The Illawarra Steelers couldn't have dreamed of a better start, with all four junior representative teams kicking off their season with wins at Collegians Sporting Complex on Saturday. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading The Lisa Fiaola Cup side kicked off proceedings with a comfortable 26-0 win over the Dragons.
The Brad Reh-coached Steelers were impressive in their first game of the season, racing to a 16-0 lead at halftime before adding a further two tries in the second half. Ella Churchill and Elli Young bagged two tries, while Halle Barrett scored Illawarra's other four-pointer. Reh was pleased with his team's overall performance, especially defensively, in keeping the Dragons scoreless.
The defending Tarsha Gale Cup champions, Steelers, also started the 2025 season in winning fashion, downing the Dragons 24-12. The Steelers scored four tries to their opponents two and held a 16-6 halftime lead. Herewaha Pohatu crossed for two tries for Illawarra, with Maria Paseka and Liesl Hopate also bagging tries for the Steelers.
It was the perfect way to start for a Steelers side that was expected to enjoy similar success to last season. Seven players have backed up from last year's star-studded Tarsha Gale Cup premiership-winning squad, with coach Courtney Crawford excited about her team's chances of winning back-to-back titles. The Steelers' Harold Matthews Cup team also impressed in its first competitive outing, hammering Melbourne Storm 42-6.