As it happened: NRLW Sharks demolish Raiders

Full time: A comprehensive showing from Newcastle following the disappointment of their first-up loss to competition newcomers the Bulldogs. Halfback Jesse Southwell orchestrated things well and hurt the Cowboys whenever she ran the ball, while the Cowboys will lament a game full of moments in which they shot themselves in the foot, perhaps best evidenced by their 66 percent completion rate. It ends 26-6 in favour of the visitors. 

68 min: The Cowboys are finally on the board! After Jesse Southwell fails to ground an in-goal grubber from Kirra Dibb, Alisha Foord follows through and falls on the Steeden. Dibb adds the extra from in front and makes it 26-6. 

62 min: Hooker Olivia Higgins marks her return from suspension with a try. Despite having Lillian Yarrow hanging off her at the bottom of the ruck, Higgins drives her legs through the contact and burrows over. Jesse Southwell adds another two and it's 26-0 to the Knights. 

61 min: Tiana Davison is put on report for a high tackle. 

59 min: Tiana Davison looks to have gone over for Newcastle's fourth, but review from the Bunker finds she juggles the ball in the lead up and knocks it on into a Cowboys defender. 

57 min: North Queensland have their best attacking chance of the second half, but as they push the ball wide the play ends up breaking down. 

55 min: Newcastle are in a mood tonight and controlling the game well in this second period. They've completed all but one of their sets since half time, while the Cowboys on the other hand have coughed up several errors. 

45 min: Nothing is going right for the hosts tonight. On a regulation play the ball, Alisha Foord spills the ball and hands possession over cheaply. Just after that Lily Peacock is put on report for an earlier incident. 

42 min: Eventually the weight of possession tells and the Cowboys wilt. Tayla Predebon hits the line from close range and overpowers Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell. Jesse Southwell adds the extra two and it's now Knights 20 Cowboys 0. 

40 min: Impatient footy from the Cowboys, who immediately go wide after being let off the hooker earlier. Newcastle spot it early and force them into touch. More pressure coming from the two-time premiers.  

39 min: The Knights unsuccessfully challenge an on-field call of a knock on. The Cowboys take control of the ball and Newcastle won't be able to challenge from here. 

38 min: Kirra Dibb is pinged for having a hand in the ruck and the Cowboys are under huge pressure once again. 

Half time: It's been all Newcastle in terms of scoring opportunities in the opening stanza and they take a commanding 14-0 lead into the break. Jesse Southwell has stood out int he first 35, including registering a team-high seven runs. 

32 min: Jesse Southwell unleashes a wayward pass out wide, but the bouncing the ball is claimed by Sheridan Gallagher who scoots down the sideline to score her side's second. Southwell continues her perfect year with the boot so far with a peach of a conversion from the sideline. 14-0 Knights. 

29 min: Jesse Southwell forces a repeat set with a clever short kick. The Cowboys are then offside from the ensuing dropout and give away a penalty. Newcastle opt to take the easy two points on offer and Southwell extends the lead to 8-0. 

25 min: A promising set comes to an end for the Cowboys after Kirra Dibb scuffs an attacking kick and makes Krystal Blackwell a sitting duck for the Knights' defence. 

21 min: The error rate is fast stacking up at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, with a combined nine made across the opening 20 minutes. Both sides are completing at under 60 percent right now. 

19 min: North Queensland overturn an initial call of a strip from Tallisha Harden with a captain's challenge. However, they waste the possession with a knock on almost immediately. 

15 min: Kiwi Ferns centre Shanice Parker gets on the end of a clever grubber from Botille Vette-Welsh to open the scoring. Jesse Southwell is on target with the conversion attempt from out wide and it's 6-0 to the Knights. 

12 min: The Knights appear to find a gap on the right edge, but the pass from Jesse Southwell is too low and it can't be reeled in. Another error sets the Cowboys up with good field position. 

10 min: Newcastle hold on and produce a couple of nice goal-line stands to defend their earlier error. 

8 min: The Cowboys are enjoying some early good-ball possession and have just forced an error from the Knights to earn another crack. 

1 min: Just as was the case last week, the Cowboys make an error on the opening set of the game. The Knights are on the ball for the first time and start the set just short of the halfway line. 

Late Mail 

Cowboys: Lily Dick comes into the 17 on the bench, with Ana Malupo remaining as 18th player. Off the back of an impressive win against the Titans last week, there are minimal changes to the North Queensland line-up with Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell named to start in the second row, moving Essay Banu back to the bench.

Knights: No late changes for Newcastle, who will take the field 1-17. Jillaroos hooker Olivia Higgins' return from suspension sees Joeli Morris drop to 18th player. 

Numbers Game

• The Cowboys have won four of their past five games at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
• The Knights have won their last four games at Queensland venues.
• Cowboys fullback Jakiya Whitfeld has scored four tries in her last five NRLW games.

 

Dragons v Roosters at Jubilee Stadium

Full time: The Roosters power to their eighth win in a row after overcoming the Dragons with a strong second half. The 24-10 victory comes despite the Tricolours making 15 errors to their opponents' nine. Up front Rima Butler laid a commanding platform, with 12 carries for 106 metres, while Isabelle Kelly was at her damaging best with a try, pair of line breaks and 199 run metres. 

