MONDAY'S EXPERT - 2024 NRLW Round 4

A full wrap-up of Round 4 of the NRLW with reports from our contributors and stats from Rugby League Project.

All listed times are AEST (NSW/QLD/VIC/ACT).

RELATED: See the full list of 2024 NRL Telstra Women's Premiership Draw and Results.

Brisbane pip Raiders to surge into the top four

with Beth Nicholls

Broncos go back-to-back in wins and find themselves inside the top four, whilst the Raiders slump to their third loss in a row.

Doubles to three Bronco players, led the Brisbane side to their second win of the season, in a game that was right down to the wire.

The first half started off in poor shape for the Raiders, with the side giving away a dropout after letting the kick-off go dead. The Broncos very quickly capitalised, working the ball down the field with an end of the set cross field kick from Ali Brigginshaw, caught by Stacey Waaka which then eventually found Shenae Ciesiolka, to put the Brisbane side on the board less than two minutes into the game.

Ciesiolka then very quickly found her second try of the game in the eleventh minute, after a 10m scrum, which saw Ciesiolka take on the line herself.

The Raiders then got their first points on the board in the 21^st minute through Mackenzie Wiki who powered through two Broncos defenders and got herself over the line. Zahara Temara then converted to make it a two-point difference.

Catch up didn't last too long for the visitors though, with Stacey Waaka getting her first NRLW try. Another cross-field kick from Brigginshaw was taken by Waaka after a leap into the air before she successfully ran around Raiders defenders to get her first try in just her second NRLW match.

Going into halftime, the Broncos were leading three tries to one, however with Romy Teitzel having a rough day out with the boot, it was only a 12-6 score line.

Canberra came out strong in the second half, scoring their first try in the opening two minutes of the half, with Apii Nicholls throwing a perfectly timed pass to winger Shakiah Tungai.

An acrobatic try from Broncos winger Julia Robinson then saw the Broncos take back the lead just several minutes later, which then quickly turned into an eight-point lead after Robinson then caught an intercept pass and score a length of the field try underneath the posts.

The Broncos lead didn't last for very long though. Kerehitina Matua made a hit and spin, missing many Broncos defenders, before she spun in the other direction and plant the ball down for the Raiders, closing the gap between them and the home side. The 57###sup

The score remained at 22 all until the 65###sup

With the Raiders not having won since Round 1, they now look towards next week when they take on the Cowboys back at home who are just sitting one stop above them on the ladder. For the winners, the Broncos take on the last placed Tigers in Leichhardt who are yet to get their first win of the season.

Brisbane Broncos (W) 28 Canberra Raiders (W) 22
Venue: Totally Workwear Stadium, Coorparoo / Turrbal

Date: Sat, 17th August.   Kickoff: 11:00 AM.   Halftime: Brisbane (W) 12-6.   Penalties: Brisbane (W) 7-5.   Referee: Clayton Wills.   

Brisbane (W): Maddick, Robinson, Hufanga, Ciesiolka, Waaka; Broughton, Brigginshaw (C); Joseph, Ferguson, Lenarduzzi, Gray, Teitzel, Fogavini. Int: Brill, Lafaele, Gould, Dam.
Canberra (W): Nicholls-Pualau, Bartlett, Robins-Reti, Wiki, Tungai; Temara (C), Quinlan; Kelly-Sines, Temara, Holyman, Soliola, Dodd, Taufa. Int: Barnes, Kemp, Matua, Naitokatoka.

Brisbane Broncos (28)
Tries: Julia Robinson 2, Shenae Ciesiolka 2, Stacey Waaka 2
Goals: Romy Teitzel 2/6

Canberra Raiders (22)
Tries: Shakiah Tungai, Kerehitina Matua, Emma Barnes, Mackenzie Wiki
Goals: Zahara Temara 3/4

Cowboys down Titans in thriller

with Tim Costello

A field-goal to Kirra Dibb five minutes from fulltime has delivered the Cowboys a vital one-point victory at home against Queensland rivals the Gold Coast, with the final scoreline 11-10 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Cowboys' UK import Fran Goldthorp got the scoreboard ticking over first when she snatched an attacking kick out of the air and overcame a defender. Gold Coast hit back soon after when Georgia Gray opened the visitors' account pouncing on a kick into the in-goal.

