Fresh off their first win of the 2024 NRLW season, it doesn’t get any easier for the West Tigers on Thursday night.
Cronulla cruised through the opening rounds to win six straight courtesy of the league’s best defensive system.
Conceding just 8.3 points per game during that period, the Sharks soared to the top of the NRLW ladder by suffocating their opponents out of the contest.
From there, halfback Tayla Preston complemented one of the best yardage games in the competition with clever involvements to end their sets, consistently converting field position into points.
In hindsight, while Cronulla’s defensive efforts to begin the year were impressive, we know now that they came against the worst attacking teams in the NRLW.
The Sharks own middling attack has been exposed in recent weeks by Brisbane and Easts; teams they will inevitably meet during the finals series.
I like the Sharks to use this game as a tune-up before said finals. Georgia Hannaway is a nice inclusion at five-eighth while Emma Tonegato gets through a mountain of work out the back.
If Cronulla are to threaten for a premiership this year, we need to see their attack click into gear in this one.
Head Coach Jamie Soward has made some interesting changes in what will be his last game in charge of the St George-Illawarra Dragons NRLW squad.
Future superstar Alexis Tauaneai shifts to prop, allowing young half Kasey Reh to start in the middle as a ballplaying lock.
On paper, it’s a nice adjustment for the Dragons fairly one-dimensional attack; Reh plays with nice tempo and can help link the middle to the edges while Raecene McGregor and Teagan Berry demand all the defensive attention.
There’s a lot to like about this young Dragons roster but their lack of size around the ruck has been an issue all year.
Against the best forward rotation in the NRLW here, it’s hard to see St George matching it with Brisbane in the yardage battle for long.
The back-to-back defending champs are in unfamiliar territory with one game to play in the 2024 NRLW regular season.
Needing a win over Cowboys (and pending a result for Parramatta on Sunday – see below) to guarantee a finals berth, I’m very interested to see what sort of Knights side we get in this one.
New Head Coach Ben Jeffries has made some subtle adjustments to Newcastle’s attack this year, notably playing more through Georgia Roche and Tamika Upton rather than using Jesse Southwell as the primary playmaker.
The Cowboys meanwhile have quickly carved out a gritty, resilient DNA under Head Coach Ricky Henry and I like them to make this one ugly.
They embrace the grind to play a patient style with the ball before Kirra Dibb ends their sets smartly with one of the best long kicking games in the NRLW – crucial here given the productivity of Newcastle’s outside backs on the kick return.
That being said, the class of Upton should be the difference for Newcastle once fatigue sets in.
Last year’s grand finalists are officially out of the 2024 NRLW premiership race, but the silver lining is a final appearance for Gold Coast club legend Karina Brown.
The inaugural Titan lines up on the wing in a farewell game on Sunday afternoon as the Gold Coast’s injury riddled ‘24 campaign comes to a close.
Finishing just six points shy of premiership glory last year thanks to a NRLW-leading defensive record, the Titans simply failed to maintain the rage this season.
Their average attack struggled to match it with the big guns in shoot-outs while injuries disrupted combinations and cohesion across the park in defence.
That said, the Titans get a winnable match up here against a Raiders side who has also struggled in the grind this year.
Their attack ranks fourths in the NRLW after eight games played but conceding 25.5 points per game puts their defence under far too much pressure each week.
I like the Titans to finish their season – and farewell Brown – with a bang.
I’ve been critical of Easts attacking systems at times this season but they appear capable of bullying their way towards the 2024 NRLW Grand Final.
Blessed with some of the most powerful athletes in the women’s game, the Roosters continue to dominate in yardage to play with the most possession and most territory of any team this year.
Along the backline and through the middle, whatever the Roosters lack in footy IQ they make up for in aggression and brute strength.
They roll downfield with ease and capitalise on a fatiguing defence to consistently cash in in good-ball.
Whether or not star halfback Tarryn Aiken returns this week, it’s difficult to see the Eels going with Easts for long in this one.
Parramatta are a mathematical chance of playing finals (pending a favourable result for Newcastle) but have likely left their run too late.
Errors and ill-discipline cost the Eels earlier in the regular season and while their defence ranks fifth coming into NRLW Round 9, they simply make it too hard for themselves at times.
There are points down either tram line through strike centres Rory Owen and Rosie Kelly but I can’t back Parramatta to complete an upset here.
Written by Oscar Pannifex | rugbyleaguewriters.com