66 min: The Dragons repel another Roosters raid and look to end the game on a high as they work the ball forward. 

63 min: A huge carry from Rima Butler is followed by a quick play the ball and Keeley Davis dives over for the Roosters' fifth of the day. Jocelyn Kelleher is off the mark again with the conversion, but it doesn't look like it'll impact the result at this point. 

63 min: The Dragons burn their captain's challenge trying to overrule a knock-on call as they worked the ball out of yardage. The Roosters now start a set 30 metres out from the line, with a chance to put the game away here. 

62 min: Jess Sergis ends up over the try-line, but the pass was well and truly forward. The Dragons are back on the ball with plenty of work to do. 

57 min: Star forward Olivia Kernick spots a gap and charges through for a try which takes the lead out to two scores for the Roosters. Jocelyn Kelleher makes no mistake with the kick from in front and the Roosters lead by 10. 

55 min: Hannah Southwell is off to the sin bin for a late shot on Jocelyn Kelleher.

50 min: Logan Fletcher scores a try on NRLW debut and puts the Roosters back in front! Three-straight penalties from the Dragons march the Tricolours down field before they strip their opponents for numbers down the right. Jocelyn Kelleher, puts a stop to her unhappy day off the tee by pinging it in off the post from out wide. The Roosters are back in front 14-10. 

47 min: Keele Browne is pinged for tackling Logan Fletcher in mid air, while later in the set Madison Mulhall commits a ruck infringement. The Roosters go right on the attack now. 

46 min: Corban Baxter breaks the line and flings an offload at the back. Unfortunately for her it lands in the hands of a Dragons player. 

41 min: The Dragons roar out of the sheds for the second stanza and are on the board through second-rower Charlotte Basham, which marks her first four-pointer in the NRLW. Raecene McGregor splits the defence with a clever kick and then backs it up by banging the conversion off the post and over the bar. The Dragons lead for the first time today and it's 10-8. 

Half time: Despite being on the wrong side of the possession count, and a crippling number of errors, the Roosters lead 8-4 at Jubilee Stadium and on the whole have looked the better side for most of the game. 

34 min: Against the run of play, Amber Hall crashes over from close range and the Roosters will take an 8-4 lead into the break.

33 min: Teagan Berry initially looks to have her second, and the go-ahead try, but it's sent up by Kasey Badger as no-try and the Bunker quickly confirms the flying fullback knocked on in the lead up. 

31 min: Another error from the Roosters, whose completion rate now slumps to 60 percent. Bad hands have been a leading contributor to John Strange's side enjoying just 38 percent of the ball through the opening half hour. 

28 min: A big goal-line stand from the Roosters, who repel a spirited raid from the Dragons and then earn a penalty while coming out of yardage to really release the pressure valve. 

23 min: Teagan Berry grabs try number 31 for her NRLW career, pushing through from close range out of dummy half. The platform for the hit-back was laid by a long break from Margot Vella, which was compounded by an Olivia Kernick penalty that handed the Red V six more tackles. Raecene McGregor misses the fairly straightforward conversion attempt. 4-4. 

18 min: The Dragons enjoy some rare possession in the opposing red zone, helped down field by a Roosters penalty, but the Tricolours are up to the task defensively and turn them away. 

14 min: The Roosters cough up a fifth error for the game. Right now they look dangerous every time they are on the ball, although the final touch has mostly been lacking. 

9 min: No mistake this time from Aliyah Nasio, who turns provider for Isabelle Kelly to score. Nasio got through an initial gap before selling a couple of defenders on a dummy and squeezing an offload out to Kelly. The conversion is no good from Jocelyn Kelleher, so it's 4-0. 

7 min: Teagan Berry saves what looked to be a certain try by stripping the ball free from the grasp of Aliyah Nasio over the line. A four-pointer goes begging for the Tricolours. 

5 min: An early chance for St George Illawarra ends with a knock on from Keele Browne. The Red V are keen to move the ball side-to-side early on. 

1 min: The Dragons dodge a bullet after a messy retrieval of the kick-off. They end up with possession and finish the set well with a booming kick down field.  

Late Mail

Dragons: Following a strong win against the Raiders last week, there has been a slight reshuffle of the backs with Keele Browne named on the wing and Bobbi Law named at centre.

Roosters: Scans have confirmed a dislocation and fracture of the right elbow for representative winger Jayme Fressard, with Taina Naividi, who scored a hat-trick last week, is out with concussion. Logan Fletcher comes in for her first appearance, while Mia Wood moves from the second row to the backs. Aliyah Nasio comes from the bench to start in the second row, with Amber Hall coming onto the bench. 

Numbers game

• The Dragons have lost their last four games against the Roosters.
• The Roosters are aiming for a club record eighth straight victory.
• Dragons fullback Teagan Berry has scored 30 tries in 33 NRLW appearances.

