick scoring from the following set, with Southwell now facing a nervous wait for the charges to drop.
The 24-10 victory moves the defending champions to 2-0 to start the season after they overcame some poor handling to win on the road.
Skipper Isabelle Kelly opened the scoring, wrecking ball Amber Hall crossed in her first game of the season, while Logan Fletcher touched down in the corner to celebrate her first game in the NRLW.
BERRY GOOD
The Dragons weren’t able to replicate their attacking brilliance from last week, but they will always be a threat with Teagan Berry in the side.
The star fullback produced a remarkable try-saving tackle to deny Aliyah Nasio in the first half when the edge forward was over the line, and Berry was rewarded later on when she spun over from dummy-half to extend her lead as the most prolific scorer in NRLW history.
KNIGHTS GET TITLE DEFENCE BACK ON TRACK
—Patrick Woods
The Knights defended their line like an impenetrable fortress as Newcastle got its season back on track with a 26-6 win over the Cowboys in Townsville.
North Queensland had the weight of possession and territory through the opening stages but could not find the try-line despite having a number of sets starting off in attacking territory.
Newcastle’s triumph puts the 2023 premiers back in the winner’s column after being stunned by the Bulldogs in round 1, while the Cowboys looked like a different team to the one that beat the Titans 20-6 a week ago.
Knights centre Shanice Parker opened the scoring when she pounced on a perfectly weighted grubber from fullback Bo Vette-Welsh.
Perfect goalkicking from Knights halfback Jesse Southwell kept the scoreboard ticking over and the 20-year-old playmaker set up her side’s second try with a cut-out pass to winger Sheridan Gallagher – who collected the ball on the bounce and raced away to score.
Tries to Tayla Predeton and Olivia Higgins in the second half gave the Knights an unassailable lead, before Cowboys utility Alisha Foord scored a consolation try in the dying minutes.
Newcastle’s impressive defence kept the home side scoreless until the 68th minute, and the Knights prevented the Cowboys from making any linebreaks for the entire game.
KICKING DUEL
Two of the NRLW’s best halfbacks had an enthralling battle of the boot, both with their in-game kicks and goalkicking.
North Queensland’s Kirra Dibb had the edge with her in-play kicks, bringing good variation to finish off sets and kicking for a game-high 255 metres to get the Cowboys out of danger.
Newcastle’s star halfback Southwell’s kicking game was also excellent, converting all five attempts from the tee to extend her perfect goalkicking record to seven this season.
SEVENS STAR MAKES DEBUT
Former Australian rugby 7s star Lily Dick made her NRLW debut from the interchange after coming into the side late to replace Najvada George.
The 25-year-old backrower entered the fray in the second half and struggled to make an impact in a well-beaten side, making eight tackles without a miss to go with one run.
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST EQUALS NRLW RECORD
Emma Verran ran out of try celebrations as the Olympic gold medallist equalled the record for most tries in an NRLW match as the Sharks heaped more misery on the Raiders with a 50-point drubbing in Canberra.
Last year’s beaten grand finalists were slow out of the blocks in the season opener but reminded the rest of the competition that they are still a force to be reckoned with following a crushing 56-6 win thanks to Verran’s four tries.
The Sharks fullback was untouchable as she became the first Sharks player in NRLW history to score a hat-trick, while she added four line breaks and two assists to go with her game-high 179 metres.
She wasn’t alone as Quincy Dodd got the ball rolling when she pounced on a loose ball after her grubber cannoned into the post.
Verran then grabbed her first when she broke clear around halfway and then rounded the fullback to score, with the flashy fullback completing her hat-trick when she latched onto an inside ball to crash over.
The selfie celebrations were in full swing every time she scored, with debutant Stephanie Faulkner bringing out the worm when she got on the end of some quick offloads to grab her first NRLW try.
Whatever was said in the Raiders sheds at half-time didn’t work because it took just four minutes for Verran to bounce over for her fourth as the team then celebrated with the Macarena.
Verran celebrates try #4 with the Macarena! 💃
— NRLW (@NRLWomens) July 12, 2025
Sportset #TryJulypic.twitter.com/IQJTykCkA9
The rep star then looked set to break the record when she burst through in the following set, but had to offload to Faulkner a few metres out as the rookie continued her dream afternoon.
