Narooma’s Lilly-Rose Bennett has helped the Illawarra Steelers continue their domination of the Tarsha Gale nines, when they thrashed the Canberra Raiders 80-16 at Bill Andriske Oval, Mollymook.
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After chalking up 176 points through the first three win against Parramatta, South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters’ Indigenous Academy, the Daniel Lacey coached Steelers went even better in round four.
Led by Group Seven products Rhiannon Brown (Bomaderry), Dakotah Mannering (Bomaderry), Bronte Girdler (Stingrays), Abbey Montgomery (Milton-Ulladulla), Chantelle Newman (Milton-Ulladulla) and Hannah England (Milton-Ulladulla), the Steelers started their riot in the 16th minute.
Both Taneisha Roberts and Maddison Weatherall crossed over to score in the 16th minute before Lilly-Rose Bennett added the team’s third in the 18th minute.
Canberra hit back with a try of their own in the 20th minute through Emylee Hawke but that was as close as the Green Machine got.
Maddison Weatherall then crossed for second in the 21st minute, followed by tries to Abbey Montgomery (23rd minute), Maddinson Weatherall (24th), Abby Holmes (25th), Lilly-Rose Bennett (26th) and Bronte Girdler (30th) – to make 58-6 at half-time.
The hosts in red and white didn’t slow down in the second, as Rhiannon Brown (33rd), Lilly-Rose Bennet (33rd), Rhiannon Brown (42nd) Taneisha Roberts (45th) and Michaela Scutts (48th) crossed before the Raiders scored their second of the contest.
The visitors then scored two quick tries, through Emily Hoffman and Mackenzie Dodds in the 52nd and 55th minute respectively.
But the Steelers would have the last laugh, with Maddison Weatherall scoring the game’s final try in the 59th minute.
After Bronte Girdler landed her 10th conversion of the afternoon, it made the final score 80-16.
This result leaves the Steelers in second place on the ladder, behind only the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks on for and against.
Elsewhere, the Matt O’Brien and Jono Dallas coached SG Ball side, which includes Group Seven products Jack Walsh (Albion Park-Oak Flats), Tarje Whitford (Milton-Ulladulla), Blake Dowel (Warilla-Lake South) and Samuel Hooper (Warilla-Lake South), thumped the West Coast Pirates 54-16 at Ken Allen Field, Perth.
The two sides traded tries in the opening five minutes, with Steelers’ Mathew Feagai opening the day’s scoring in the second minute before the hosts responded through Bowman Stein in the fifth minute.
But this Pirates’ four-pointer woke the Steelers up – who then scored five straight tries to end the half.
First Aaron Schoupp crossed in the 12th and 14 minutes before Tyrone Harding (20th minute) and Samuel Hooper (31st) crossed – with Aaron Schoupp completing his personal hat-trick in the 34th minute, to make it 38-4 at half-time.
The Steelers then continued their rampage in the second half, with Matehew Feagai (37th and 47th), Joseph Dickson (53rd) and Sean Payne (58th) crossing over to score.
The Pirates scored two consolation tries in the 63rd and 68th minute, through Oliver Callan and Daniel Potaka respectively, to make it 54-16 at full-time – thanks to Jayden Sullivan landing seven of his 10 conversion attempts.
This win leaves the SG Ball side in sixth position, with a 3-1 record.
The Harold Matthews side had the bye in round four.
Steelers’ Tarsha Gale squad: Lilly-Rose Bennett, Chantelle Newman, Maddison Weatherall, Hannah England, Rhiannon Brown, Bronte Girlder, Abby Holmes (c), Colby Heron, Hannah Byron, Victoria Barham, Abbey Montgomery, Michaela Scutts, Dakotah Mannering, Eleni Amone and Taneisha Roberts.
Steelers’ SG Ball squad: 1. Jack Wash, 2. Kane Ball, Aaron Schoupp, 3. Mathew Feagai, 5. Tyrone Harding, 6. Samuel Hooper, 7. Jayden Sullivan, 8. Ben Fulton, 9. Connor Muhleisen ,10. Matthew Nicholson © 11. Blake Dowel, 12. Jospeh Dickson, 13. Dylan Lucas, 16. Tarje Whitford, 17. Jalal Bazzaz, 18. Bailey Antrobus, 19. Hudson Spicer and 20. Sean Payne.