29 April 2024
As seen on nswrl.com
The U17 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs wāhine etched their place in history with a convincing 36-0 win over the Wests Tigers in the inaugural Grand Final of the Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup.
Winger Asha Taumoepeau-Williams continued what she’s been producing all season for the Under 17s girls. She had 11 tries coming into today’s decider and ratcheted that up to 15 by the end of the match.
But the one to snatch Player of the Match was hooker Mary-Jane Taito for her scheming work around the ruck and her relentless defence.
Former dual international Lisa Fiaola presented the match ball to Taito and congratulated five-eighth Evelyn Roberts, who scored two tries today, after she was named Player of the Series.
Taito and Roberts were just two of the young kiwi wāhine who made the move to Sydney to join the Bulldogs side. They were joined by Seriah Palepale, Lahnayah Daniel, Paige Tauaneai, Trinity Tauaneai, Josinah Filisi Tauiliili, and Giovanna Suani.
Bulldogs coach Michael Stuart had warned his team not to expect everything to go their way in the finals even though they had been the dominant team all season to finish as Minor Premiers.
“Finals is a whole new competition, so we prepared a little bit differently to reflect that,” Stuart told nswrl.com.au
The Bulldogs beat the Newcastle Knights 22-4 in last weekend’s Semi-final to concede just one try in two matches while scoring 13 of their own.
“The girls deserve it, they’ve had a long, hard seven months and this is just the icing on the cake,” Stuart said.
“We’ve got a lot of local girls in the team. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team bond and come together as quick as these girls have.”
As for his winger’s four tries: “She’s only 15; turns 16 in November; and she’s a superstar.”
Taumoepeu-Williams said she had scored four tries before for her junior club in New Zealand.
“But it feels good to do it today,” she said. “We’ve bonded so well in a short amount of time. My teammates are my friends and like family.”
And as for the secret to scoring so often in a grand final?
“I just trusted my team.”
This was the Bulldogs 10th straight victory – eight in the regular season and two finals.
It might have been first versus fifth on the ladder, but the Wests Tigers mustered a fine Semi-final win with a 32-14 upset over the second-placed Illawarra Steelers.
Although they tried hard, they were denied possession today and were outclassed in the middle and on the edges.
A try in the opening minute, and then three more in a six minute period later in the first half, helped the Bulldogs to a commanding 18-0 half-time lead.
They gobbled up possession, restricting the Wests Tigers to only two entries into their territory for the first 30 minutes.
It was the Bulldogs right edge that shone – three of their first four tries came down that channel.
The first try was off a Tigers mistake in the opening set. On the third play the Bulldogs shot the ball through the hands for Taumoepeau-Williams to score his first for the day – her 12th for the season.
She followed up with a second in the 18th minute after a neat chip kick from halfback and skipper Olivia Vaalele.
The other first-half tries came from second rower Aliahana Fuimaono – cousin of Westpac NSW Sky Blues utility Taliah Fuimaono – who put on a mighty left fend to see her way to the chalk.
Then in the 20th minute five-eighth Evelyn Roberts stepped off her left foot, then her right, for a fine individual try.
The Wests Tigers were awarded the only penalty of the first half but were unable to capitalise.
In the second half the dominance continued with another three tries, including Taumoepeau-Williams grabbing her third and fourth.
Roberts bagged her second and centre Lahnayah Daniel got onto the scoresheet supporting Roberts, who drew in the defence on the left edge.
The win in the metropolitan version of the Lisa Fiaola Cup followed a 22-8 win by the Western Rams 22-8 over the Northern Tigers last March in the regional NSW competition of the same name.
Read more on nswrl.com
As seen on warriors.kiwi
The Warriors have become the first team in the history of the UNE Harold Matthews Cup to claim the premiership in their maiden year after defeating the Western Suburbs Magpies 34-16 at CommBank Stadium over the weekend.
