Weekend Review: Round 2

Wests Tigers have secured their first win of the NSW Women’s Premiership season, after a smashing defeat of competition newcomers, the St George Dragons.

Tess Staines and Emily Curtain were crucial additions to the side after missing Round 1, with fullback, Staines, crossing for a double on the day, including a length of the field effort on full-time.

The work-rate of Wests Tigers’ middle forwards was impressive in the sweltering Cabramatta heat, with hooker, Ebony Prior, another clear standout.

Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup (U/19s)

Wests Tigers’ Tarsha Gale Cup side emerged with a grinding win on Saturday afternoon, after taking on the St George Dragons at New Era Stadium, Cabramatta.

After relinquishing an early lead, a late try from half-back, Imogen Lowe put Wests ahead by four.

Despite a late scare by the Dragons in the final seconds, our Under-19s held on to come away with a four-point win.

UNE SG Ball Cup (U/19s) - Western Suburbs

In another extremely hard-fought victory, Wests’ SG Ball team overcame the trying conditions to defeat the Dragons, 18-10 on Saturday morning.

Without skipper Kit Laulilii, and fellow middle forward Chris Faagutu (who played in last Thursday’s NRL trial), this group displayed grit and resilience in taking on a well-regarded Dragons outfit.

The return of hooker Tallyn Da Silva was critical to the Magpies victory, with Zak Clarke and Heath Mason also extremely impressive on the day.

UNE SG Ball Cup (U/19s) - Balmain 

Our Balmain SG Ball side lost halfback Oliver Lawry and captain Tony Sukkar during the game, and were beaten 28-10 by a strong Parramatta team.

Despite the result, there was a lot to like about Balmain’s performance on Saturday, with prop Elijah Mataale leading from the front in an impressive display, and a depleted bench showcasing a number of gritty efforts in the extreme heat.

Lachlan Broederlow and Brenden Naicori continued their promising starts to the season, both displaying a high work-rate throughout the contest.

UNE Harold Matthews Cup (U/17s) - Western Suburbs

In a scrappy contest, with handling errors a feature throughout, the Magpies emerged victorious on a scorching Saturday morning.

The class of Wests’ outside backs shone through in this match, with Riley Oitmann and Ali Karnib both crossing for doubles.

Karnib was particularly impressive on the day, scoring a 60m intercept try and taking a Dragons player into touch to wrap up the victory, amongst other highlights.

UNE Harold Matthews Cup (U/17s) - Balmain

It was truly heartbreak for Balmain’s Harold Matthews side, falling to a last-minute try from Parramatta in a brutal defeat at Kellyville Park.

Big performances from props Edwin Langi and Douglas Tuala almost got Balmain home, with Jordan Bunt also impressing.

This Tigers team is determined to take the valuable lessons from this defeat and secure their first win of the season against North Sydney in Round 3.

SLE Laurie Daley Cup (U/18s) - Macarthur Wests Tigers 

An improved performance on their Round 1 effort was enough for Macarthur Wests Tigers’ Laurie Daley Cup team to emerge with a point from their hard-fought clash against North Coast in Wauchope.

The team’s defensive efforts were impressive throughout, with their completion rate the only thing stopping them from coming away with the victory.

Heith Pritchard was a welcome inclusion at halfback, after featuring for the Magpies SG Ball side in Round 1.

SLE Andrew Johns Cup (U/16s) - Macarthur Wests Tigers 

After a scrappy start, Macarthur Wests Tigers’ Andrew Johns Cup team produced an improved second half and came away with the two points in Wauchope on Saturday morning.

A strong defensive effort from the away side turned away North Coast time and time again, and Brooklyn Milford’s try on full-time secured the victory for Macarthur Wests Tigers.

Winger, Paul Johnson was again a standout after his blockbusting Round 1 performance.