It was a day of mixed results for the Illawarra Steelers with four wins from six grades in the NSWRL Junior Reps. In Lithgow, the Illawarra South Coast (ISC) Steelers recorded impressive wins over the Western Rams in Round 2 of the regional reps. The U16s dominated 34-12, while the U18s secured a hard-fought 24-18 victory.
In the metro reps, the Tarsha Gale Cup and Harold Matthews Cup sides won their opening round fixtures against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval. In the Tarsha Gale Cup, the Steelers’ attack clicked with tries to Skye Spencer, Elli Young, and captain Kiara Kostovski, with the side running out 22-4 winners.
The Harold Matthews Cup side edged the Rabbitohs in a tightly contested match, winning 18-16 thanks to tries from Mason Phillips and Archie Wheeler and accurate kicking from Butler. The SG Ball boys were narrowly defeated 28-22 at Redfern Oval, with Mason Andrews scoring two tries for the Steelers, while the Lisa Fiaola Cup girls went down 24-6, unable to overcome a strong Rabbitohs side.
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AJC: Steelers run rampant over Rams
The ISC Steelers have made a strong statement in Round 2 of the Andrew Johns Cup, running out 34–12 winners over the Western Rams in Lithgow.
Both sides came out of the gates at a frantic pace, trading two tries apiece inside the opening 10 minutes to be locked at 10-all in an entertaining start.
The visitors then began to assert their authority, with skipper Noah Jamieson leading from the front before Torr Morley crossed soon after, pushing the Steelers out to a 20–10 advantage and swinging momentum firmly their way.
The Rams briefly threatened to claw their way back into the contest with a penalty goal to narrow the margin to eight, but it proved only a temporary reprieve. From there, the Steelers shut the door defensively and put their foot down in attack, piling on four unanswered tries to blow the game open and seal a convincing victory.
It was a composed and clinical performance from the ISC Steelers, turning an even early contest into a dominant result and getting their Andrew Johns Cup campaign back on track after an opening round loss to the Knights.
LDC: Steelers hold on for nail-biting victory
The ISC Steelers claimed a hard-fought 24–18 victory over the Western Rams in their Laurie Daley Cup Round 2 clash at Lithgow, holding their nerve in a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout.
The Steelers established early authority, crossing twice in the opening quarter through Jack Goulder and Jarrah Thomas. Tayler Humphries was flawless from the tee, converting both tries to give the visitors a 12–0 advantage after just 15 minutes.
The Rams responded midway through the first half with a converted try of their own to swing momentum back their way, trimming the margin to 12–6 at the main break.
Western Rams carried that energy into the second stanza and were first to strike after the resumption, levelling the scores at 12-all and setting up a tense final half hour.
However, the Steelers steadied and regained control through a decisive period, with Jack Manns and Tayler Humphries both crossing for converted tries to open up a 24–12 lead.
To their credit, the Rams refused to go away and were rewarded with a late try to narrow the margin to six, but the Steelers’ defence held firm in the closing stages to secure a deserved 24–18 win on the road.
LFC: Late Rabbitohs Surge Hands Steelers Tough Opening-Round Lesson
The Steelers Lisa Fiaola Cup campaign began with a tough assignment at Redfern Oval on Saturday, the side going down 24–6 to a polished South Sydney outfit in Round 1.
The Rabbitohs made the early running on their home deck, crossing twice inside the opening 25 minutes to take control of the contest. Despite the early pressure, the Steelers showed plenty of resilience and gradually worked their way back into the game.
That persistence was rewarded just before the break when Mia Davis struck for Illawarra, finishing off a strong attacking set to put points on the board and give the visitors some much-needed momentum. The try narrowed the margin to 10–6 at half-time and kept the scarlet and whites firmly in the fight.
However, South Sydney reasserted their authority after the restart, piling on three unanswered tries in the second half to put the result beyond doubt. The Rabbitohs’ ability to capitalise on field position and shut down Illawarra’s attacking opportunities proved the difference as the match wore on.
While the final scoreline didn’t fall the Steelers’ way, there were encouraging signs in patches, particularly in their willingness to compete after a challenging start.
TGC: Defence to the fore as Steelers shut down Rabbitohs
The Steelers have opened their Tarsha Gale Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating the South Sydney Rabbitohs 22–4 in Round 1 on the back of relentless goal-line defence and flashes of attacking class.
The tone was set early as the Steelers absorbed repeated pressure before striking first through five-eighth Skye Spencer. Spencer was a constant threat whenever she touched the ball, slicing through the Rabbitohs defence to claim a first-half double, while winger Elli Young finished off a polished backline movement to give the visitors a commanding 14–0 lead at the break. Spencer added one conversion from three attempts.
Illawarra picked up where they left off after halftime, with captain Kiara Kostovski crashing over shortly after the resumption to further assert control of the contest. The Steelers continued to build pressure and were rewarded when Shyla Mitchell crossed to extend the lead to 22–0.
The Rabbitohs managed a consolation try in the dying minutes, but it did little to dampen a dominant opening-round performance from the Steelers, who laid a strong foundation for their 2026 Tarsha Gale Cup campaign.
HMC: Steelers hold off Rabbitohs
The Steelers produced a gritty performance to claim an 18–16 victory over the Rabbitohs in an entertaining Harold Matthews Cup encounter.
The Steelers laid the early platform, crossing twice in the opening exchanges to race out to an 8–0 advantage. The Rabbitohs responded just before the interval with a crucial converted try, narrowing the margin to just two points and ensuring the contest remained firmly in the balance at the break.
Momentum swung early in the second stanza when the Rabbitohs struck first, their converted try pushing them into a 12–8 lead and setting up a tense arm-wrestle. The Steelers, however, showed resilience, hitting back with two tries in the space of ten minutes. With only one conversion added, they edged ahead 18–12.
The Rabbitohs refused to go away and mounted a late charge, crossing for their third try of the afternoon to close within two points. Despite sustained pressure in the closing stages, the Steelers’ defence held firm, allowing them to hang on and take the honours in a thrilling finish.
SG Ball: Steelers fall just short against Rabbitohs
The Illawarra Steelers put in a strong showing but were narrowly defeated 28-22 by the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval.
Mason Andrews gave the Steelers an early boost, scoring a converted try in the 10th minute to put the visitors ahead. However, a costly error in the following set gifted the Rabbitohs prime field position, which they turned into two converted tries, taking a 12-6 lead.
The Steelers responded strongly, regaining composure to score back-to-back converted tries around halftime. Hooker Mason Phillips and Archie Wheeler crossed for the four-pointers, with Butler adding both conversions to swing the score to 16-12 in favour of the visitors.
The Rabbitohs struck early in the second half, taking advantage of field position to score a converted try, reclaiming an 18-16 lead. Andrews notched his second of the afternoon to put the Steelers back in front 22-18, but the Rabbitohs finished strongly with consecutive tries to seal a hard-fought 28-22 victory.
Despite the loss, the Steelers showed plenty of positives to build on for the rest of the SG Ball season.
Images: Denis Ivaneza