Claire Stegbauer
Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup
Semi-Final Bound: Steelers Sweep Aside Panthers in Commanding Win
The Illawarra Steelers have booked their spot in the semi-finals in emphatic fashion, dismantling the Penrith Panthers 32-4 at Collegians Sporting Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The homeside struck first with a slick show-and-go before shifting the ball wide to centre Sienna Leslie, crossing over (6). Illawarra quickly regained momentum, crossing for back-to-back tries in quick succession. Sharp hands opened space for the winger Maddalyn Bullock after a perfectly timed lobb. The conversion attempt was again off-target.
The Steelers' defence held strong thanks to a crucial intercept from Siulolo, denying the Panthers a certain try and keeping the scoreboard in Illawarra’s favour.
Penrith found some rhythm midway through the half, stringing together strong back-to-back sets to build pressure and swing momentum their way.
Despite missed conversions in the opening stages, the Steelers kept the foot on the gas. Playmaker Tahlia O'Brien took control of the match, directing traffic with confidence. Her efforts earned her side a scrum feed, and shortly after, a sharp run from dummy-half exposed an overlap on the left edge, resulting in a well-executed try from Charlotte Campbell in the 27th minute (27’), extending Illawarra’s advantage to 12-0 at the break.
Penrith managed to claw one back shortly after halftime through winger Samantha Hanrahan, who showed a spark of flair through a well-timed show-and-go on the left edge to cross in the 35th minute. But it proved to be their only points of the afternoon, as the Steelers answered with ruthless intent.
Illawarra exploded in the second half, beginning with powerhouse forward Billie Va’a crashing over in the 40th minute. That was followed by Seriah Palepale slicing through the defence and Siulolo Richter finishing off a crisp attacking set just minutes later.
Trinity Tauaneai slotted conversions in the 41st and 47th minute and also added a penalty goal in the 52nd minute. Makayla McFayden rounded out the scoring with a final conversion in the 56th minute.
With the 32-4 win, the Steelers march into the semi-finals full of confidence, while the Panthers face a sudden-death clash next week if they hope to keep their season alive.
UNE SG Ball Cup
Walker Leads Roosters to Massive Upset Over Top-Ranked Eels
The Sydney Roosters have stormed into the semi-finals of the UNE SG Ball Cup with a commanding 32-12 win over the ladder-leading Parramatta Eels at Collegians Sporting Complex, riding a dominant first-half performance and a masterclass from halfback Tyson Walker.
The Roosters cracked open the game in the seventh minute, spreading the ball to the left edge where winger EJ Mahu-Delamere finished expertly in the corner.
The Roosters' second try came off sheer determination, as second-rower Darcy Smith beat four defenders on his way to the line, showcasing an impressive blend of strength and agility.
Parramatta hit back off the back of a penalty, shifting left and creating space with smart attacking shape. Winger Dom Farrugia finished a well-worked set piece in the corner, and with the conversion successful, the Eels closed the gap to 10-6.
But the Roosters quickly reasserted their control. A six-again call allowed Tyson Walker to deliver a pinpoint short ball to Darcy Smith, who powered over for his second try of the match. Walker’s creativity was on full display again minutes later, as he floated a perfect pass to second-rower James Finegan, who crashed over to extend the lead further.
The Eels sparked to life early in the second half. A sharp early pass found Lincoln Fletcher, who burst through the line to score a much-needed try for Parramatta, bringing them back into the contest.
Fullback Cameron Bamblett then gave the Eels momentum, showing great acceleration to put his side in scoring territory. A repeat set gave Parramatta another opportunity—but the Roosters stood firm.
From there, the Roosters took complete control. Tyson Walker broke the line with a dazzling run before linking with Toby Rodwell, who threw a slick dummy to fool the defence and dive under the posts.
A perfectly placed 40/20 from the Roosters moments later kept the pressure on, and while two penalties gave Parramatta some breathing room, the Roosters weren’t done yet.
Hooker Brooklyn Heath sealed the win in the 58th minute, diving out of dummy half and slipping through the tired Eels ruck to cap off a dominant performance.
The Roosters now have a week off. A player highlight goes to Tyson Walker, who played a hand in nearly every key moment. The Eels, despite showing glimpses of fight early in the second half, now face sudden-death footy next week as their finals hopes hang in the balance.
UNE Harold Matthews Cup
Roosters Stun Eels with insane Late Comeback to Advance in Harold Matts Finals
The Central Coast Roosters have produced a thrilling late comeback to snatch a 22-18 victory over the Parramatta Eels and advance to the next stage of the UNE Harold Matthews Cup finals, scoring two tries in the final six minutes to flip the result at Leichhardt Oval.
In a game full of momentum swings, the Eels looked to have the match under control before the Roosters launched a last-ditch revival—one of the most dramatic of the finals series so far.
The Roosters struck first through Cooper Gibbs after a strong set upfield, getting on the board with a try in the right corner after a great flat pass off Mareko. Although the conversion was waved away, their early dominance continued. A penalty goal by Carter Mareko pushed the lead to 6-0, rewarding sustained pressure.
Parramatta responded swiftly. Talen Risati throws up an absolute bomb in which Cobi McCloskey gathered in the air edging himself the rest of the way over the line in the 25th minute, Talen Risati converted pushing the Eels ahead by two.
The Roosters capitalised on a penalty opportunity, with Carter Mareko slotting the kick to bring the scores level.
The Roosters came out of the sheds firing adding more points on the board on the second play of the half with mirrored try on the other side a crash ball sends Tulsyn McCulloch charging over to hand his side a 10-6 lead. Mareko’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Parramatta responded with intent, turning the tide through an outstanding second effort from Cobi McCloskey, who crossed in the 37th minute. Talen Risati converted, handing the Eels their first lead of the match at 12-10.
That advantage grew just minutes later, when the Parramatta flyer Santiago Uata stormed onto a dropped ball and ran 70 metres too add another four points capping off a dominant Eels surge. Risati continued his flawless kicking game, extending the lead to 18-10 with the conversion.
But the final ten minutes belonged entirely to the Roosters.
With their season on the line, Carter Mareko delivered in a big way. After racking up two try assists earlier in the match, he took matters into his own hands—producing a classy show-and-go before driving under the posts in the 54th minute. Mareko then calmly converted his own try to narrow the deficit to just two points at 18-16, proving once again why he’s the competition’s leading try scorer and a game-changer in clutch moments.
An Eels error moments later handed the Roosters prime field position just 30 metres out, and they made it count.
With two minutes left on the clock, Eli Bennett executed a textbook crash ball, reaching out to ground the ball on the line in the 57th minute. This simple but effective play the Eels had struggled to contain all afternoon. Mareko iced the comeback with another accurate conversion, sealing a remarkable 22-18 victory and sending the Central Coast Roosters through to the next stage of the finals.
Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup
Bulldogs Extend Winning Streak with Title in Sight
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have stormed into the next round of the Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup finals with an emphatic 58-10 victory over the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, running in 11 tries in a ruthless attacking performance at Leichhardt Oval.
It was Cronulla who landed the first blow, stunning the Bulldogs with an early try to Julliana Kolio in just the second minute. Tahli Weigand added the extras to give the Sharks a 6-0 lead, but that would be their final moment of ascendancy.
The Bulldogs hit back almost immediately, with Emacyn-Eden Ieremia slicing through the defence to score her first try of the day, before converting her own effort to level the scores at 6-all. Just three minutes later, Taylah Salapo crossed out wide, and another successful conversion from Ieremia gave Canterbury a 12-6 lead.
Cronulla showed some fight through Sienna Best, who capitalised on a chance to cross the line in the 14th minute after some fancy ballwork from the team. narrowing the gap to 12-10. But from there, the Bulldogs unleashed a scoring blitz that the Sharks had no answer for.
Shakira Lui, Evelyn Roberts, and Shanthie Lui each added to the tally within 10 minutes as the Bulldogs pushed the score out to 28-10. Ieremia was perfect with the boot across this stretch, converting three straight tries and also adding a penalty goal just before halftime. The Bulldogs went into the sheds with a commanding 28-10 lead.
The second half began as the first had ended—with the Bulldogs completely in control. Asha Taumoepeau-Williams crashed over for her first of two tries in the 34th minute, and Ieremia backed it up just three minutes later with her second try and fifth successful conversion.
The onslaught continued as Taumoepeau-Williams crossed again in the 46th minute, followed by tries to Jayda Peo, Tanya Kavapalu, and a second for Shanthie Lui. Ieremia added two more conversions to finish with a personal haul of 26 points, including two tries and seven goals.
Bulldogs captain Evelyn Roberts led by example, setting up multiple tries with sharp service out of dummy half at times and crossing for a try of her own in a dominant all-around performance. Canterbury’s execution, support play, and set completion were near flawless, allowing them to dominate both possession and territory.
With the 58-10 win, the Bulldogs surge into the next round of the finals full of confidence, while the Sharks turn their attention to next week where they will fight to keep their finals hopes alive.
Click here for results from the UNE Harold Matthews Cup.
Click here for results from the Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup.
Click here for results from the UNE SG Ball Cup.
Click here for results from the Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup.
