Panorama Platypi under 12s hold on to beat Goannas in a four-point thriller

While the number nine was the smallest player on the field in Wellington on Saturday, Hall came up with a massive double play that helped the Panorama Platypi to a 30-26 Western Women's Rugby League win over the Goannas.

As the clocked ticked down the Goannas were in possession and found space down the wing. But Hall came to the rescue.

"She took on a girl one-on-one and she just nailed a girl near the sideline. Then they passed it out to Nakita [Volivakarua], their big girl, and she ran, but Maleah came across again and hit her and she knocked it on," Platypi coach Emma Duke said.

"That was their last set. That was the game for us, we got the ball back and held it for the last one minute.

"If Maleah didn't make the tackle on their biggest player she was straight under the sticks, but she stopped her. It was just incredible."

Those two brilliant tackles had Hall's team-mates smiling and her coach and spectators cheering.

But it wasn't the first time Hall impressed in defence. She's done it all season.

"She was the smallest girl out there, but she had the biggest impact," Duke said.

"She made massive try savers on Maleigha [Jefferies] and Nakita and if she wasn't out there, the score, it would've been a different ball game. She was the difference in the game.

"She's played with the boys before and tackle is just her game, you can see her technique. Nearly every tackle made in the game, she was in it.

"Maleah has always been massive in our defence, all year, very consistent."

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Just as the game came to a thrilling conclusion, it was tense throughout.

The rivals traded tries in the opening half with the Platypi just ahead, but the hosts also held the lead at stages.

Platypi props Dakoda Hann (three tries) and Liliana Shehata (two tries) again did damage in attack while Natarleah McKinnon scored her first four-pointer of the season.

"It was like a rugby union try, she just put her head down and kept driving her legs. It was really good," Duke said of McKinnon's effort.

"It was a gutsy, gusty game. I was down on my knees and I couldn't watch, it was like 'Oh my God, this is killing me'.

"All their faces were red, we only had two players on the bench they played so well for each other."

Just as Duke was full of praise for her Platypi, she was impressed by the Goannas with front rower Volivakarua and lock Jefferies particularly strong.

"They had some big, talented players, I'm so impressed by the Goannas, it was just incredible. They really put our girls to the test, they were really throwing everything at us," she said.

"Their big girls Maleigha and Nakita, what weapons. Like oh my God these girls have got some bloody talent."

Saturday's win sees the Platypi sitting second on the ladder with two rounds remaining, Duke's side currently on a three-game winning streak.

This Sunday at Carrington Park they will be looking to continue that momentum against the Vipers - the undefeated competition leaders who beat them 50-22 in round three.

"The Vipers are going to come very confident this weekend and rightly so, but I think they might get a bit of a run for their money this weekend," Duke said.

"The determination we showed against the Goannas was just amazing ... the resilience was just incredible.

"It was probably the gutsiest game I have seen out of a bunch of 12-year-olds in a long time, they were there to win it and that was it. They busted their bums to get that win."

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