Bulldogs announce their NRLW arrival with upset win
Margie McDonald |
The Canterbury Bulldogs could not have begun their NRLW journey in better style, scoring five tries to two in an upset 26-12 win over two-time premiers Newcastle.
And playing before their home fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Friday night made their entry into the NRLW a complete celebration.
Doubles to rugby convert Moana Courtenay at centre and five-eighth Ash Quinlan underpinned the victory, but the quality and control of Bulldogs co-captains Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa at prop and Tayla Preston at halfback was another key factor.
The wheels on fullback Andie Robinson also helped – she and Teakaraanga-Katoa both cleared 200 metres.
Canterbury have drawn their players from six different clubs, plus a couple of rugby recruits and some home-grown talent from their pathways competitions.
They had six players on debut on Friday night, but a big plus was the fact Quinlan and Preston were not a new halves combination, having partnered each other in the 2022 NRLW grand final in Parramatta colours.
“We’re just so proud. We wanted to create history, but we also wanted to make sure it was effort on effort today no matter the result,” Preston said.
“We just wanted to start and build the sisterhood.”
Coach Brayden Wiliame, a former Fiji international and NRL player with Manly and St George Illawarra, couldn’t fault the team effort.
“Just that resilience we showed throughout the game … that first half was bloody hard,” he said.
“It was a good-quality game, and for us to come over the top is just a credit to the brand of footy we’re building.”
Newcastle were without two members of their spine – fullback Tamika Upton (Broncos) and Jillaroos hooker Olivia Higgins (suspension).
They have also lost Origin players Hannah Southwell (Dragons) and Caitlan Johnston-Green (Sharks).
“Obviously personnel have moved on, but I think it was too many errors tonight that cost us a lot of field position and we had to defend a lot,” Knights coach Ben Jeffries said.
“In the end it was just an avalanche of possession on our try line and we caved in a couple of times.
“I still thought our defence was courageous at times, but I believe the seven weeks we’ve done in pre-season will keep us in good stead. It’s only round one; there’s no panic.”
Centre Shanice Parker showed plenty of courage to play, having lost her grandmother during the week.
“She got back on a flight to play his week – it’s what this jersey means to her,” Jeffries said.
The Bulldogs had a family connection of another kind – aunt Shaniece Monschau was on the bench with her niece, Shaq Mahakitau-Monschau.
The Bulldogs grabbed a 10-6 halftime lead thanks to a four-minute scoring burst just before the break.
Fullback Andie Robinson featured significantly in both Courtenay’s 29th-minute try and Quinlan’s in the 33rd by making large inroads upfield.
The Knights had held a slim 6-0 lead for most of an arm-wrestle first half.
Canterbury may have been the “newbies” on the NRLW block, but with a 100 per cent completion rate after 15 minutes they were holding their own.
First points in the match came when Knights five-eighth Georgia Roche dummied and then straightened to score to the left of the uprights.
But their next points didn’t come until new fullback Botille Vette-Welsh scored 40 minutes later.
The Bulldogs scored three second-half tries – Quinlan and Courtenay posting their doubles, and Teakaraanga-Katoa crossing.
AAP
