St George Illawarra have made it back-to-back wins to start the NRLW season, defeating the Parramatta Eels in absolutely chaotic second-half conditions.
Much like last week against the Knights, the Eels had the majority of the chances and territory but couldn’t get that last pass to stick – while the Dragons’ steely goal-line defence held firm.
“The girls dug so deep just then, I’m so proud of them all,” stand-in captain Keeley Davis said afterwards.
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“In years gone by we’ve been pretty poor in that area, so it’s been a massive emphasis for us,” she said of their defence.
The only try of the first half – and the match – came when star fullback Bo Vette-Welsh attemped to intercept a pass on the goal line, only to spill the ball and gift a four-pointer to Dragons halfback Rachael Pearson.
Parramatta’s big problem this year has been ball security – so the buckets of rain that suddenly started dumping down in Wollongong at half time was probably the last thing they wanted to see.
In a scene reminiscent of that memorable NRL clash in Perth when Chris Sandow was deliberately aiming kicks at puddles, the field was reduced to a complete slop by the end of the second half.
Two penalty goals from Pearson were the only additions to the scoreboard as both sides saw the ball go to ground every time they tried to chance their arm – the only real close call coming when Vette-Welsh dislodged the ball from Kody House as she dived for the tryline.
“You squinted your eyes a fair bit, but you’ve just got to carry on and do your job,” Pearson said afterwards regarding the conditions.
Proving that the football gods have a sense of humour, the downpour subsided in the final two minutes of the game, when the result was already settled.
“I don’t know what to say – the conditions out there were really tricky. We just had to stay close but the Dragons gave us some good hits so even if we tried to hold it, it came out,” Eels five-eighth Sereana Naitokatoka said.
Both sides will be in action in a double-header at CommBank Stadium next weekend, with the Dragons playing the Broncos and the Eels playing the Titans, ahead of Parramatta’s men’s season opener.