2025 NRL CAST Championships: Victoria out for success on home soil

Victoria will be hoping to further seperate themselves from the pack on day two of the NRL Combined Affilliated States and Territories Championships. Watch it LIVE here from 10am.

Host state Victoria and a group of confident raiders from the West have reigned supreme after a big opening day at the NRL CAST Championships in Melbourne.

Both Victoria and Western Australia triumphed in their Open Mens and Open Womens tournament openers, with several players starring across the day.

It sets up a big second day of action on Saturday, when Western Australia will take on South Australia in both divisions, while Victoria play host to Northern Territory.

Catch up on all the action and replays from a big opening day below.

Western Australia v Northern Territory (Men)

In a brutal five-minute blitz, Western Australia announced itself as the team to beat in the Open Men’s division at the NRL CAST Championships.

It has also set up an exciting top of the table showdown with two-time defending champions Victoria, but fans will have to wait until Sunday to see it unfold.

Off the back of several impressive performances including halfback Jeremy Wallace and versatile five-eighth Eddie Proudler, Western Australia dispatched of a willing Northern Territory 36-6.

But it was a five-minute blitz coming out of halftime in which WA scored three tries in three straight sets which set them apart from their rivals.

Up to that point the contest was as even as it got, with both sides trading first half tries and plenty of hefty blows down the stretch.

But when WA skipper Kainoa Gudgeon snatched up a loose ball from a knock on and fired it to his winger Manfred Kelly to score, it opened the flood gates.

Proudler than set up winger Billy Millar with on a blindside raid before nabbing one of his own to turn the match on its head.

When the ball hit Gudgeon’s hands it was 6-6, by the time the NT touched it again they trailed by 16.

The WA captain scored a well-deserved four-pointer of his own late in the contest while Kelly made the most of his opportunity out wide crossing for his second to seal the deal.

Western Australia v Northern Territory (Women)

Impressive playmaker Mahina A Rangi Clair has inspired reigning women’s title holders Western Australia to a strong start to the NRL CAST Championships in Melbourne.

Clair set up two tries and narrowly missed scoring one of her own as she dominated down the left edge in the 28-6 win over Northern Territory on Friday.

She was well supported by flashy centre Zion Taurima, who finished with a double, as well as fleet-footed fullback Ariana Ruru-Hinaki.

But for everything they did well in attack, they did it tenfold without the ball in hand.

Despite giving up a clear size and physicality advantage to their rivals in the NT, the WA side showed an unmatched tenacity in defence.

They survived multiple raids on their own tryline, constantly scrambling to put extra numbers in the tackles to hold the rampaging NT forward pack at bay.

The WA side only cracked once, on the stroke of halftime, when star lock forward Ellie Niki put in a crafty grubber in behind the line from dummy-half which was gobbled up by middle forward partner-in-crime Zoe Kurnoth.

But it was Clair who would have the last laugh, punctuating a brilliant two-try-to-zip second half when she sent Ruru-Hinaki across in the final five minutes.

WA will now prepare for a showdown with South Australia on Saturday, while the NT will have little time to lick their wounds ahead of a clash with tournament favourites Victoria.

Victoria v South Australia (Open Mens)

Victoria’s quest for a third straight NRL CAST men’s championship kicked off in perfect fashion with a commanding 66-0 win over South Australia on Friday.

The two-time defending champions looked a class above on home soil at Seabrook Reserve with South Australia having no answers throughout the match.

Three tries in the opening 20 minutes kick started what finished as a run of 12 straight.

Alti Porter and Codey Jerkovich both finished with two tries with the final margin in danger of being bigger had Victoria kicked better at the conversion line (9/12)

It was the second big win of the day for the host city, with the Victorian women’s side also thrashing South Australia 50-0.

Victoria v South Australia (Womens)

Victoria made an early statement in the opening game of the NRL CAST Championships against South Australia on Friday.

