Alicia-Kate Hawke’s Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership side is back in the winners circle, coming from behind to defeat the Central Coast Roosters 20-16 last weekend. The team trailed 16-10 with fifteen minutes to go, but a try to Keele Browne out wide and a runaway intercept from halfback Rachael Pearson sealed the win.
Pearson (pictured left with team-mate Sharna Piccinelli), making her senior Steelers debut, was pleased to be back for her first game in five months, and said that coming away the two points made the feeling even sweeter.
“It was good to just get back out there and throw the footy around and just enjoy it, and a bonus to get the win. We started off a bit over-excited,” Pearson said.
“The message was just to complete and get back to the basics and we just grinded out the second half and came away with it.”
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Pearson, a fitter and turner by trade, is balancing work underground at South32’s Dendrobium Mine and football admirably, and is ready to back it up again this week against St George.
“We’ll just need to stick to our game-plan from the start, get in that arm-wrestle, and make sure we get our completions up.”
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Player’s Player
Second rower Ula-Mari Time-Cribb had a standout match against the Roosters, picking up the players player award for her efforts in both attack and defence.
“After last Monday night’s game against the Magpies we knew we had a lot to work on,” Time-Cribb said.
“One of our goals was definitely our defence, being stronger in the ruck and being more dominant.” She added that she felt the team achieved these goals, and will have to be on top of the basics in their clash with the Dragons.
“I think we’ve just got to protect that ball and take better care of it. I think our execution at training will be crucial this week, so hopefully if we do we can come away with another win.”
Ula’s efforts earned her praise from her teammates, as the edge forward proved a constant threat all game against the Roosters.
“Her running and her lines, she was just full bore, no one could stop her. She was just doing those one percenters and going above and beyond for us out there,” Pearson said.
Words | Russ Haylock