Mounties have overcome the odds to claim their third title in the NSW Women’s Premiership after a clinical 22-6 win over Minor Premiers Newcastle Knights in the Grand Final at CommBank Stadium today.
Mounties five-eighth Sereana Naitokatoka was named a deserved Player of the Match after a masterclass performance which saw her have a hand in all five of her team’s tries, while also saving one at the end to snuff out any chance of a Knights comeback.
She was ably supported by centre Relna Wuruki-Hosea, who scored a hat-trick and proved a handful for the Knights defence nearly every time she touched the ball, while fullback Holly Williams chimed in with two tries.
It was a huge effort from Mounties, who finished the regular season in fourth position and had to survive three weeks of sudden-death Rugby League to make the Grand Final, while it was another tough finish for the Knights who have now lost the past three Grand Finals.
Match: Knights v Mounties
Grand Final -
home Team
Knights
away Team
Mounties
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
“I’m honestly so gassed right now, I can’t even put it into words but I’m just so grateful,” an emotional Mounties captain Tyler Pelligra said. “We’ve worked so hard this season and we’ve had a lot of girls sacrifice a lot so to get this win I can’t even put it into words.
“We put so much pressure on ourselves but honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I think those tough games really led us to stick in for those last few minutes.
“Massive credit to the girls, to the girls who have travelled all season, to the girls who haven’t taken the field, it’s been a whole squad effort.”
Mounties got off to a fast start after five-eighth Sereana Naitokatoka double-pumped a nice pass for centre Relna Wuruki-Hosea to dive over the line untouched. Naitokatoka missed the conversion to leave the lead at 4-0.
Mounties went close to scoring in the corner through Madison Bartlett and some quick thinking from the winger saw them retain possession after she passed the ball into the Knights defence before the ball went into touch.
It paid off from when Naitokatoka broke from the scrum and drifted across field before picking up fullback Holly Williams who accelerated through a gap to score. Naitokatoka was unable to convert the shot from out wide, but Mounties were in control at 8-0.
The Knights finally got on the scoreboard after the back of a strong charge from prop Lacey Cross with hooker Charley Lahmert spotting a half-gap from dummy-half and powering her way past the goal line defence to score. Halfback Sybella Pike converted to reduce the margin to 8-6.
A dropped ball from Mounties had them under pressure just before half-time but the defence proved up to the challenge. Mia Jones was denied as she charged at the goal-line while some desperate scrambling defence denied Cheyelle Robins-Reti out wide to leave the score at 8-6.
Naitokatoka stepped up to the plate again when play resumed after she put a pinpoint kick across field for her winger Gabriella Savage who showed great poise to catch the ball and then offload for Wuruki-Hosea to grab her second try of the game and extend the lead to 12-6.
The Mounties five-eighth was at her scheming best again after drifting across field before picking up Wuruki-Hosea with a nice pass who burst through the defence from 30 metres out and raced away to grab her hat-trick. Naitokatoka’s radar was still off with the boot but Mounties had some breathing space at 16-6.
The Knights received a late chance after a kick from Knights five-eighth Sienna Thomas was knocked on by Williams but Naitokatoka stepped up again to save the day after knocking the ball out of the hands of Thomas to save a likely try.
Mounties sealed the result after Wuruki-Hosea broke through the Knights defence again before picking up Williams in support to grab her second try of the game. Replacement Sarah Colman landed the conversion to extend the margin to 22-6 and spark celebrations.
