The Western Rams made it back-to-back Women’s Country Championships titles with a dominant nine-try 46-6 victory over the Northern Rivers Titans at Canberra’s GIO Stadium today.
Head coach Kevin Grimshaw said the focus by his players had been on backing up the premiership they won against North Coast Bulldogs (28-12) last year.
Player of the Match was fullback Tiana Anderson, who has been a constant in both wins, was presented with the award by NSWRL Chair Carolyn Campbell (pictured above.)
“It’s the journey I started two years ago to get the commitment out of them all – commitment to train and to turn up to games with the right attitude,” Grimshaw said.
“I know we scored nine tries but the thing I liked most was our defence.
“We tackled really well and that’s improved week-in, week-out. We had three in every tackle’ we dominated the ruck.”
The convincing win begs the question of whether the Rams are already thinking of making it three in a row in 2026.
“I’m hoping we can keep the majority of the squad but I think a couple want to concentrate on Harvey Norman (NSW Women’s Premiership) next year,” Grimshaw said.
“We have a couple of young girls in our side who have made the most the opportunity this year so we’ll get more of the same next year if new ones come in.”
There was a sense of inevitability about the win when the Rams posted five tries in the first half to take a 24-0 lead into the break.
Anderson scored two, with hooker Xanthe Booth crafty around the ruck leading to tries for her skipper Rebecca Trethowan and prop Grace Blackmore after she scored one of her own in the 14th minute.
The Titans were doing a tonne of defence with the relentless go-forward of the Rams.
They were only inside the Rams red zone three times in the opening 30 minutes and had a chance to post points through prop Jappirra Torrens.
She had an angled run to the try line off a Karri Williams short-pass but lost the ball over the line from the pressure of three defenders.
In the second half the scoreline blew out to 36-0 after Booth and Blackmore collected their second four-pointers.
But then the Titans luck turned when prop Taharni Roberts burst onto another Karri Williams pass from 10 metres out and dragged Rams defenders with her to score her team’s first points (36-6).
However, the rampaging Rams were not done yet. They scored their eighth try of the afternoon with a rehearsed left-edge move ending with winger Alahna Ryan spinning out of a tackle and over the white line (40-6).
Western Rams 46 (Tiana Anderson 2, Xanthe Booth 2, Grace Blackmore 2, Rebecca Trethowan, Alahna Ryan, Lilly Baker tries; Sarah Colman 5 goals) Northern Rivers Titans 6 (Taharni Roberts try; Chloe Zaamit goal) at Gio Stadium, Canberra, on Saturday 29 March.