It continued a fairy tale run for the Warriors who had to win their final game of the regular season to snatch the sixth spot in the finals, followed by sudden death wins over Parramatta Eels and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to make the decider.
Warriors lock Lennox Tuiloma, who scored two tries in the decider including a strong effort in the second half where he dragged defenders over the line with him before breaking free to score, was named Player of the Match.
South Island Scorpion Tuiloma featured in the 2023 NZRL National Secondary Schools team in the national representative competition. Teammates Turama Paranihi, Kairus Booth, Romana Whitiora, and Isaiah Savea all also featured in the competition for the Aotearoa Whaanui boy’s side.
Warriors coach Thaine Ashford said the historic result was just the beginning for pathways programs in New Zealand, with the Auckland-based club joining the UNE Harold Matthews Cup for the first time in 2024.
“It is probably bigger than us,” Ashford said.
“Obviously it is special to us, but (also) for the game in New Zealand having the opportunity to showcase that you can stay home and build something from where we are.
“I’m very grateful to be a part of something special and to be a part of history.”
The Magpies started strong with two back-to-back tries to back-rower Teancam Epati and five-eighth Jhevon Lele in the opening six minutes to take their lead out to 10-0.
The Warriors hit back in the 11th minute through halfback Jack Thompson who broke through the defensive line to race down the field to score (10-6).
Trailing by four points, the Warriors pushed the Magpies in defence – forcing an error in their half.
The Warriors pounced on the mistake and found themselves in front after Thompson passed short to back-rower Militonimolela Sikuvea who crashed over the line (12-10).
With momentum behind them, the Warriors scored another two tries along with a penalty goal to extend their lead to 24-10 at half-time.
The second half started with both teams testing one another in both attack and defence with set-for-set football being played for the opening 12 minutes.
The Warriors were the first to score in the second half after Magpies fullback Ali Hickam Karnib spilled a Thompson grubber.
Winger Ezekiel Davidson-Faaiuaso regathered the ball and charged to the line – carrying a defender on his back before passing the ball to utility Boston Krone to score (28-10).
The Magpies won the ball back from the kick-off before hooker Ashton Large found space for prop Christina Taupau-Moors to crash over the line and reduce the deficit to 12 points with 10 minutes remaining (28-16).
The Warriors sealed the deal in the final five minutes when lock Tuiloma powered his way through the goal-line defence for his second try.
“Every single one of these boys has played their part to get us here today, not just the boys that took the field today,” Ashford said.
“The boys turned up for each other and they believed in each other and that’s what it can do for you sometimes.
“I’m very happy and very grateful for the win.”
Read more on warriors.kiwi
23 April 2024
They stunned Parramatta last week and now the One New Zealand Warriors’ Harold Matthews Cup side has shocked minor premier Canterbury Bankstown to reach the under-17 competition’s grand final, the first time the club has had a team in a premiership decider since 2014.
The TJ Ashford-coached Warriors held on for a gritty 12-10 victory over the Bulldogs at Henson Park today to add yet another chapter to their fairytale debut campaign in the renowned pathways competition.
It began with what could have been a deflating 10-36 loss to the Eels in February but that result instead provided the launching pad for what has turned out to be an exceptional season so far – and the biggest game of all is yet to come.
It’s the first time a One New Zealand Warriors side has been in a grand final since the Stacey Jones-coached side beat the Broncos in the NYC (under-20) showdown in 2014.
When the Warriors’ 2024 Harold Matthews side was trounced 40-10 by Cronulla Sutherland in the second to last round of the regular season, chances of reaching the finals hung in the balance but the team snared the sixth and final spot a week later with a resounding 46-10 win over St George and hasn’t looked back since.
Last Sunday the Warriors avenged their opening-round loss to the Eels by racing to a 24-0 lead and then closing out the game 30-20 to eliminate the third-ranked side.
That lined them up against the minor premiership-winning Bulldogs in today’s preliminary final at one of Sydney’s most famous old venues Henson Park.
