Mounties enjoyed a late-season run to make the 2024 Harvey Norman NSW Premiership Semi-finals this weekend as they keep their bid alive to defend the trophy they won in extraordinary circumstances last year.
The Round Six loss this year to St George (24-12) put Mounties in sixth spot on the ladder, when only the top-four progressed to the finals.
But Mounties won three of their final four games to finish in third spot. They will face second-placed Illawarra Steelers in the Semi-finals at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday (21 September).
In the other semi, minor premiers Wenty Magpies, who lost only one game in 11 rounds, will take on fourth-placed Newcastle Knights.
Leichhardt Oval was the venue for last year’s historic grand final.
Meeting a similar battle-hardened club in the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Mounties won 1-0 – the first time a NSWRL Major Competition grand final had been decided by that scoreline.
A Tilly Power field goal with two minutes left on the clock was the only points scored over the 70-minute match, which was underlined by brutal defence and try-saving tackles.
With the alignment of the Harvey Norman competition with the NRLW this year – 10 of the 12 NSWRL clubs are feeder teams for the 10 NRLW clubs – there have been significant personnel changes but five players remain from the 2023 premiership-winning side: outside backs Brooke Wilkins and Alana Dummett, forwards Janaya Bent, Janelle Williams and Elianna Walton.
Top try-scorer has been centre Gwen Swann (seven), with backs Dummett and Breeze E’e (pictured above, Photo: Bryden Sharp) having three each.
Mounties have the most conservative attack of the four finalists, averaging 16 points a game compared with Wenty (27), Steelers (31) and Knights (25).
But their defence should hold them in good stead and they have a mental lift of beating the Steelers (8-4) earlier this year.
The winners of both semis on Saturday will meet in the 2024 Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership Grand Final at CommBank Stadium on Sunday 29 September.
Both matches will be streamed live on NSWRL TV.
