Broncos belt Knights, minor premiership hopes alive
Margie McDonald |
Brisbane are in no mood to surrender the NRLW minor premiership race just yet, scoring a 46-16 win over Newcastle to keep nipping at the Sydney Roosters’ heels.
With three rounds to play the Broncos (14 points) remain just one win shy of the undefeated competition leaders. North Queensland’s 30-8 victory at last-placed Wests Tigers in Sunday’s late game lifted them to third, two points ahead of Cronulla after their 22-14 triumph over the Warriors in Hamilton.
The Knights led 16-4 as halftime closed in but three tries in five minutes to Shalom Sauaso, Kerri Johnson and Hayley Maddick had the Broncos leading 18-16 at the break.
Tamika Upton crossed against her old club early in the second half before Maddick, Romy Teitzel and Julia Robinson dived over.
“The key thing is we have to be disciplined with our defence and if we get into a grind it’s hard for teams to stick with us,” Broncos coach Scott Prince said.
“We just needed that discipline which really came together at the back of the first half.”
Teitzel’s 14 points from a try and five goals put her back in the lead as NRLW’s top points-scorer after Rooster Jocelyn Kelleher had snatched it from her in Saturday’s win over Parramatta.
Prince had to pass up a trip to Leichhardt Oval in Sydney to celebrate Wests Tigers’ 20th anniversary of their 2005 NRL premiership win, but he enjoyed yet another success at McDonald Jones Stadium, where Brisbane have played three times in the past 12 months for three wins.
“We’ve been in Newcastle so many times I’m thinking of buying a house here,” Prince joked.
Over in New Zealand, Sharks coach Tony Herman made seven changes to the 17 he named on Tuesday.
Five-eighth Georgia Hannaway, who was a late switch to hooker, set up Cronulla’s first try as she darted out of dummy-half before connecting with a flying Emma Verran.
But it was the home side leading 10-6 at halftime with tries to wingers Tyra Wetere and Payton Takimoana, who now has 11 for the year to top the try-scorers list.
Verran scored her second after Jada Taylor made her comeback from a knee reconstruction, slotting in at No.1 in a stellar return which included a line break, line-break assist and six tackle busts.
Hannaway was a revelation at hooker, with two line-break assists and two try assists.
“It was a tough because we knew (Warriors) were going to show up today with home ground advantage in front of great fans,” Sharks skipper Tiana Penitani Gray said.
“It was a long trip for us but we wanted to make it worthwhile.”
The Cowboys’ third win on the trot was Ricky Henry’s teams’ sixth of the season.
No.9s Emma Manzelmann (Cowboys) and Phuka Berryman-Duff (Tigers) opened the scoring for their respective sides and the visitors led 12-8 at the break.
North Queensland galloped away with two early second-half tries – the first to returning back-rower China Polata, who tore her ACL 12 months ago, and centre Jasmine Peters. Fullback Jakiya Whitfeld scooting over with six minutes left sealed the deal.
AAP