While centre Jaime Chapman thought she'd scored to put the visitors ahead, it would be chalked out by the Bunker due to the grounding not being neat. Instead, North Queensland went to the break 10-4 ahead after Jakiya Whitfield going over thanks to a clever short ball from Dibb.

Laikha Clarke scored the Titans' second try twenty minutes into the second half and with Lauren Brown's conversion levelling the scores, a tense final 15 minutes were in prospect.

Step up Dibb - her field goal five minutes from time put the hosts ahead, and try as they might, the Titans couldn't overcome that one-point margin in the final minutes, Brown's attempt to level scores going wide and the Cowboys grabbing the two points.

North Queensland Cowboys (W) 11 Gold Coast Titans (W) 10
Venue: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville / Wulgurukaba

Date: Sat, 17th August.   Kickoff: 12:45 PM.   Halftime: North QLD (W) 10-4.   Penalties: Gold Coast (W) 10-8.   Referee: Jordan Morel.   Crowd: 1,458.

North QLD (W): Blackwell, Goldthorp, Whitfeld, Peters, Surha; Tillett, Dibb (C); Peacock, Manzelmann, Banu, Polata, Raftstrand-Smith, Chester. Int: Harden, Faifua, Mooka, Butler.
Gold Coast (W): Pelite, Grey, Chapman, Fuimaono, Bass; Montgomery, Brown; Mato, Breayley-Nati, Elliston, Jorgensen, Bent, Hale. Int: Kolc, Clarke, Gray, Perese.

North Queensland Cowboys (11)
Tries: Francesca Goldthorp, Jakiya Whitfeld
Goals: Kirra Dibb 1/2
Field Goals: Kirra Dibb 1

Gold Coast Titans (10)
Tries: Laikha Clarke, Georgia Grey
Goals: Lauren Brown 1/2

Roosters railroad rough Dragons

with AJ Lucantonio

The Sydney Roosters have won three on the trot after a 28-8 win over St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium. 

For the second week in a row, the Roosters were slow out of the blocks. Raecene McGregor found a hole and busted open midway through the first half. The Dragons then went wide and found Kim Hunt who crossed in the corner for an early advantage. 

That seemed to wake the Roosters up and they hit the lead with a charging Amber Hall crossing for the Tri-Colours and they led 6-4. Before the half-time break, they hit a double blow to extend their margin to 14 before the break. 

First it was quick hands across the backs which saw the ball in Isabelle Kelly's hands and she crossed. The second was a throwback of sorts from Sam Bremner with a brilliant opening through the line, she eventually found Jayme Fressard to make it 18-4 at the change of ends. 

It was business as usual from the Roosters when Hall charged across for her second try. She tried again moments later, but it took an incredible tackle from the Dragons to deny her a third. 

The game entered a lull and there was only one lady that could charge the Dragons back and it was Teagan Berry. She trucked the Roosters defence to score a brilliant individual try. However, it was in vain as the Roosters sealed the deal late. Fressard broke through and had the Dragons fatigued, from the next play, Kelly broke through for her second try to seal the deal for the visitors. 

St George Illawarra Dragons (W) 8 Sydney Roosters (W) 28
Venue: WIN Stadium, Wollongong / Dharawal

Date: Sun, 18th August.   Kickoff: 12:00 PM.   Halftime: Sydney (W) 18-4.   Penalties: 7-all.   Referee: Luke Saldern.   

