NRLW Round 6 kicks off this weekend and we’re being treated to a few cracking matchups against similarly-placed teams.
The Sydney Roosters, Newcaslte Knights and surprise packets Canberra Raiders are all sitting pretty with four wins from the first five weeks while the Gold Coast Titans round out the Top Four at time of writing.
There’s still plenty of movement to come on the NRLW ladder though, with Wests, Brisbane, Cronulla, St George and North Queensland all tied with two wins apiece and just outside the Top Four.
Let’s take a punters preview to NRLW Round 6 as we try to find some value across the five games this weekend.
This is going to be a real grind.
The Parramatta Eels found some form last week on the back of halfback Rachael Pearson’s involvements.
She’s one of the most experienced halves in the competition with a good kicking game and excellent game management.
A bit like Jackson Hastings for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL, Pearson can get the Eels to specific areas on the park and open up the field for Parramatta’s strike attacking players.
Backrower Mahalia Murphy has been one of the Eels best in the forwards over the past two weeks and lines up against a Raiders right edge that has conceded 12 tries over the first five games.
She can be a target for the Eels attack this weekend and could help Parramatta clinch their first win of the season.
The Cowboys are 2-and-3 but had some luck go their way to best Newcastle in Round 2 and Wests Tigers in Round 4.
They’ve just lost Shaniah Power – one of their best yardage merchants – and Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly to injury and could find themselves up against it on Saturday against a desperate Eels outfit.
The Dragons are fresh off a last-minute win over Wests Tigers in NRLW Round 5 while the Titans are coming off a disappointing shut-out to the Sydney Roosters.
Recent form suggests the Dragons are a real chance in this one, but I’ve been very impressed with the Gold Coast so far this season.
They currently play with the fourth-best defence in the NRLW but if you take away the 30 points premiership favourites Sydney put on them last week, the Titans are by far and away the best defensive team in the competition.
They are dominant in yardage thanks to a stacked forward pack and are defending smartly and in unison on the edges.
Against a St George attack that comes almost exclusively through Raecene McGregor and Teagan Berry, I think the Gold Coast can number up on those two and turn the Dragons away.
The Dragons right edge has conceded 10 tries over the first five weeks and they line up against returning left centre Jamie Chapman, who is yet to score this season.
She’s a powerful ball carrier and a threat of crashing over close to the line if Sienna Lofipo or Evania Pelite get her enough clean ball.
I’m very keen on the Wests Tigers this season after a number of convincing performances over the first five weeks.
Prop-forward Sarah Togatuki leads all forwards in the NRLW for total run metres (avg 201.6m per game) and is helping Wests to the lion’s share of field position.
In good-ball, the Tigers left edge has been a reliable avenue for points with backrower Kezzie Apps (4 tries), centre Leianne Tufuga (5) and winger Jakiya Whitfeld (3) all cashing in over the first five weeks.
A lot of that attack has come through Losana Lutu, who’s minutes have been limited to begin the year either due to injury or a role off the bench.
She gets her first starting jumper this week and will command the Tigers attack on Saturday afternoon.
Despite Lutu’s positive involvements though, the Roosters should be too good for the Tigers in this one.
They don’t dominate in all key stat areas but Sydney’s ability to turn field position into points is what separates them from the rest of the competition.
Five-eighth Tarryn Aiken has three tries and five assists from five games but she’s been even better than that.
The variety of Aiken’s involvements – running, kicking, passing long, passing short – is pulling opposition defensive systems apart and I see no reason for her not to do the same to the Tigers on Saturday.
We’re blessed with two cracking matchups on Sunday, with the 3rd placed Raiders travelling to Suncorp Stadium to take on the 6th placed Broncos in the early game.
Canberra have been the surprise packets of the 2023 NRLW season so far, winning four of their first five games thanks largely to the work of Simaima Taufa in the forward pack and Zahara Temara in the halves.
Temara’s general play kicking has been a highlight over the first five weeks – she’s helping Canberra win the yardage battle and play most of their footy in the opposition’s half.
The points have been piling up from there, with Cheyelle Robins-Reti proving a handful in the centres and Apii Nicholls looking superb out the back with an average 151 running metres per game and three try assists to boot.
Conversely, the Broncos have been slow out of the gates this season as they navigate a considerable roster overhaul. As those new combinations develop, we’re slowing seeing the best out of Gayle Broughton and Mele Hufanga on the left edge.
It’s in the forwards where Brisbane really clicked into gear last week though.
By adding a pass option in yardage, the Broncos repeatedly punched holes through the middle of the Knights defence as they worked upfield. Mariah Denman was the beneficiary of Brisbane ball movement last week, making three linebreaks and almost delivering an upset win over Newcastle.
The Broncos slipped at the final hurdle last week but if they bring a similar game on Sunday, I think they can sneak one over the Raiders.
Another match-up for the ages will close out NRLW Round 6 as the 2nd placed Knights host the 7th placed Sharks on Sunday afternoon.
I highlighted some positives for the Sharks last week despite their 1-and-3 record, and they proved me right with a 40-point win over the North Queensland Cowboys in NRLW Round 5.
The Sharks have been competitive in yardage to begin the year while lacking another creative option in attack, and the return of 20-year-old fullback Jada Taylor gave them exactly that last week.
The diminutive No.1 was untouchable at times in that win over North Queensland, with her speed and footwork out the back of shape repeatedly bamboozling isolated defenders.
Her combination with Emma Tonegato has potential to be one of the more productive attacking partnerships in the NRLW.
For the Knights, there’s a bit of a theme developing in 2023.
They’re good enough to beat anyone on their day but poor discipline and completion rates have made things too hard for themselves at times.
If Newcastle can complete their sets and consistently get to their fifth tackle kick, Tamika Upton is good enough to win games by herself.
The development of UK import Georgia Roche in the halves is one to keep an eye on.
She’s just three games into her NRLW career but is showing all the signs of a long-term attacking five-eighth.
With a good running game and the smarts to isolate defenders and pass a teammate into a one-on-one situation, Roche can take plenty of pressure off Upton and Jesse Southwell as the Knights primary creative players.