The Bulldogs had been dominant all season with seven wins and a draw averaging more than 37 points a game. The fewest points they had been restricted to in any match was 20.
As one of the two top qualifiers, they’d had the last two weeks off giving the One New Zealand Warriors a potential edge in match fitness.
With the match played in wild, wet and windy conditions, the Warriors again made a fast start as they had against Parramatta with winger Kairus Booth from Balclutha, scoring in just the seventh minute.
Then five minutes later powerful loose forward Lennox Tuiloma added to his try-scoring tally with Booth converting for a 10-0 lead.
Canterbury Bankstown responded in the 19th minute with an unconverted try to halfback Matthew Barakat to leave the Warriors holding a 10-4 advantage at halftime.
That became 12-4 with a Booth penalty four minutes into the second spell, two points that would prove vital in the final analysis.
South Island Scorpion Booth featured in the 2023 Aotearoa Whaanui representative team, while Tuiloma played in the National Secondary Schools team after winning the NZRL NZSS Boys Premiership with St. Thomas of Canterbury College.
Heading into the closing stages the Warriors still had an eight-point lead until the Bulldogs scored and converted with two minutes to play.
Defending heroically throughout, they shout out their opponents to prevail 12-10 to earn a grand final date with the Western Suburbs Magpies, who finished second in the minor premiership and held out Cronulla Sutherland 8-6 in today’s other preliminary final.
The Warriors now return home before heading back to Sydney for the season decider next Saturday (April 27), part of the New South Wales Rugby League’s super grand final day for all junior grades including the SG Ball Cup (under-19).
UNE Harold Matthews Cup Grand Final: New Zealand Warriors v Western Suburbs Magpies 2:00PM
Best of luck to our rangatahi hitting the field this weekend, live stream the Grand Final games on nswrl.tv.
This Saturday 27 April the Grand Finals for the UNE Harold Matthews Cup and Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup will take place at CommBank Stadium in Sydney. A number of young talented Kiwi players will be taking the field for the Under-17s Warriors and the Under-17s Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs women in their respective finals.
Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup Grand Final: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Wests Tigers 12:30PM
Watch the action live on nswrl.tv.
UNE Harold Matthews Cup:
They stunned Parramatta and now the One New Zealand Warriors’ Harold Matthews Cup side has shocked minor premier Canterbury Bankstown in their semi-final to reach the under-17 competition’s grand final, the first time the club has had a team in a premiership decider since 2014.
The TJ Ashford-coached Warriors held on for a gritty 12-10 victory over the Bulldogs at Henson Park today to add yet another chapter to their fairytale debut campaign in the renowned pathways competition. Tries by Kairus Booth and Lennox Tuiloma secured the victory for the Warriors, as well as a successful conversion and penalty from Booth.
South Island Scorpion Booth featured in the 2023 Aotearoa Whaanui boys team while Tuiloma played in the National Secondary Schools boys team after winning the NZRL NZSS Boys Premiership with St. Thomas of Canterbury College.
Click here to see the Warriors Harold Matthews Cup team list.
Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup:
The semi-final game between Canterbury-Bankstown and Newcastle ended with the Bulldogs extending their undefeated streak to nine matches, coming away with a 22-4 win in which Auckland’s Evelyn Roberts and Seriah Palepale crossed for a try each. The duo played alongside each other in the 2023 National Secondary Schools girls team.
The Bulldogs side is further bolstered by several young Kiwi wāhine who made the move over the ditch including Lahnayah Daniel, Mary-Jane Taito, Paige Tauaneai, Trinity Tauaneai, Josinah Filisi Tauiliili, and Giovanna Suani. At the 2023 National Girls Youth Tournament Taito was the 16s Tournament MVP and captain of the champion Counties Manukau team.
Best of luck to all our rangatahi hitting the field this weekend, live stream the Grand Final games on nswrl.tv.