St Geo Illa (W): Berry, Gregory, Browne, Law, Hunt; Nathan-Wong, McGregor (C); Teakaraanga-Katoa, Reh, Mulhall, Lendill, Basham, Tauaneai. Int: Hopkins, Koster, Wilson, Bright.
Sydney (W): Bremner, Fressard, Kelly (C), Strange, Wood; Kelleher, Aiken; Elliott, Davis, Hill-Moana, Pule, Kernick, Nasio. Int: Hopoate, Papalii, Davison, Hall.

St George-Illawarra Dragons (8)
Tries: Teagan Berry, Kimberley Hunt
Goals: Raecene McGregor 0/1, Tyla King 0/1

Sydney Roosters (28)
Tries: Isabelle Kelly 2, Amber Hall 2, Jayme Fressard
Goals: Jocelyn Kelleher 4/5

Sharks slide past Knights to maintain perfect start

with Tim Costello

Cronulla are firming as surprise favourites for the 2024 NRLW title after winning their fourth game from four, holding on against a tenacious Newcastle to finish 14-12 victors at Pointsbet Stadium.

Newcastle led 8-6 at the break after Laishon Albert-Jones opened the scoring for the visitors, a superb try laid on by the elite work of Dally M medallist Tamika Upton. Upton went from hero to villain quickly though, with Quincy Dodd beating the Knights fullback to a ball which saw the Sharks score themselves.

The Sharks led 6-4 at this point and it wasn't until Rugby Sevens convert Tenika Willison's try on debut that the visitors had the lead they'd take into the break.

Cronulla wasted little time after the resumption striking back and reclaiming the lead when Tegan Dymock crossed the line, but the tit-for-tat nature of the contest again was on show, with Newcastle levelling the scores when Upton made a superb break and laid on Laishon-Jones' second four-pointer of the day.

Ultimately Jesse Southwell's goalkicking cost the Knights significantly, a 0/3 performance contrasting with Tayla Preston's 3/3, the third being a penalty at the 50-minute mark which ultimately proved the match-winner as neither side troubled the scorers for the final twenty minutes of the contest.

There was a moment of concern late in the match when Cronulla's Talei Holmes was injured, with a long break in play for her to be attended to. Cronulla held on for a two-point win, strengthening their hold on the top spot.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (W) 14 Newcastle Knights (W) 12
Venue: PointsBet Stadium, Woolooware / Dharawal

Date: Sun, 18th August.   Kickoff: 1:45 PM.   Halftime: Newcastle (W) 8-6.   Penalties: Newcastle (W) 7-4.   Referee: Daniel Luttringer.  

Cronulla (W): Staples, Davis-Welsh, Penitani (C), Biddle, Ravics; Tonegato, Preston; Johnston, Dodd, Wheeler, Holmes, Foliaki, Anderson. Int: Smale, Saunders, Takapautolo, Dymock.
Newcastle (W): Upton, Willison, Parker, Roache, White; Roche, Southwell; Butler, Higgins, Romaniuk, Albert-Jones, Clydsdale, Southwell (C). Int: Predebon, Maynard, Karpani, Kukutai.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (14)
Tries: Quincy Dodd, Tegan Dymock
Goals: Tayla Preston 3/3

Newcastle Knights (12)
Tries: Laishon Albert-Jones 2, Tenika Willison
Goals: Jesse Southwell 0/3

Eels continue strong start

with Josh Robertson

The Parramatta Eels kept their strong start to the NRLW season going with a 12-10 win over the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium.

The hosts opened the scoring in the third minute although it did not come without it's controversy when Christian Pio crossed. The initial decision onfield from referee Damian Brady was no try on the basis that there was an obstruction and replays seemed to back up the live decision however the bunker ruled no obstruction and the try was awarded leaving many stunned.

An equaliser came for the Eels just shy of the 20 minute mark when an error off a kick by Bo Vette-Welsh sat up nicely for the chasing Monique Donovan who was able to clean up the ball and score untouched. The kick from Rachael Pearson levelled the scores at 6-6.

