BRISBANE BRONCOS 40 NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 16
CALLUM WALKER, Totally Workwear Stadium, Saturday
BRISBANE showed their intent to defend the NRLW title with a comprehensive play-off thrashing of Newcastle.
The writing was on the wall immediately after the first whistle, Romy Teitzel crossing as a shellshocked Knights defence looked on.
That onslaught continued soon with Julia Robinson dotting down on six minutes before Shannon Mato added insult to injury.
After just twelve minutes, the Knights were down 18-0 – and things didn’t exactly improve for the rest of the first half either.
Teitzel grabbed her second around the midway point in the half as Tamika Upton got in on the act on 24 minutes.
Newcastle simply had no answer to the power and pace of the Broncos, and Georgia Bartlett’s effort just after the half-hour sent Brisbane into a 34-0 half-time lead.
If the Knights had been praying for half-time, they would have been eager to return to the sheds when Brianna Clark dotted down within three minutes of the restart.
Finally, at 40-0, Newcastle threw some nice attacking shape at the Broncos and Mercedez Taulelei-Siala ensured the Knights would not be nilled.
As a period of parity ensued, Shanice Parker and Sidney Taylor registered late consolation four-pointers to add some respectability to the scoreline, but the Broncos marched on with ease.
BRONCOS: 1 Tamika Upton, 2 Kerri Johnson, 3 Deleni Paitai, 4 Georgia Bartlett, 5 Julia Robinson, 6 Ali Brigginshaw, 7 Jesse Southwell, 8 Shannon Mato, 9 Jada Ferguson, 10 Brianna Clark, 11 Lauren Dam, 12 Romy Teitzel, 13 Lillian Yarrow. Subs: 14 Rhemy Hinckesman, 15 Chelsea Lenarduzzi, 16 Bree Spreadborough, 17 Harlem Walker
Tries: Teitzel (1, 18), Robinson (6), Mato (12), Upton (24), Bartlett (32), Clark (44); Goals: Southwell 6/7
KNIGHTS: 1 Lucy Spain, 2 Shanice Parker, 3 Sidney Taylor, 4 Tenika Willison, 5 Mercedez Taulelei-Siala, 6 Kirra Dibb, 7 Georgia Roche, 8 Tayla Predebon, 9 Olivia Higgins, 10 Tiana Davison, 11 Sienna Yeo, 12 Fane Finau, 13 Kayla Romaniuk. Subs: 14 Charley Lahmert, 15 Emily McArthur, 16 Jules Kirkpatrick, 17 Stella Lewis
Tries: Taulelei-Siala (49), Parker (67), Taylor (69); Goals: Dibb 2/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 28-0, 34-0; 40-0, 40-6, 40-12, 40-16
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Broncos: Tamika Upton; Knights: Sidney Taylor
Penalty count: 5-6; Half-time: 34-0; Referee: Kasey Badger; Attendance: 2,521