It’s hard to believe this is the same team that lost at home to Parramatta last week, with the Sharks cracking 50 points with 17 minutes still to play in a performance that has put the rest of the NRLW on notice.
GREEN WITH ENVY
GIO Stadium has turned into a house of horrors for the Raiders who have now lost eight games in a row at the venue, including back-to-back matches to start the 2025 campaign.
Their last win at home was way back in 2023, with Canberra desperately needing to bounce back when they host the Eels next Saturday.
They were way off the pace from the opening whistle as the Sharks bullied them through the middle, with their only joy coming through Madison Bartlett who continued her incredible try-scoring spree.
Canberra’s struggles were perfectly summed up by a shocking captain’s challenge which took just one replay for the bunker to dismiss for high contact, with Verran scoring one set later off a lovely Dodd grubber.
LATE SIN BIN DRAMA AS BULLDOGS REMAIN UNDEFEATED
The Bulldogs’ perfect start to their inaugural NRLW season continued on Thursday night with a gutsy 12-8 victory over the Wests Tigers in Campbelltown.
There was drama at the death when Canterbury prop Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa was sin binned for twice slapping Tigers fullback Jetaya Faifua in a melee.
The fast-finishing Tigers threatened to steal it late several times but the visitors hung on to move into top spot on the ladder.
Canterbury hooker Ebony Prior opened the scoring when she darted out of dummyhalf to catch the Tigers napping and crash over next to the posts in the 25th minute.
It was two tries in two minutes when Tigers winger Caitlin Turnbull coughed the ball up on her 10-metre line before Bulldogs second rower Alexis Tauaneai swooped on the loose ball to score.
But the comeback began when Tigers halfback Losana Lutu put a kick up that Dogs winger Adi Vani Buleki lost in flight and Emily Bass came racing through to score in the 58th minute.
Tigers skipper Kezie Apps then burst through two defenders and then palmed off Bulldogs fullback Andie Robinson to cross out wide and set up a grandstand finish.
Lutu chipped to the corner for Turnbull in the 63rd minute but the Tigers winger couldn’t reel in the pinpoint kick to score the potential matchwinner.
The hosts had one last chance to win it but prop Christian Pio dropped it cold just 15 metres from the line in a coach-killing moment for Brett Kimmorley.
However, Kimmorley will be impressed with his side’s defence as the Tigers missed 43 tackles against the Broncos last week but that number dropped to nine on Thursday.
Prior burrows over 💪 pic.twitter.com/kx5t69wCSI
— NRLW (@NRLWomens) July 10, 2025
PERFECT PRESTON
The Bulldogs got the win thanks to the boot of halfback Tayla Preston who had the ball on a string all night.
Preston was perfect off the tee which proved the difference but her general play kicking was just as impressive as the classy No. 7 was named player of the match.
Late in the game and with the Tigers holding all the momentum, Preston produced a pinpoint dropout that went into touch and got her side the ball back.
“Today the goalkicking made the difference but it’s her infield kicking play,” Former Jillaroos captain Tarsha Gale said on Fox League.
“She has that ball on a string. She can put it up high and we also saw her thread it through, so it’s not just the conversions.
“She gets her team into great attacking territory and we all know this game is a battle to get your team into great attacking territory.”
SIN BIN DRAMA
Tempers boiled over with just five minutes left in the game and it saw a Bulldogs enforcer binned.
Canterbury lock Holli Wheeler pinned Jetaya Faifua’s neck on the ground and when the Tigers fullback got to her feet she pushed back her opponent which saw her then cop two slaps in the face from prop Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa.
Dogs forward Kalosipani Hopoate then entered the fray with hardly a Tigers player in sight.
“That was quite the flare up and Faifua is not happy,” Warren Smith said on Fox League.
“Faifua and Kalosipani Hopoate, there’s a stink that’s not going to be sanctioned anywhere, that’s a mismatch.
“That’s David and Goliath.”
Referee Belinda Sharpe showed no hesitation in binning Teakaraanga-Katoa for her troubles to bring her night to an early end.
“Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa in the bin … it wasn’t a punch but a couple of slaps … and she’s off to cool down.”
Originally published as NRLW round two: Hannah Southwell faces suspension as Roosters win 24-10 over Dragons
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