The 50-0 romp at Seabrook Reserve was a complete domination from the host city who look almost a lock to be crowned champions on Sunday.

It took just over a minute for the scoring romp to begin, with Shawna Fifita powering through South Australia’s defence to find the try line.

Myraa Vaeila followed some five minutes later before back-to-back scores from Sorayah Tauati extended the lead to 18-0 15 minutes into the game.

They finished the half up 28-0 with their second-half performance even better than the first.

While it was an all-round team performance for Victoria, Tauati’s game was terrific throughout with captain Jade Te Aute also one of the victors best.

PREVIEW

For the first time in four years, Victoria will shoot for double delight at the annual NRL Combined Affiliated States and Territories (CAST) Championships.

The tournament, which kicks off Melbourne’s Seabrook Reserve this weekend, will see the reintroduction of the Opens Women division for the first time since 2021.

Every match of the CAS Championships will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV from June 6-8.

Victoria will shoot for its third-straight Opens men title at the Championships, and will look to a big home crowd to give the state a leg up on the competition.

The CAST is a national rugby league championships which is competed for by states that aren’t traditional rugby league powerhouses including Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory.

NRL Victoria pathways co-ordinator Mohammad Hussaini said the return of the women’s division to the CAST Championships was a welcome addition.

Western Australia won the women’s title at the last event in 2021, while the host state will chase its first women’s title since 2019.

“Our goal is to be as competitive as possible,” Hussaini said.

“We don’t know what we are expecting from other sides.

Action from the 2024 NRL Combined Affiliated States Championships. Picture: AGD Images

“They’ll come out with a lot of fire looking to stop us winning at home.”

The success of the team will come through the spine with plenty of experience at fullback and in the halves.

“We’re led by our captain Jade Te Aute (at fullback), alongside experienced halves Maria Nelio and Rochelle Teiri,” Hussaini said.

“The team has shown strong leadership, unity and a hunger to perform.

“This is an exciting group with skills right across the team.”

For the men, Keni Blair returns as co-captain with Giovanni Kubick to join him in the leadership group.

“They have been leading from the front and the group has been working hard over the past five weeks with one clear goal, to claim the men’s CAS title on home soil once again,” Hussaini said.

“There’s been a strong focus on building combinations, discipline and pride in representing Victoria and the energy around the group has been outstanding.”

Action from the 2024 NRL Combined Affiliated States Championships. Picture: AGD Images

Hussaini said other players to look out in the open men included John Schwalger who comes back after playing Queensland Cup and Codey Jerkovich who will be a key playmaker during the championships.

Western Australia is expected to be the main rival to Victoria in men’s and women’s but other states need to be respected.

“NT are always a dark horse, we never rule them out,” Hussaini said.

“SA also put up a good fight against us.”

VICTORIAN SQUADS

MEN: Keni Blair (Captain), Giovanni Kubick (Captain), Faamai Aleni, Haki Edwards, Tyreece Falamone, Lakopo Falefitu, Sale Finau, Setu Faavae, Mannasseh Gudgeon, Andrew Henry, Codey Jerkovich, Anisi Salani, John Schwalger, Kwest Rua, Alti Porter, Junior Tuapa Vaimoa, Emmanuel Tuariki, Innocent Tuimavave, Okamaka Talagi, Bishop Walker.

WOMEN: Jade Te Aute (Captain), Winniefred Aumau, Katie Corbett, Chloe Ene, Katelyn Faifilli-Boon, Shawna Fifita, Georgina Hemopo, Tiana Kani, Morgan King, Moronieca Lepua, Brandi Makiri, Summah Mauafa Autalaga, Kirsty Matapa, Rebecca (Maria) Nelio, Lourdez Sakaria, Rochelle Teiri, Sorayah Tauati, Jyssie Tofete, Jaelyn Tonise, Myraa Vaeila.

Originally published as 2025 NRL CAST Championships: Victoria out for success on home soil