Western Rams front-rower Alicia Earsman scored a second-half double to help her side to their first NSWRL Women’s Country Championships title today, with a 28-12 win over the North Coast Bulldogs.
Her tries in the 36th and 59th minute also earned Earsman the Player of the Match award presented to her by Westpac NSW Sky Blues coach Kylie Hilder.
Earsman also topped the try-scoring for the 2024 Country Championships with five in three games.
The victory rounded off a triumphant day for the Rams, who also picked up the inaugural Westpac Regional Lisa Fiaola Cup (Under 17s) after a 22-8 win over the Northern Tigers in the earlier match at Woy Woy Oval.
The Rams also dominated the Open Women’s game leading 14-0 at halftime, after tries to hooker Xanthe Booth, winger Emilie Browne and centre Alahna Ryan as they terrorised the Bulldogs right-side defence.
The score moved out to 18-0 six minutes after halftime through Earsman, but then something stirred within the Bulldogs.
They had been plagued by handling errors all afternoon, however it was a dropped ball by the Rams that led to hooker Belinda Andersen crossing in the 41st minute.
Two minutes later Tiarna Dunn tiptoed down the left touchline before sending the ball back inside for centre Georgia Dent to finish off the move.
At 18-12 with 15 minutes left on the clock, the Bulldogs were in prime position to cause an upset.
But Kiara Sullivan’s four-pointer and then Earsman’s second with barely a minute left to play, rubber-stamped Western Rams’ grip on the final by six tries to two.
Full-time: Western Rams 28 (Alicia Earsman 2, Xanthe Booth, Emilie Browne, Alahna Ryan, Kiara Sullivan tries; Sarah Colman 2 goals) def North Coast Bulldogs 12 (Belinda Andersen, Georgia Dent tries; Tina McRae 2 goals)
