The Panorama Platypi and Goannas appear on a Western Women’s Rugby League collision course in 2019 after both sides stormed to strong victories last weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Platypi produced a stirring second half on the road at Grenfell on Saturday, knocking off Woodbridge Cup 26-14 after the visitors led 12-10 at the break.
That second-half showing is the sort of performance new Panorama half Bec Ford says her side will need to call on in the coming weeks, with tough games against Castlereagh and the Goannas looming over the next fortnight.
Panorama’s clash with Woodbridge was the first grade girls’ first game of 2019 following a round one bye, but the Goannas are two-from-two after an opening round victory over Castlereagh and an impressive 44-6 win over the Dragons at Mudgee last Saturday.
Ford said the next two weeks will be a tough assignment, but one the Platypi is determined to meet head on.
“We’re looking forward to it, we just need to get to training. We’ve got a new coach in James Woolmington and we’re working forward in that direction,” Ford said.
“Dubbo is strong though, they’ve got a lot of Rams players so it’s going to be a challenge.”
Ford is one of two new faces alongside Lailee Phillips in the Panorama line-up after the Vipers guns were forced to look for a new club following her team’s forced withdrawal from the 2019 WWRL first grade competition.
Both are Western Rams representatives but Ford believes it’ll take a few weeks for combinations to really take shape in Platypi colours.
... if we can get the forwards going through the middle then we’ll definitely be able to work off the back of that.
- Platypi half Bec Ford on her new side.
The early indications, though, suggest the Panorama line-up is still a dangerous one.
Demi Chapman crossed for a double and Haylee Lapeo, Edwina Ulberg, Tylah Godden and Hollie Kemp all scored tries while Ford booted the one conversion in the 12-point victory.
“It was a good win, myself and Laillee joined because Vipers folded and there’s a lot of new girls involved this year … it’s just about trying to work through combinations,” the NSW Country southern gun added.
“But if we can get the forwards going through the middle then we’ll definitely be able to work off the back of that.”
Ford said the winless Woodbridge Cup still proved a seriously tough challenge, and with the additions of Heidi Regan and Bridie McClure will only get better.
“We scored a couple of early tries but they kept fighting … Heidi was fantastic at fullback for them,” she added.
In the lower grades at Grenfell, Woodbridge Cup enjoyed two bumper wins, the under 15s girls scoring a 24-8 victory and the under 18s running out big winners for the second week in succession, this time racking up a 60-0 triumph.
Sarah Kirkness scored a treble, while Molly Hoswell scored two tries and kicked nine goals in a tremendous outing.
Hoswell has now scored 56 points in her opening two games of 2019.