The North Sydney Bears will be looking to claim their first Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership when they face Minor Premiers Central Coast Roosters in the Grand Final at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday.
The addition of Simaima Taufa to the foundation club in 2020 could not go unquestioned with the barnstorming representative star bolstering the forward pack of the Grand Finalists.
She joined fellow Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Origin team-mates Kirra Dibb and Shontelle Stowers in the side, and have each played integral roles in the club’s surge to the decider.
Stowers, who played second-row in last year’s Women’s Origin fixture, has thrived at left-centre and scored a blistering hat-trick in their emphatic 32-0 victory over the Rabbitohs in Round 6 of the competition.
Fullback Shanice Parker has also established a formidable combination with her spine, with Dibb, Sabrina Green and captain Nita Maynard all acting as the cornerstone of their attacking prowess.
The Bears are ranked second in the competition for points scored (102), but have built an incredible resilience in defence having conceded just three tries in all their finals fixtures.
It started with a resounding 24-0 win over South Sydney, which saw Tyla Gambell score a double, before their 16-4 victory over Wests Tigers and 16-10 win over the Sharks sent them to the decider.
Their triumph over the Sharks came after a match-winning try from Stowers, who latched onto a loose ball against the run of play and sprinted 40m to score.
HIGHLIGHTS | Women's Premiership FW3
Five-eighth Chloe Leupepe has done a more than admirable job filling in for Dibb, who has been named in jersey no.17 after missing the Preliminary Final through injury.
Leupepe has been named to partner Green in the halves on Sunday, however, the addition of Dibb will be a major boost for the Bears' premiership hopes.
