Clydsdale leads by example as Knights head into finals
Margie McDonald |
Yasmin Clydsdale delivered a captain’s knock in her 50th NRLW game as the Knights enjoyed a comeback 30-22 win over the Dragons to secure third spot ahead of next week’s finals.
Clydsdale helped drag her teammates back into Sunday’s contest at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium after being down 16-4, with her 18 runs for 161 metres, two line-break assists, two try assists and four tackle busts.
The storylines didn’t stop there, with 18th player Keighly Simpson coming on to the left wing after Simone Karpani and Mercedez Taulelei-Siola both failed HIAs.
Simpson then proceeded to produce a hat-trick on debut, becoming just the second NRLW player to accomplish that feat after Mia Wood scored three for the Roosters in 2023.
As the Knights started to reel in the talented young Dragons, even coach Ben Jefferies got into the act, shouting encouragement from the coach’s box wearing his “Yasmin 50” celebration T-shirt.
The win means the Knights pip the Cowboys into third spot on the ladder via a better points differential, and will now play the Titans in week one of the finals.
North Queensland will host the Sharks in the second elimination final, with the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane earning a rest after claiming the top two spots.
In the earlier game at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, which had no finals consequences, Wests Tigers were unable to find a win for departing coach Brett Kimmorley, who leaves after three years at the helm.
Instead the Warriors enjoyed a comfortable 44-6 win – the biggest of the club’s history – with a double to centre Payton Takimoana putting her just three behind Brisbane star Tamika Upton (18) as the second highest try-scorer in 2025.
The Warriors’ fourth win came off the back of more injury troubles, losing goal-kicking five-eighth Patricia Maliepo (hamstring) last week after halfback Emily Curtain (knee) was ruled out earlier in the year.
“The year has been littered with key players missing, so we’ve had some adversity,” Warriors coach Ron Griffiths said.
“But adversity has the ability to show what character the team has got and how close we are (to finals).
“What could be perceived is that we were effectively playing for nothing, but we were playing for something – for the players who won’t be here next year, and to show what our threat is moving forward.”
The Warriors came out with plenty of steam, especially lock forward Laishon Albert-Jones, who scored a double in the opening 12 minutes.
Fullback and captain Apii Nicholls stepped into the goal-kicking role, landing six and scored a try for a personal points tally of 16.
Warriors players joined in a guard of honour with the Tigers after fulltime to give Kimmorley a deserved send-off.
“I’ve been so proud to be their inaugural head coach … I’ve been able to give 50 debut jerseys out, and I wish the next coach all the best as there’s some amazing players here,” he said.
One of those “amazing players” is skipper Kezie Apps.
“He’s done amazing things in the last three years, and we as players have learnt so much from his footy IQ as he knows the game inside and out. We’ll miss him,” she said.
AAP
