Each week day NSWRL will showcase the best tries scored in its representative competitions this year in these five categories: don’t argue tries, through-the-hands tries, kick tries, runaway tries and individual effort tries – looking at the Women’s Country Championships this week. Check back into this page for our rolling daily coverage.
Monday: Best don't argue tries
Tuesday: Best through-the-hands tries
Friday: Best individual effort tries
Monday: Best don't argue tries
Women's Country Championships | Best don't argue tries
The Monaro Colts got their campaign off to a perfect start in Round 1 against the Central Coast Roosters when Jacinta Williams threw a great cut-out ball to Ahlivia Ingram close to the line. With three defenders to beat, Ingram shows her strength and barges over the line through the defence to score the Colt’s first points of the year.
Meanwhile, in the same round at Maitland Sportsground, North Coast Bulldogs halfback Larissa Ward decided to take on the line herself with a run from dummy half, crashing down beside the uprights to get a four-pointer for her team, but it wasn’t enough to win as they ended up in a 16-all stalemate with opponents Newcastle and Hunter.
Up in Lismore for Round 1, Greater Northern Tigers lock Kate Brown put on a bit of a step within ten metres of the Northern Rivers Titans line and forced her way over the line to give her side a handy 10-0 lead.
Brown proved unstoppable close to the line as about ten minutes later the Tigers were looking dangerous again and she managed to grab an offload from her half Amy Barraclough and scored with a skilful hit-and-spin.
At McDonald Park in Wagga in Round 1, the Illawarra South Coast Dragons were up by two and hooker blah decided to go one out to her no18 who made things look easy when she charged through four defenders to grab her first try in the Dragon’s campaign.
The GSR Wests Tigers were 20 metres out from the try line off a scrum and their fullback Crystal Ryan was looking to go straight through four defenders to score under the posts but it wasn’t to be as they had her covered. On the next play, their halfback ran sideways at the line and straightened and did well to wriggle her way over the line past some desperate Western Rams defence to score.
Tuesday: Best through-the-hands tries
Womens Country Championships | Best through the hands tries
Newcastle and Hunter looked right at home in Round 1, spreading the ball out wide with Caitlin Shoulders looking she might score but quickly changes her mind and lobs a pass out to her winger Amy Waterhouse to score in the corner.
The Greater Northern Tigers got the ball through six pairs of hands for their first try in their Country Championships campaign. Centre Shae Pemberton looked as though she might go to the line herself but as she is being tackled she gives the ball to her winger Tanika Darcy who barges past two defenders and stays in the field of play to get the first points of the match over the Titans.
In the same half, the Titans were trailing 18-0 and were set up for a scrum play. Northern Rivers centre Tawana Togo does an excellent job of holding up the ball and running to the line then passes a perfect ball off to Taylah Rotumah who slams the ball down in the corner.
The Dragons were down by 14 in the first half and needed to get some points on the board. As they set up off a scrum from ten metres out and began passing the ball out wide, and Jakoda Links did some fantastic lead-up work as she wouldn’t be tackled by the Rams defence. She managed to offload the ball the Dragons fullback Brittany Constable who did a run around from behind, held up the ball and gave it off to her winger Jannalia Eldrige to score in the corner with two minutes remaining in the half. The points weren't enough in the end though as the Rams went on to come away with a narrow 18-16 win.
Wednesday: Best kick tries
Women's Country Championships | Best kick tries
The Monaro Colts went for a solid cross-field kick in Round 1 against the Roosters and Annelise Hughes jumped up to grab the ball and met a Roosters defender in front of her. Despite this, she offloaded while being tackled inside to Victoria Alley who muscles her way over the line to score.
Newcastle and Hunter put up a high bomb against the North Coast Bulldogs and Ngalika Barker was charging through and wasn’t stopping for anyone. She crashes into the Bulldogs centre for a bone-crushing tackle and forces a knock on, which allowed Caitlin Shoulders to pick up the spills and score a great try.
Riverina Bulls five-eighth Gab Suckling put in a long chip kick against Monaro in Round 2 and just as the Colts were about to catch the ball and run it back, Tarnayor Hinch seamlessly grasps the ball from the air and plants the ball down on the line.
Thursday: Best runaway tries
Women's Country Championships | Best runaway tries
The Rams were down by six in the second half against the GSR Wests Tigers when from the half way line they were spurred into action. Halfback Harriett Messner threw a fantastic cut-out ball to her winger Molly Hoswell, who absolutely exploded down the right-hand touch line, speeding past four defenders and beating the fullback to score in the corner.
Monaro Colts five-eighth Hollie Massey spotted a gap in Riverina the defence in the middle and didn’t waste her opportunity. Keeping the defenders guessing and looking as though she would throw the pass, she kept on running until she scored underneath the posts.
Western put a high bomb in the hopes to deter Illawarra in Round 2 but Brittany Constable’s reply was outstanding. She caught the ball well and charged straight up the middle of the opposing side using her speed and didn’t look back, outrunning everyone to score an awesome 90-metre try under the sticks.
Friday: Best individual effort tries
Women's Country Championships | Best individual effort tries
Illawarra already had 22 points over Riverina when Jennifer Latu took a run straight up the middle and charged 30 metres downfield before offloading to her team mates and centre Jakoda Links got herself on the scoresheet, all thanks to Latu’s impressive effort late in the second half.
GSR Wests Tigers had the ball 40 metres out from their try line early in the second half against the Rams and it was nil all. There wasn’t much happening through the middle but fullback Crystal Ryan ended up with the ball and made something happen, beating every defender, including Western’s fullback with her speed to score the Tiger’s first points of their campaign.
The Dragons were down by ten when their lock Ashley Swan-Hayles decided to take matters into her own hands close to the line, receiving the ball from dummy half she runs, throws a dummy and straightens, charging straight at the opposition fullback and making contact, bumping her off and scoring right underneath the posts.
