The Wests Tigers keep their spot at the top of the NRLW table by keeping the highly-fancied Cronulla Sharks scoreless 10-0 at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday.
After seven tries last week in the win over the Eels, the joint venture club only needed two this week to remain undefeated after two rounds.
The Tigers made it a dogged afternoon for the Sharks defenders with their defensive efforts and second-phase play. They led the off-loads 7-2 by halftime and ended up with 14 for the match.
Errors weren’t the Sharks problem, they just looked quite disjointed.
Cronulla lost star fullback Jada Taylor (ankle) during the week and they missed her sharp running around the ruck.
Then five-eighth Emma Tonegato left the field in the 46th minute with a right calf issue.
Kezie Apps try 17th minute
Despite a strong win over the Raiders the Sharks couldn’t mount a plan to stop the hard-running Tigers. It was little surprise they found themselves down 10-0 at the break.
It was a real grind in the second half but the two four-pointers the Wests Tigers were able to put together with the Sharks down a player proved the difference.
Wests Tigers took advantage crossing for two tries in five minutes after Harata Butler was sin-binned in the 13th minute for an alleged hip-drop tackle on Jakiya Whitfeld.
Butler sent to the bin
Jillaroos co-captain Kezie Apps ran a good line off Emily Curtain to cross for the side's first of the afternoon in the 17th minute before Whitfield picked up a loose ball to dash 85 metres to the line untouched.
Whitfield was everywhere for the Wests Tigers edging close to 300 run metres for the match.
The lead should have been extended 15 minutes into the second half, when Botille Vette-Welsh made a 30 metre run down the left edge but didn’t see or hear teammate Losana Lutu unmarked on her inside.
Match: Wests Tigers v Sharks
Round 2 -
home Team
Wests Tigers
1st Position
away Team
Sharks
6th Position
Venue: Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
Match snapshot
- Despite the low-scoring contest, both sides completed at over 75 percent for the afternoon.
- Eliza Siilata left the field in the eighth minute for a head injury assessment but later returned after receiving the all-clear.
- Sharks forward Harata Butler was sin-binned in the 14th minute for an alleged hip-drop tackle on Wests Tigers winger Jakiya Whitfeld.
- Whitfield was enormous in her fourth career game, making 292 metres off 21 runs to go with her third try of the season.
- Kezie Apps crossed for her first four-pointer in Wests Tigers NRLW colours to open the scoring for the home side. She has played the previous five seasons with the Dragons.
- Two one-on-one steals by Sharks utility Sereana Naitokatoka with 12 minutes to play in a bid to grab back some momentum.
Play of the game
A jolting tackle by centre Leianne Tufuga on Sharks fullback Andie Robinson resulted in Sharks losing, which winger Jakiya Whitfeld swooped on. She ran 85 metres and outpaced Jillaroos speedster Emma Tonegato to score her third try in two games.
Jakiya Whitfeld try 22nd minute
What they said
"It was a pretty gritty game today. It was a really tight arm wrestle. Last week the second half the points flowed and execution was great. That was us not being at our best with opportunities but I thought the play the ball speed didn't allow that. We've had a lot of good challenges against Cronulla in the Harvey Norman NSW Premiership so we were prepared for an arm wrestle." - Wests Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley.
"The girls tried incredibly hard but I thought we just didn't throw enough footy at them. They scored a couple of tries when we were down to 12 and we just lost our way. Losing Jada during the week, then Rhiannon Byers (broken wrist) and Emma [Tonegato] late in the second half, we had to get her out of there. There's no excuses, they were very good but it certainly didn't help." - Sharks coach Tony Herman.
NRLW Press Conference: Wests Tigers v Sharks - Round 2, 2023
What's next
The Sharks are home to the Gold Coast Titans at PointsBet Stadium next Saturday, while the Wests Tigers will take on the Raiders in Canberra on Sunday.
