City v Country

Country Women take early bragging rights

by
nswrlmedia
04/05/2023

Kirra Dibb had a blinder for NSW Country Women in the first rep game (Photo : NSWRL)

Country Women take early bragging rights

Author : NSWRL Media Release

Country Women take early bragging rights against City

NSW Country Women after the win over NSW City women (Photo : NSWRL)

A Kirra Dibb Player-of-the-Match performance helped NSW Country go back-to-back with an 18-12 win over NSW City at Kogarah’s Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Thursday night.

Dibb’s fingerprints were all over the match. She had two try assists, didn’t miss a shot at goal, and her positional kicks meant her game-management was second to none.

“Our halves in Kirra and Jocelyn (Kelleher) got us really nice movement throughout the game and the forwards just ripped in putting their heads where some people wouldn’t put their feet,” said Country coach Ruan Sims.

Sims was at Country’s helm in the upset 14-6 win over City in 2022. Tonight’s result showed that win was no fluke.

“Yes we had three tries scored on us in that first half but it wasn’t an insurmountable lead,” she said.

“We needed to show some real grit, determination and willingness to work hard. And we did that to claw our way back.”

It was 12-6 in City’s favour at half-time after they took a 12-0 lead after just 11 minutes.

City’s first try in the second minute came via a routine right-edge movement, which winger Cassie Staples finished off.

Five minutes later halfback Tayla Preston caught the Country defence napping and scored easily, before back rower Monalisa Soliola out on the left edge punched through for City’s third.

Preston didn’t have much luck with three missed conversions, but at 12-0 it seemed City was going to run away with the match.

The turning point came when Country winger Teagan Berry scored a 95m intercept try, which Dibb converted.

Sky Blues captain Kezie Apps came off Country’s bench after that four-pointer and her presence made a difference.

“That was the message I sent down after Teagan’s try – we need to latch onto this because that’s the shot in the arm we needed to get back into the game,” Sims said.

“Kezie’s voice and leadership and some of those hits helped us turn the tables.”

Even City coach Kate Mullaly felt Berry’s long-range try was the turning point.

“It was literally that momentum swing they needed and they rolled with it,” Mullaly said.

“We tried to get things back in our favour for the rest of the game. I’m so proud of the girls as they never stopped trying.

“We scored the equal amount of tries to them – our kicks just weren’t there. But the City girls are a young bunch and they will learn from this.”

Dibb’s kicking game kept turning the City defenders around and at half-time it was anyone’s game.

Dibb was in the thick of things early in the second half, getting her arms free for an offload to prop Ellie Johnston and then converting the four-pointer to draw scores level 12-12 after 42 minutes.

Another try assist for Dibb – a corner kick for Berry to grab her second – put Country in the lead (18-12) for the first time after 53 minutes.

Then the arm wrestle really began with City hooker Quincy Dodd and her backrowers in Soliola, Shaylee Bent and Brooke Anderson working hard to get their teammates on the front foot.

But props Viena Tinao, Ellie Johnston and Tayla Predebon were immense for Country, as was young fullback Jada Taylor who took some brave takes on her own goal-line by smothering the ball.

Country Women 18

TRIES : Teagan Berry 2. Ellie Johnston
GOALS : Kirra Dibb 3

City Women

TRIES : Monalisa Soliola. Tayla Preston, Cassie Staples
GOALS :

Other Games

The CABE Under 16s, Under 18s, Men’s Open Age and NSW Wheelchair Rugby League will all be played on Saturday 6 May. The first three matches will be held at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium while the wheelchair match will be played at Queanbeyan PCYC.

On Sunday 7 May matches will be held for CABE Physical Disability Rugby League, and the Harvey Norman Under 17s Women’s and Under 19s Women’s at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

The Under 16s Country team is made up of players from the SLE Andrew Johns Cup and the City team from the UNE Harold Matthews Cup, while the Under 18s Country team is from the SLE Laurie Daley Cup and the City team the UNE SG Ball Cup.

The Under 17s Country and City Women’s teams consist of players from the Lisa Fiaola Cup while the Under 19s Women’s Country and City teams are made up of players from the Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup.

The Men’s Open Age Country team is made up of players from the Men’s Country Championships, the City team from the Leagues Clubs Australia Ron Massey Cup.

All matches will be live streamed on NSWRL TV on the NSWRL Facebook page. Entry is $5 at the gate, while pensioners and children aged 12 and under are free.

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