A brave Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have fallen to the Indigenous Academy Roosters 26-22 in the Tarsha Gale Cup Grand Final at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday evening.
The Indigenous Academy Roosters opened the scoring inside 5 minutes. Winger Paige Lowe taking advantage of a costly Bulldog's mistake to scoot over for the first 4-pointer of the afternoon. Mia Barber converting for an early 6-nil lead after a rapid-fire start to the match.
Canterbury-Bankstown returned serve with a try of their own. Five-eighth Ambryn Murphy-Haua troubling the Roosters left edge with a cross-field kick which found the hands of Tatiana Finau to dot down. The backrower stepping up to covert her own try and lock the scores at 6-6 after 10 minutes.
The Bulldogs were once again on the offensive, peppering the Rooster's goal line wave after wave. But it was a clever kick placed behind the Indigenous Academy line by hooker Tarli Dennis that saw her regather and dive over for her side's second try.
Full of running, the Pack would force their way over through forward Noaria Kapua and push the lead out to 18-12 after 16 minutes. Rooster's forward would halt the flow of points for the opposition when she crossed over in the 19th minute to cut the deficit to 18-12.
Once again, the Bulldog's were again on the attack. This time fullback Abby Aros the beneficiary of a sweeping attack down the right edge to go over untouched.
The Indigenous Academy fought hard to end the half and were rewarded with a try to Krystal Bulmer before the hooter. Heading into the sheds down a converted try 22-16 to the Bulldogs.
The second half opened with both sides fighting it out for possession and territory.
Indigenous Academy centre Lailani Montgomery broke the second-half drought when she scored a converted try to cut the Bulldog's lead to 22-20 in the 34th minute.
After much to-and-fro between both sides, it was the Roosters who would again apply pressure on the Bulldog's line. The Indigenous Academy would put the ball through the hands down the left edge for Brooke Talataina slide over. Mia Barber slotting it over from the sideline steal the lead from Canterbury-Bankstown 26-22.
The match would end with a few close moments from the Bulldog's attacking the Rooster's try-line. But it would be Indigenous Academy Roosters who would hold on for a gritty 26-22 win after the final siren to secure the 2023 Tarsha Gale Cup Premiership at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday evening.
Indigenous Academy Roosters 26 (Tries: Brooke Talataina, Paige Lowe, Jaydah Tofae, Krystal Bulmer; Goals: Mia Barber 3) def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 22 (Tries: Tatiana Finau, Tarli Dennis, Noaria Kapua, Abby Aros; Goals: Tatiana Finau 3)
