Two lightning delays, historic draw at NRLW Magic Round
Dave Lyall |
The Sydney Roosters have cemented their status as the NRLW’s frontrunners on an historic opening day of Magic Round that included heavy rain, gusting wind, two lightning delays and the competition’s first-ever draw.
After Canterbury and Gold Coast fought out a 14-14 draw in Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium quagmire, the Roosters easily beat the winless Wests Tigers 34-4.
The wind and rain played havoc, making holding onto the ball a challenge in the first two games in particular, while lightning in the vicinity forced the Roosters v Tigers clash to be suspended for more than 30 minutes in the second half.
A second lightning delay of around 20 minutes cut into Saturday’s third game, a 28-14 win for Brisbane over Cronulla inspired by hat-trick hero Tamika Upton.
The Broncos kicked on after the teams returned following the stoppage, scoring three tries in 12 minutes to take a game-defining 22-0 lead into the sheds.
With her second four-pointer, Upton passed Teagan Berry’s mark of 32 tries to become the leading tryscorer in NRLW history, before some late resistance from the Sharks.
Upton’s return has given Brisbane a lift this season, with the Broncos looking the likeliest to thwart the undefeated Sydney Roosters’ premiership defence.
The Roosters’ dismantling of the Tigers was their fifth win on the trot this year and 11th straight dating back to midway through the 2024 season.
Jessica Sergis, Dally M leader Isabelle Kelly and Amber Hall all scored first-half tries for the reigning premiers, with Sergis grabbing a second before the lightning interruption and Kelly her double after the unscheduled break.
Despite the plucky efforts of the winless Tigers, the Roosters had too much firepower across the field, led by Kelly, Sergis and Olivia Kernick.
Incredibly given the treacherous weather, Roosters five-eighth Jocelyn Kelleher kicked five from six conversions, taking her career NRLW tally past 200 points, just the second player to achieve the feat.
In the round’s first game, the Bulldogs and Titans couldn’t be split after 70 minutes of regular time and two five minute golden-point periods.
Georgia Grey, the daughter of former Wallaby Nathan Grey, scored the game’s opening try and, with further four pointers to Natasha Penitani and Jasmine Solia, Gold Coast led 14-4 at the break.
Bulldogs five-eighth Ash Quinlan tried mightily to get her side back into the game, laying on a try for Monica Tagoai early in the second stanza and when Elizabeth MacGregor crossed for her second the scores were level with 20 minutes remaining.
Solia was sin binned for a late and high hit on Tagoai in the lead up to McGregor’s try that saw the Bulldogs’ centre leave the field on a medicab.
But Canterbury couldn’t capitalise on the advantage as both teams struggled with completions in the greasy conditions and neither were able to score in extra time.
AAP
