Round 3: NRLW Broncos v Warriors preview
The Broncos have secured their grand final spot but the Warriors will be looking to inflict a first loss on their opponents for the season and book their spot into the inaugural NRLW grand final.
The form side of the competition, Brisbane have been able to put in two convincing wins to begin the season with a 30-4 victory over the Dragons in Round 1 before a classy 14-4 win over the talented Roosters side last weekend. The Broncos had a tougher start against the Roosters than they did against the Dragons and they were lucky not to concede the opening try after the bunker knocked back a Karina Brown effort for the Roosters early in the first half. They then went on to control possession through the first half and opened the scoring inside the final 10 minutes of the halfway when captain Ali Brigginshaw scored the opener. Brisbane then added another first half try and then within ten minutes of the start of the second half and opened up a 14-0 before a consolation try to the Tricolours closed the gap to 14-4.
The women from Queensland have been the dominant team in the opening fortnight and were the first to lock in a grand final spot with last week's win at Allianz Stadium. Across the first two matches, the Broncos have been able to score the most points (44), the most tries and most goals but more impressively they also have 13 line breaks in two games which is almost double the amount of the rest of the competition. They've been forced into one change with Meg Ward being ruled out of the match after suffering a neck injury and a leg injury during last week's game with Kody House coming into the side. The Broncos have also named Steph Hancock to start in jersey 10 once again after starting off the bench in last week's win.
The Warriors made history a fortnight ago when they became the first team to win a match in the NRLW after their hard fought 10-4 victory at ANZ Stadium against the Roosters in Round 1. Fast forward seven days and things didn't go as well for the Warriors when they weren't able to stamp a dominance on the game against the Dragons like they had done against the Roosters. The dry conditions last weekend were a disadvantage to the big Warriors pack who were consistently made to back-track as the Red V played expansive football in the Round 2 clash.
They won the game against the Roosters on the back of defence in greasy and cold conditions at ANZ Stadium when conditions played into the hands of the New Zealand-based side when the expansive tactics of the Roosters weren't coming off. The Warriors are the only side in the competition thus far to have had combined possession of less than 50% across the two games. They've have also had the most handling errors across the two matches as well but on a positive note have had three of the top five tacklers in the competition thus far.
The Warriors have made three changes for the clash with Kahurangi Peters, Shontelle Woodman and Tanika-Jazz Noble all added to the 17.
Who to watch: Brittany Breayley - The Broncos number nine has been a key part of their 2018 NRLW season with excellent service out of dummy half for a big and mobile pack. The experience of Breayley compliments the Broncos halves well and she has had a good start to the competition, averaging just over 50m per game - and in defence she has been strong with 68 tackles across the two games. The service that the reigning QLD representative player of the year can bring will be important if the Broncos want to push back the big Warriors pack.
Georgia Hale - The pint-size halfback has been a mainstay of the New Zealand international side since her debut as a nineteen-year-old in 2015. The young halfback has previously represented her nation in both oz-tag and touch football and the speed and skills required in that game has seen Hale become a difficult player for her opponents to handle. In two matches this season, Hale has appeared both times and although she is yet to chalk up a try assist, her performances have been solid and she will be key if the Warriors are to upset the Broncos.
My tip: The Broncos have already locked in their spot for grand final day next weekend but they will no doubt be wanting to avoid a defeat in the final round and head into the grand final as the only undefeated team. The Warriors pack was never able to get a foot into the game after conceding two long range tries last week and looked a lot more fragile to expansive play in dry conditions. Brisbane just have too much quality across the park and looked good in their two games so far. They should win the game but the desperation from the Warriors will be there to ensure they are motivated to lock in a grand final spot. Broncos by 12.
