Katrina Fanning Shield: Grand Final Preview
The 2024 Blumers Lawyers Katrina Fanning Shield season will culminate in a blockbuster Grand Final matchup between the Yass Magpies and Gungahlin Bulls on Sunday at Seiffert Oval.
The decider of Canberra Region Rugby League's premier women's tackle competition will be the third game to kick off on the day, at 12:10pm.
The Yass Magpies finished the regular season as minor premiers and secured their spot in the Grand Final two weeks ago by defeating the Blues 24-8 in the major semi-final, aiming for redemption after last year's loss in the title match.
"It was a grind and we had to work hard for most of that game," Yass hooker Gabbie Davis said.
"We're very proud of the result we were able to get in that semi."
After a slow start to the season, winning only three of their first seven games, the Magpies have since gone on an outstanding 10-game winning streak, putting themselves in a strong position to claim the title.
"The first half of our season was a shocker," Davis said.
"We're so proud of the girls as a unit that we've been able to come together and get on that winning streak.
"It makes us a little bit nervous, but hopefully we can just keep carrying that through for one more game."
On the other hand, the Gungahlin Bulls went undefeated until round eight, before experiencing a mid-season form slump, but they did enough in the back-end to finish fourth and qualify for finals.
In both finals matches against the Rams and the Blues, Gungahlin showcased incredible determination, staging comebacks in both games, particularly against the Blues, where they overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit by scoring 32 unanswered points in the second half to secure the win and a spot in the Grand Final.
"We picked it up at halftime and started focusing on our one percenters in our defence and attack, and it won us the game which is very exciting," Bulls captain Krystyana Haridemos said.
"We wanted to leave the field knowing we did 100% of what we could.
"Hopefully we can come out on the weekend and actually start that strong and hold that throughout the whole game."
In their two matchups this year, Gungahlin defeated Yass 26-16 in round three, but the Magpies responded with a dominant 38-6 victory in round 12.
With both teams having strong consecutive seasons in the Katrina Fanning Shield, Sunday's decider promises to showcase high-quality rugby league.
