With CSU wanting to keep the pressure on Orange Emus for the minor premiership, the students were keen to post a commanding win in their away match against the Rhinos.

But with in-form scrum half Laura Belfanti absent, the Rhinos scoring an early try and Steph Doyle forced from the field with a rib injury, that task was looking tough.

However, Dom Huggett's decision to shift Bridge into halfback proved to be a masterstroke.

The experience Bridge settled the students, with her passing skills and game awareness sparking plenty of attacking movements.

She crossed for three of CSU's seven tries and booted five conversions in an impressive individual display.

"She just controlled the game a bit which was good. To have someone there with a bit of experience, to slow it down when we needed it and control it around the ruck was great," Huggett said.

"She certainly held her own. We will probably have to play here there next week as well."

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Though Bridge inspired some slick moments, Huggett said in the main it was a scrappy game.

A run of early penalties - including a yellow card to Maddy Thomson for a head-high tackle - put the students under pressure. But by the first break they led 14-5 and from there went on with the job.

"We conceded 17 penalties I think and a yellow card, but in all honesty, it was a good defensive effort, we stood up when we needed to," Huggett said.

"It was tough at the start, we gave away six penalties or so and they came down our end. We defended quite well, but then got a yellow card and they scored in the corner.

"We knew if we just played simple footy and took it up we would score, but there was a lot of working out to do. We had to adjust our game and we did that."