The opening round of the NRLW has been rocked by the competition’s first send off after Broncos rookie Ashleigh Werner was marched for an alleged bite on Roosters winger Jayme Fressard in her side’s 36-18 loss on Saturday night.
Fressard had her left arm around Werner’s face and immediately reeled away and complained to the referee that she had been bitten midway through the second half.
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The Bunker looked at several replays and could see that Werner had bitten her rival, leaving the referee with no choice but to send her off.
“The Bunker has reviewed it. The hand goes into the mouth and she clenches down on the hand so she’s off,” referee Wyatt Raymond said.
Werner, the former bobsleigh athlete, was making her NRLW debut and will now likely be referred directly to the NRLW judiciary.
She isn’t the only player facing a nervous wait after Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly was placed on report for lifting her bumpers and hitting Shenae Ciesiolka in the head.
Kelly was the victim of a similar incident in the women’s State of Origin opener when Julia Robinson collected her in the throat which saw her sent to the intensive care unit.
Brisbane’s Tazmin Gray is also on report for a crusher tackle on Jess Sergis while the Broncos could be without Robinson after she suffered a hamstring injury.
Roosters flying high
All the talk has been on the four expansion clubs, but it was a couple of the original NRLW teams who stole the show with the Roosters outlasting Brisbane in the best game in competition history.
After going through the 2022 regular season undefeated only to bow out in the semis, the Roosters somehow look even stronger with their new recruits shining and the returning Corban Baxter slotting back in like she never left.
Baxter scored two tries off wonderfully worked set plays, while Jocelyn Kelleher showed there’s life after Raecene McGregor and Zahara Temara, nailing a 40/30 and controlling things in her new role at halfback.
Sims high shot sparks all-in melee! | 00:39
Gray Shines
They sensationally missed out on the finals last year and have lost several key players, but there is a lot to like about the Broncos this season after taking it to a team many people believe will go all the way.
Fresh from winning the Nellie Doherty Medal as the best player in the women’s State of Origin series, back-rower Tazmin Gray proved to be a handful again with two quick tries to revive the Broncos after they found themselves down 18-0.
Brisbane’s left edge looks lethal this year with new recruit Mele Hufanga announcing herself as the league’s latest cult hero after she backed up her stunning World Cup campaign for New Zealand with another destructive display at centre.
Skipper Ali Brigginshaw also starred in her return to the halves, scoring a sensational chip and chase try just before half-time while she also smashed former halves partner Tarryn Aiken who was outstanding in her Roosters debut.
Top Shelf Celebrations
The only thing as good as the footy on Saturday night were the celebrations from some of the game’s biggest stars.
Baxter and Gray rocked the baby in the first half and Brigginshaw gunned down the Steeden like the sharpshooter she is, but it was Roosters star Jess Sergis who took top prize when she did her best Steph Catley impression to slot a penalty that would have made the Matildas proud.
Former Bronco Millie Boyle tried to take a selfie with the ball to remember her first try in a Roosters jersey, but old teammate Chelsea Lenarduzzi was having none of it and knocked the makeshift camera out of her arms.
MIRACLE SIREN TRY BURIED BY SJ MAGIC | 00:49
TITANS SWEAT ON FUIMAONO INJURY AFTER WIN
The Titans have ruled out an Achilles injury for star recruit Taliah Fuimaono after she was helped from the field in the Gold Coast’s 16-6 win over the Cowboys in the NRLW season opener.
The biggest season on record kicked off with plenty of drama, with North Queensland’s Mia Middleton placed on report and sent to the sin bin for a dangerous lifting tackle on Emily Bass that forced the rep star off with a suspected collarbone injury.
That came just five minutes after Fuimaono limped from the field in the hands of trainers after she pulled up without any contact, although the club is confident that it’s not a season-ending Achilles injury.
The Jillaroos star is one of their most important players and showed off her skills with a classy line-break early in the second half before, but it was a Titans veteran who stole the show with Evania Pelite putting in a performance for the ages.
The World Cup winner spent time in the centres last year but returned to fullback where she scored a stunning solo try to put the Titans in front to go with 201 running metres, 14 tackle busts and an epic try-saving tackle to deny Shaniah Power.
It was a brave effort from NRLW newcomers North Queensland who opened the scoring through former Knight Emma Manzelmann, while Krystal Blackwell came up with an incredible chase to force an error out of Destiny Mino-Sinapati over the line.
They were in the fight until the final few minutes when Gold Coast’s Zara Canfield broke their hearts with a try from a quick tap.
CARNAGE AS KNIGHTS’ YOUNG GUN THWARTS LATE DRAGONS FIGHTBACK
Elsewhere, the Knights kicked off their premiership defence with a 32-16 win over the Dragons who stormed home in the second half but had the comeback thwarted by Newcastle young gun Jesse Southwell.
St George Illawarra cut the gap to 10 points thanks to two tries in three minutes before the teen sensation put on a trademark right foot step to cut through to seal the result.
It wasn’t the most clinical performance from the defending premiers, but they can take plenty of confidence from the fact that their first three tries came from forwards in a sign they’ve moved on from the loss of superstar Millie Boyle who is now at the Roosters.
Utter Carnage
This was not a fun watch for the people who hate the sight of blood and fingers pointing in unnatural directions.
It all started when Tayla Predebon crashed over for the opening try but then had to leave the field with an ugly finger dislocation, and it only got worse.
Southwell copped one in the ribs after she passed the ball, former sevens star Tyla Nathan-Wong came off for an HIA, while there was a sickening head clash in the first half that saw Laishon Albert-Jones ruled out of the game after both she and Rima Butler had blood pouring out of their respective wounds.
Berry Nice
They’ve been written off by just about everyone given the mass turnover in personnel from the team that made last year’s finals series, but there is one positive that’s emerged from the player exodus.
Losing superstar Emma Tonegato was a huge blow but it allowed Teagan Berry to shift from the wing to fullback where she showed off her elite speed on Saturday.
Berry crossed in both halves to become the equal-leading try-scorer in NRLW history with 12, with the speedster running the length of the field to spark a mini comeback when it looked like things could get ugly.
She finished with 241 metres, five tackle breaks and some much-needed pickle juice to combat her cramps, but she needs more support from her classy halves.
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