The final round of the 2023 NRLW regular season is here and there’s plenty to play for with finals just one week away.
A huge upset in favour of Newcastle last week saw the Knights take poll position in the race to the minor premiership, leapfrogging the Sydney Roosters who have looked unbeatable at times this year.
That result leaves the Chooks in second place with one game to play, but it’s in the bottom half of the Top Four where things get interesting.
The Gold Coast Titans (3rd), Brisbane Broncos (4th) and Canberra Raiders (5th) will jostle it out for a place in the finals, while the St George-Illawarra Dragons and Cronulla Sharks are an extremely unlikely yet mathematical chance of sneaking in.
Given the Dragons face the Broncos on Saturday night, and the Raiders meet the Titans on Sunday, we could still yet see some movement on the NRLW ladder just one week out from the finals series.
Let’s take a punters preview to each NRLW game this weekend and try to fill our accounts for the finals.
The Newcastle Knights have fielded the same backline all year and their halves have been a constant since Georgia Roche made her NRLW debut in Round 3.
They’re enjoying wonderful familiarity and cohesion in attack as a result, and I’m not sure the Tigers will have answer for them on Thursday night.
Sarah Togatuki – the competition’s leading front rower this year – is out for Wests with a leg injury which should see the Tigers struggled in yardage.
She’s so important to their go-forward and I’m not sure they have the personnel to replace her.
Staying in the grind with Newcastle is key right now, they’re strong across the park and are putting Tamika Upton into positive involvements all the way up the field.
If they complete highly and get through their sets, Upton has the skillset to turn half chances into points in attack from there.
It’s not so simple for the Tigers, who are still without star playmaker Losana Lutu.
Five-eighth Pauline Piliae-Rasabale has been dropped this week with first-choice half Emily Curtain back from injury and rookie Brooke Talataina retaining the No.7 jumper.
That means there are a lot of new combinations on the field for the Tigers this week, who currently play with the third-worst attack in the NRLW.
I’ll be surprised if they can keep this close.
The Sydney Roosters are coming off an upset loss to the Knights and that spells trouble for the ninth-placed North Queensland Cowboys.
Injuries have hit the new NRLW club hard this season and they’re without a number of key players in the forward pack and the backline.
There’s always a silver lining to these unfortunate injuries though, and this week it’s young forward Lily Peacock receiving her first starting NRLW jumper.
Despite feel-good stories like this, I can’t see the Cowboys going with Sydney for long.
Mille Boyle is back on deck to improve a forward pack that struggled in yardage last week against the Knights.
North Queensland will be up for it early but if the Chooks can stay at it, the points should pile up in the second half.
Roosters right-backrower Olivia Kernick is one player who can help score or manufacture those points.
With one try and six assists in eight games this year, Kernick’s ability to isolate a defender close to the line has seen the Chooks cash in often on their right edge.
Jess Sergis is out this week but Jayme Fressard can run that hard unders line just as well.
In what is likely the Dragons last game of the 2023 NRLW season, I’m tipping them to be up for this.
The Brisbane Broncos have worked their way into the year to be a deserving chance of playing finals, but they’re not unbeatable.
As effective as their left edge has been at scoring points, the Broncos are far from the finished product and can give the Dragons a look in this one.
Raecene McGregor is not used to missing out on finals footy and I think she’ll have a point to prove on Saturday night.
Her combination with fullback Teagan Berry has been a highlight of the season and those two have enough points in them to trouble Brisbane in this one.
That being said, the Broncos should finish stronger in what I’m tipping to be a shoot-out. Gayle Broughton was seriously missed last week for Brisbane and she can turn half-chances down that left edge into points.
They left a few out there against the Tigers in NRLW Round 8 but should immediately improve with Broughton back in the No.6 jumper.
She’ll line up against a Dragons right edge that has conceded 17 tries this season. It’s a weak spot for St George and I think Broughton, Hayley Maddick and Mele Hufanga can exploit it on Saturday night.
I liked what the Sharks were doing to begin the season but they’ve let slip too many close games to be in the frame for finals next week.
Injuries in key positions have crippled Cronulla’s 2023 campaign but they’ve built a squad that can push for success in the future.
With all that in mind, I like the Sharks to finish their maiden NRLW season on a high.
Their pack has been a highlight, led by powerhouse prop Ellie Johnston who has an absurd four tries from eight games this year.
Productive in yardage and effective in good-ball, Johnston leads from the front and can help Cronulla enjoy the lion’s share of field position in this one.
From there, I’m looking at Emma Tonegato and Jada Taylor to orchestrate scoring actions.
The Eels right edge has leaked 23 tries in eight games this year and can be a target for the Sharks on Sunday.
Left centre Tiana Penitani feels good value given her qualities as a ball carrier and the way Cronulla have searched left over the last few weeks.
For Parramatta, there are points in this side but they haven’t consistently created enough scoring opportunities for themselves this season.
Injuries and suspensions in the forwards has been integral to this, but with their pack almost full-strength for this one I think the Eels can cash in a few times.
Given the kicking game of Rachael Pearson, I like right winger Kimberley Hunt to trouble the scoreboard.
It’s the final game of the regular season and it could have major ramifications on the makeup of this year’s finals series.
Depending on how the Broncos fair against St George on Saturday night, one of the Titans or Raiders could be facing elimination in this one.
Canberra have been the surprise packets of 2023 and are thoroughly deserving of a top four finish this year.
Their forward pack led by Simaima Taufa has been ultra-consistent and their back five have worked their way into the season nicely.
If it weren’t for Tamika Upton, Raiders fullback Apii Nicholls is arguably the form No.1 in the NRLW right now and she’s being wonderfully supported by the likes of Cheyelle Robins-Reti and Mackenzie Wiki in the backline.
Zahara Temara pulls the stings from halfback, but this Raiders outfit is an extremely well-balanced squad that is capable of piling on the points against any opposition.
The Gold Coast Titans won’t make it easy for them, though, playing with the third-best defence in the NRLW after eight rounds, the Titans are a defensive juggernaut.
They’ve got the best starting pack in the competition which helps them win the ruck and play with field position.
When they are in their own half, the Titans defend superbly through the middle and on the edges.
Their inexperienced halves have struggled to produce scoring actions at times, but they’re defending well enough to win games with just a couple of tries.
I think they can keep it close but am tipping a desperate Raiders side to just sneak home.