Season on the line for She Devils and Jersey Girls
We’re at the pointy end of the Blumers Lawyers George Tooke Shield (GTS) competitions, meaning it will be ongoing fixtures between heavyweights over the following three weeks until we discover our new champions.
That’s certainly the case in the league tag competition, with one good team’s season set to be over following the minor semi-final between the Binalong Jersey Girls and Crookwell She Devils at Binalong Recreation Oval on Saturday.
Both sides have made their mark in 2024, but only one side will progress to the preliminary final, setting the stage for an epic must-win fixture.
The Kristie McKenna-coach Jersey Girls will like their chances at home, and with try-scoring machine Annie Kent at the back, along with McKenna, Jaimee Dugan, and Hannah Gerathy, Binalong have points in them.
In their first season back in the GTS competition following the club’s brief hiatus, the Jersey Girls were thrilled to win their first finals match in quite some time when defeating North Canberra 14-nil in Saturday’s elimination final in Cootamundra.
Binalong were the inaugural winners of the GTS ladies’ competition way back in 2014, defeating Harden 7-2 in the Grand Final, and supporters would love to see their Jersey Girls emulate that success.
Ahead of Binalong is a challenging match against the Crookwell She Devils.
The She Devils, led by coach Chris Chudleigh and star players Jayde and Tahnee-lee Della, Billie Skelly, and Kim Allport, finished third on the competition ladder and rounded out their regular season campaign with a 24-18 victory over rivals Harden.
In Saturday’s qualifying final, they let the match slip from their grasps, going down to the Cootamundra Bullettes 14-8 in a good match at Binalong Recreation Oval.
Still, an experienced group will look to regather and find their best form ahead of a must-win fixture against the ever-improving Binalong.
Hawkettes on the verge of another Grand Final
The Juggernaut that is the Harden Hawkettes will look to qualify for their ninth Grand Final in 11 years when taking on the Cootamundra Bullettes in their major semi-final at Mick Sherd Oval on Saturday.
Starting out as a touch competition before transitioning to league tag in 2015, there have been nine seasons of the George Tooke Shield ladies’ league tag competition, and apart from the COVID-impacted 2020 season won by the Burrangong Bears, Harden has featured in every decider.
One of the most successful rugby league teams in NSW and the ACT, the Jason Pollard-coached Harden boasts a talented list of players, including the likes of Emma James, Clare and Georgia Smith, Kate Menz, Chloe Muggleton, Jasmin Chesworth, and Eliza Butt.
A well-rounded squad with a reputation for winning the big moments and prevailing in the games that matter, they’re the favourites to lift the trophy at the end of the season.
On Saturday, it’s a Grand Final rematch against rivals Cootamundra, who have bridged the gap in recent seasons.
In Round Three, the Hawkettes defeated the Bullettes 20-14 in a thrilling contest, and they made it a clean sweep of regular season wins with a 16-8 victory over Cootamundra in Round 12.
Still, Cootamundra has been thereabouts all year, finishing second on the competition ladder, and following a well-earned 14-8 win over Crookwell in their qualifying semi-final on Saturday, they’ll be up and about for the Hawkettes.
Click here for the GTS League Tag finals draw.
