Round 7 is firming as the most important this season for the Illawarra Steelers, as all five teams look to make the most of their home-ground advantage this weekend in their respective NSWRL competitions.
The Steelers Junior Rep teams have three rounds remaining, while the Women’s Premiership side is at the halfway point of their season with six matches remaining before the Finals.
Russ Haylock catches up with the coaches as they prepare their charges for the business end of the season.
Versatility impresses Hawke
The inaugural Steelers Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership team has enjoyed a terrific start to the 2023 season. After five matches, they are outright first on the ladder.
The team has lost just one of their five games, and with four of their next five to be played at home, they will be looking to use this advantage to solidify their top four aspirations. Coach Alicia-Kate Hawke says she is excited by the team’s progress since the beginning of the season.
“The thing that’s impressed me the most has been the girls’ versatility. We’ve changed positions, sides, and combinations a lot, and the girls have just rolled with that and have been really supportive of the entire group.
I’m most proud of their flexibility and willingness to get around each other,” Hawke says.
“The competition is so close, and the big thing is it’s only a top four. We will be looking at this week and then trying to follow the cliche of ‘one week at a time,’ but definitely focussing on the Bears this week.
Matts get reality check
In Harold Matthews Cup, the U17 boys are currently two spots adrift of the top six and have a chance to improve their standing against the last-placed North Sydney Bears.
They then play the Raiders (3rd) at home and the Sharks (5th) on the road in the final two rounds. A run of three wins would see them into the top six for the finals. However, dropping a game would require other results to go their way.
“We had a really good start to the season and showed some promise early. The weekend’s result is probably a reality check of where we’re sitting at the moment, but I’m pretty happy with where we’re at,” coach Aaron McDonald says.
“The message this week is to go back to what we do best, playing our Steelers brand of football, but also tightening up the middle and staying competitive for the 60 minutes.”
Finals is a big goal says Crawford
The Tarsha Gale U19 girls took a hit on points differential last weekend against the Bulldogs but are still firming as finals contenders, currently fourth on the ladder.
Despite their next three opponents, the Bears (11th), Raiders (7th), and Sharks (8th) being lower in the rankings, they will require a consistent finish to the season to secure a spot in the top six, as their are five teams equal with them on competition points at this stage.
Last weekend’s loss to the Bulldogs has given the team and coach Courtney Crawford a chance to reflect and react before facing the Bears this weekend.
“In rugby league, your next game is always a quick turnaround, so you can’t dwell on those results, but you can learn from them. The girls ripped into training on Monday, and I’m sure they’ll do that for the rest of the week and be ready to go on Saturday,” Crawford says.
“Finals is a big goal of ours. We need to make sure we keep enjoying our footy, because that’s when we play our best footy and making sure that we give the finals our best shot.”
Overall we’re tracking nicely | Aitken
The SG Ball team has made their way up the ladder to 10th thanks to their crushing 54-4 win last weekend against Balmain and will be hoping to repeat the dose against the 12th-placed Bears on Saturday. They will also take on the Raiders (1st) and Sharks (8th) in the final rounds, and while they must win every game from now on, coach Russ Aitken is backing his boys.
“Our performances were really consistent over the first four weeks. We didn’t always get the results that we were after, but we played some really good footy,” Aitken says.
“We had a really poor game against St George, and that came down to us. Then last week, we put in close to a 70-minute performance as we have most of the year. So overall, we’re tracking nicely.”
Positive start for Steelers fledgling Lisa Fiaola Cup side
This season’s inaugural Lisa Fiaola Cup features just four rounds, with the Steelers u17 girls beginning with a win over the Bulldogs last week. They have the Panthers, Tigers, and Sharks to contend with for the remainder of the competition. Despite no finals series, their positive start to the season puts them in good stead for the final three matches.