Jillaroos and NSW Blues representative Kezie Apps will be looking to bring all of her experience to the table when she lines up for her first home game in Steelers colours at Ron Costello Oval, Shellharbour on Saturday.
Apps will start in the second row in the game against second-placed Mounties as the Steelers look to bounce back from a loss last weekend and re-enter the top four.
“I’m really excited to get back out and wear the Steelers jersey again and do it alongside the girls,” Kezie says.
“After our performance last weekend, we’re ready to fix a few areas and hopefully put it into practice on Saturday.
Apps will make just her second appearance for the Club in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership after she came off the bench in the team’s 22-10 win over the Bulldogs in Round 6. She says she’s been impressed with the team’s progress throughout the season and has enjoyed taking on a leadership role with the younger players.
“They’re such a great bunch of girls who want to learn and win and be the best, and that’s half the battle. You want to be involved with girls who want to be competitive and put in that extra effort for the team.
“Attitude and effort wins games, and that’s what we’re trying to pride ourselves on.”
Hayden’s hat-trick
Harold Matthews and Tarsha Gale Cup centres Hayden Buchanan and Mia-Rose Walsh have been in top form close to the line recently, with both players equal on a Club high six tries after six games.
Hayden picked up a hat-trick last weekend against North Sydney, combining nicely with five-eighth Aaymon Fitzgibbon and fullback Tom Kirk to cause headaches for the Bear’s defence.
[Watch] Hayden’s highlights>>
“My job’s pretty easy when the forwards do what they did, and the halves give the ball that I got,” Hayden says on the all-round efforts of his team in the win.
The bustling centre is into his second season of Harold Matts. He hopes to continue progressing to further opportunities in the scarlet and white.
“I’m a local kid, and I love the Illawarra and getting to represent the area every time you put the jersey on.
“It helps in those desperation moments when you think ‘do I, do I not’ it’s always I will because I have to for my area and the players who came before me.”
Mia magic
Mia is also into her second year in Steelers colours, graduating from Lisa Fiaola to Tarsha Gale over the off-season and playing a key role with the Under 19 girls this season.
The Shellharbour Stingrays junior’s footwork and speed have led to many of her tries and contributed to plenty of others across their first six matches.
“The tries we score come down to everyone on the field. We’ve been able to keep some teams to nil as well. We look to keep the opposition score low and score high as a team,” Mia says.
[Watch] Mia’s highlights>>
The team is currently fourth on the ladder with two rounds remaining, with their positive points differential meaning they have a strong chance of finishing in the top six. Mia feels this is a credit to their progress throughout the year.
“Naturally, we’ve all come together well as a team. We’re improving on communicating, getting everyone involved, and coming together with good energy.”
Both players will take on the Raiders this weekend at Ron Costello Oval as part of a Steelers quadruple-header in Shellharbour. Should they come out victors, their paths to the finals become much more comfortable. However, the Raiders have been strong in both competitions this season, raising the stakes for Saturday’s encounters.
Read More>>This week’s teams
Words | Russ Haylock