Panorama Platypi under 14s beat Goannas to climb into fourth

It helped her side to 16-10 win over the Goannas that keeps the Platypi in the hunt for the Western Women's Rugby League finals series to they rose to fourth on the ladder.

The success in Wellington was the second consecutive win for the Platypi, who only posted their first victory of the eight-round competition five weeks into the season.

But with Hodges leading by example and her team-mates rallying around her to produce their best defensive effort of the season thus far, things are looking brighter.

"I'm really proud of them, they're starting to find their groove, they've just got to hold it," coach Rachel Hodges said.

"It was a very hectic game. There was a lot of dropped ball from both teams, if my girls held onto the ball they would've cleaned them up. But it wasn't a missed opportunity thankfully.

"It surely does built confidence. They were excited to win that."

It was the Goannas who opened scoring on Saturday, but the Platypi showed from the first play of the match that they meant business.

"Jamie [Powley] came out firing from the get go and put the first tackle on in that game, it was absolutely unreal," Rachel Hodges said.

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Powley has been a danger at fullback and centre all season and continued that trend against the Goannas.

But it was halfback Freya Hodges who laid on the points.

She scored a double while her smart kick set up halves partner Olivia Bednal for the other. It put the Platypi ahead early in the second half.

"She scored one from dummy half, the other was from halfback where she just scooted along the line, waited for a gap to open and skipped in," the coach said.

Both Powley and Tarnya Kelleher were held up over the line and Jaya Farrar threatened on the wing, but it was big defensive plays over the final third of the game which mattered most.

The Goannas pilled on the pressure, but the Platypi held.

Hodges pulled off a brilliant try saver and winger Savanna Lawson did likewise.

But every one of the Panorama players worked hard to ensure they held onto their six-point lead.

"Freya made a really good tackle, putting a girl out over the sideline, and saved a try. It was in the last five minutes, the girl was scooting and Freya got up under her ribs and just took her out over the sideline," Rachel Hodges said.

"Savanna Lawson made a try saver too, she held her up, it was beautiful.

"The girls just really defended well, they held them out on the try line for ages, they rallied really, really well.

"They came together and just made sure of it. They've still got some work to do getting off the line, but they did well to hold their own."

This Sunday the Platypi will need to hold their own again when hosting the second-placed Vipers at Carrington Park.

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