Three of the four Illawarra’s NSWRL junior representative teams have qualified for the finals after outstanding performances throughout the season.
The U19 & U17 girls have automatically advanced to week two of the finals after finishing first and second in their respective competitions. Meanwhile, the U19 boys will play sudden-death footy in week one of the playoffs after finishing sixth on the ladder. The Steelers Harold Matthews Cup U17s boys finished in 12th place.
The Finals Series commences on 13 April after this weekend’s schedule wet weather round. Here’s how each teams road to the finals played out.
Undefeated Tarsha Gale Steelers Claim Minor Premiership
The U19 girls have secured the Tarsha Gale Cup minor premiership going through the season undefeated, amassing 344 points for and just 28 points against.
Courtney Crawford’s gun team started their campaign with a 30-12 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in round one. Away wins over the Canberra Raiders (36-6) and North Sydney Bears (50-0) were followed by wins at home over the Parramatta Eels (38-0) and the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy (28-6).
After a bye in round six, the girls continued their astounding season with a 62-0 win over the St George Dragons, racking up the same scoreline over the Penrith Panthers a week later.
The Steelers posted a 38-4 win over the Sharks in the final round of the regular season to maintain a clean sheet.
There are not enough superlatives to describe this team’s season, which has seen them score 67 tries and have just six scored against them, three of which were in the same game way back in the first round.
Up front, forwards Bronte Wilson, Ella Koster, Charlotte Basham, Mikayla Hardy, and Hope Millard have laid the platform for the star-studded backline led by skipper Kasey Reh to go to work. Hooker Chelsea Saville, who has started in all but one game, gets the ball rolling with great service from dummy half.
In the try-scoring stakes, centre Indie Bostock has racked up 13 tries, including four in her last outing. Playmaker Evie McGrath is not far behind with 11. Darcy Eade has proven a great finisher with seven tries, including a hat-trick in round eight.
>>What’s Next?
The Minor Premiers will need to manage a two week lay off before they face the lower ranked Elimination Final Winner (from week 1) in week two of the Finals Series on the weekend of 20-21 April, for a spot in the grand final.
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SG Ball Steelers Qualify For Finals With Next Man Up Attitude
SG Ball have qualified for week one of the finals with an impressive 38-12 win over the North Sydney Bears in the final round, finishing with a 6-3 win-loss record.
A berth in the finals looked assured early in the season as the Shaun Timmins-coached outfit won their first four games over the South Sydney Rabbitohs (26-12), Canberra Raiders (42-18), Melbourne Storm (34-12), and Parramatta Eels (30-16).
However, the U19s boys hit a speed bump in round five, going down to the Panthers 24-16 before a huge come-from-behind 32-24 win over the Warriors across the ditch.
With injuries taking their toll mid-season, the Steelers lost consecutive games to the Dragons (18-4) and suffered their heaviest loss to the Bulldogs (46-16) before the bounce-back win over the Bears.
Their depth has been tested at times throughout the season, with both first-choice halves Kade Reed and Lyhkan King-Togia and backrowers Drew Langdon and Isaac Laughton missing significant chunks.
However, pivot Aaymon Fitzgibbon has handled the next man up role up admirably, supported by the versatile Clay Baldock, who has played wing, centre, and in the halves throughout the season and Braith Plecas in the pack.
Captain Daniel Meafou has been a tireless worker week in and week out; however, he will play no part in the finals campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury. Top try scorer Tom Kirk (8) will also miss the finals with a pectoral injury.
>>What’s Next?
The sixth-place Steelers will meet the third-placed Newcastle Knights (7-2) on Saturday, 13 April at Leichhardt Oval at 4.45pm.
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Lisa Fiaola Cup Lessons Learned On Finals Run
The Steelers U17 girls have secured a finals berth in the inaugural season of the Lisa Fiaola Cup, finishing in outright second on the ladder behind the undefeated Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs.
Brad Reh’s Steelers (7-1) strung together three consecutive wins over the Rabbitohs (14-12), Central Coast Roosters (12-10), and Bears (42-8) before their only loss of the season against the Eels (32-16).
With lessons learned from that round four loss to the Eels, after the girls admitted nerves got the better of them playing on the hallowed WIN Stadium turf for the first time, the Steelers bounced back with a decisive win over the Roosters 26-10.
A mid-season bye in round six was the perfect opportunity to recharge the batteries for the run down the stretch, with wins over the St George Dragons (60-0), Panthers (30-6), and Sharks (38-14) rounding out their regular season.
Captain Tahlia O’Brien was one of many outstanding performers throughout the season, ably supported by halfback Ella Greatz, who top scored with seven tries, Michala Hardy, and hooker Tori Shipton with six tries each.
>>What’s Next?
With a top-two finish, the girls earn a layoff in week one of the finals. The Steelers will face the higher ranked Elimination Final Winner (from week 1) in week two of the Finals Series on the weekend of 20-21 April, for a spot in the grand final.
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Finals Series is a Top 6 knock-out style under the following format
>>Elimination Finals | Week One – Saturday, 13 April
· Elimination Final A – Team 3 v Team 6
· Elimination Final B – Team 4 v Team 5
*1st and 2nd placed teams week off
>>Qualifying Finals | Week Two – Saturday, 20 April
· Semi-Final A – Higher ranked elimination final winner vs 2nd
· Semi-Final B – Lower ranked elimination final winner v 1st
>>Grand Final | Week Three – Saturday, 27 April
· Grand Final – Two winners from Week Two