Neither side could push the scoreboard again in the remainder of the first half and well into the second half as both sides were able to match each other in both attack and defence with both coaches set to be pleased with their sides scramble defence as both sides were tested but were able to scramble.

Inside the final 15 minutes, the Eels put themselves in front when an error from the Tigers gave Parramatta a strong attacking opportunity and it was their captain that put the Blue and Gold ahead when Kennedy Cherrington scored. Rachael Pearson converted from close range to put the Eels up 12-6.

The Tigers hit back just five minutes later when the Eels defence couldn't quite scramble when Rebecca Pollard was able to get over in the corner after a quick play the ball gave the hosts an overlap and Pollard was able to get over. Pauline Piliae-Rasabale couldn't convert from out wide with the conversion attempt dropping just short of the posts.

Despite having attacking chances, the Tigers couldn't put themselves ahead and fell to the 12-10 defeat.

Wests Tigers (W) 10 Parramatta Eels (W) 12
Venue: Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Leumeah / Dharawal

Date: Sun, 18th August.   Kickoff: 6:10 PM.   Halftime: 6-all.   Penalties: Parramatta (W) 7-4.   Referee: Damian Brady.   

Wests Tigers (W): Vette-Welsh (C), Pollard, Tufuga, Horne, Staines; Piliae-Rasabale, Lutu; Togatuki, Nour, Pio, Talataina, McGlone, George. Int: Curtain, Penitani, Reinke, Kennedy.
Parramatta (W): Church, Fay, Owen, Kelly, Donovan; Tohi-Hiku, Pearson; Albert, Todhunter, Jones, Jackson, Murphy (C), Cherrington. Int: Beckett, Fonua, Asaua, Eales.

Wests Tigers (10)
Tries: Christian Pio, Rebecca Pollard
Goals: Pauline Piliae-Rasabale 1/2

Parramatta Eels (12)
Tries: Monique Donovan, Kennedy Cherrington
Goals: Rachael Pearson 2/2

Round 4 ladder

RELATED: Click here to view the current NRL Telstra Women's Premiership ladder.

RLP stats leaders

TOP TRYSCORERS

TOP GOALKICKERS

TOP POINTSCORERS

Player of the Year

Our writers choose the best three players from each game each week - here's the running tally for the season!

8 points - Kennedy Cherrington (Eels)

6 points - Tiana Penitani (Sharks), Kirra Dibb (Cowboys)

5 points - Teagan Berry (Dragons), Tamika Upton (Knights), Jessica Sergis (Roosters)

4 points - Isabelle Kelly (Roosters), Elsie Albert (Eels), Evania Pelite (Titans), Rachael Pearson (Eels), Jakiya Whitfeld (Cowboys)

3 points - Talei Holmes (Sharks), Quincy Dodd (Sharks), Mele Hufanga (Broncos), Georgia Hale (Titans), Stacey Waaka (Broncos), Tarryn Aiken (Roosters), Hannah Southwell (Knights), Simaima Taufa (Raiders), Lauren Brown (Titans), Zahara Temara (Raiders), Lilly-Ann White (Knights)

2 points - Amber Hall (Roosters), Ellie Johnston (Sharks), Brooke Anderson (Sharks), Christian Pio (Wests Tigers), Julia Robinson (Broncos), Ali Brigginshaw (Broncos), Alexis Tauaneai (Dragons), Abbi Church (Eels), Madison Bartlett (Raiders)

1 point - Laishon Albert-Jones (Knights), Tess Staines (Wests Tigers), Shenae Ciesiolka (Broncos), Shannon Mato (Titans), Lily Peacock (Cowboys), Rosemarie Beckett (Eels), Tazmin Rapana (Broncos), Emily Bass (Titans), Millie Elliott (Roosters), Olivia Kernick (Roosters), Mackenzie Wiki (Raiders), Keilee Joseph (Broncos), Kezie Apps (Wests Tigers), Jesse Southwell (Knights)