 

Raiders v Sharks at GIO Stadium

Fulltime

The Sharks have written themselves into the NRLW record books after romping to a 56-6 win over the Raiders at GIO Stadium, with Emma Verran scoring four tries and Georgia Hannaway kicking eight goals. The 50 point margin equalled Cronulla's biggest ever win - a 56-6 defeat of Parramatta in 2023 - while Verran became the fifth player to score four tries in the NRLW and Hannaway bettered former team-mate Tayla Preston's record of seven goals. Verran fell just short of becoming the first player to score five tries in an NRLW match after unselfishly passing for team-mates to score. Rookie forward Stephanie Faulkner scored two tries on debut. 

66 min: Verran showed her unselfishness to put Byers over for her second try after splitting the defence off a Dodd pass and passing to the secondrower to score. Hannaway converted. Sharks 56 Raiders 6.

53 min: The Sharks are within range of their biggest ever NRLW win after winger Georgia Ravics scored out wide to bring up the half century of points with more than 15 minutes remaining. Sharks 50 Raiders 6.

50 min: Rhiannon Byers has crashed over for Cronulla's seventh try of the match after a short pass from lock Brooke Anderson close to the Raiders line. Sharks 46 Raiders 6 

42 min: Dodd and Verran have combined again to lay on a second try for Faulkner on debut. Dodd raced out of dummy half and Verran backed up to almost scored her fifth but passed to Faulkner before the line. Hannaway converted. Sharks 40 Raiders 6.

39 min: Verran has started the second half as she finished the first to score her fourth try of the match after juggling the ball and slicing through the defence close to the tryline. Hannaway missed the sideline conversion. Sharks 34 Raiders 6

Halftime summary

The Sharks are dominating possession, field position and on the scoreboard after a strong first half performance to lead 30-6 at the break. After last weekend's disappointing loss to Parramatta in the NRLW season opener, Cronulla's big name stars Quincy Dodd, Emma Verrans and Tiana Penitani Gray are leading the way. Penitani has three tries, while Dodd has scored one and laid on another. With just 38 per cent of possession, the Raiders have been forced to make 158 first half tackles compared to 100 by the Sharks. The home team has also conceded five penalties. 

34 min: Verran has grabbed a hat-trick to give the Sharks a big halftime lead after Hannaway's conversion. Sharks 30 Raiders 6.

29 min: Sharks debutant Stephanie Faulkner, the first player to come through the Cronulla pathways from U7s to NRLW, has crashed over to score. Hannaway converted. Sharks 24 Raiders 6. 

25 min: Verran has scored her second try after a perfectly timed run for a grubber kick behind the Canberra defensive line by Dodd. Hannaway converted. Sharks 18 Raiders 6.

19 min: The Raiders have hit back through Kiwi Ferns winger Maddison Bartlett, who finished a backline movement to score her 28th NRLW try and 14th in her last 14 appearances. Zahara Temara converted from the sideline. Sharks 12 Raiders 6.

15 min: Raiders winger Isabella Waterman, who produced the Round 1 tackle of the week, came up with another bellringer to force an error from Cronulla superstar Tiana Penitani Gray and save a certain try.

12 min: Sharks fullback Emma Verran split the defence to race away for her side's second try. Hannaway converted. Sharks 12-0.

9 min: Sharks centre Anessa Biddle has been placed on report for a high tackle on Kiwi Ferns team-mate Robins-Reti. The Raiders fullback has undergone a HIA.  

4 min: Jillaroos hooker Quincy Dodd has opened the scoring for the Sharks after grubbering into the Raiders goalpost and chasing through to catch the rebounding ball which went over the head of Canberra fullback Cheyelle Robins-Reti. Georgia Hannaway converted from in front. Sharks 6-0.

The Raiders made a last minute change with Emma Barnes starting at hooker and Chanté Temara moving to the bench.

Lime green wall

Raiders prop Sophie Holyman told NRLW on Nine: "The focus this week has been all about us. Defence is going to win us this game, I think, so for us we've just got to be better there. We know that in attack, we have moments there, and obviously a few tries have got disallowed, so I guess today is icing the small moments and having a brick wall as a defence line."

Sharks history maker

Debutant Stephanie Faulkner is the first player to transition from the club's pathways to NRLW.

The rookie forward told Nine: "It's a dream come true. I'm in disbelief. I'm pinching myself right now, so excited to get out of the girls, but yeah, dream come true. I've just got to keep it simple, they've got big forward pack and so the game will be won in there ... just run hard, tackle hard."

Late Mail

Raiders: No further game day changes after Tatiana Finau was elevated to the bench a day before the game, with Lili Boyle making way. Fiji Bulikula representative Sereana Naitokatoka returns from suspension.

Sharks: The Sharks are 1-17 with no late changes. Youngster Stephanie Faulkner comes onto the bench for her NRLW debut in place of Filomina Hanisi (ACL). 

Numbers game

• Raiders winger Madison Bartlett has scored a try double in both games against the Sharks.
• The Sharks have won both games played against the Raiders in 2023-24.
• The Raiders are on a seven-game losing streak at GIO Stadium.

While we are waiting for kickoff in the first match of today's NRLW triple header, here are a few stories from around the grounds: