Eels star Tiana Penitani is racing to be fit for the NRLW grand final as her Newcastle counterpart looks to channel the eighth Immortal to dash another Parramatta premiership dream.
Penitani has been named on an extended bench as she battles a quadriceps injury before Sunday’s match at Accor Stadium, with coach Dean Widders opting for Abbi Church in his starting side.
Kennedy Cherrington and Brooke Anderson have been named to start at prop and hooker, respectively, for a Parramatta side looking to cap a stunning turnaround with grand final glory. The Eels were staring at a wooden spoon before beating Brisbane in the final round to sneak into the semi-finals, where they stunned the Roosters in the upset of the season.
Their unlikely rise, coupled with an injury cloud over Penitani, means Newcastle will enter the grand final as heavy favourites, as the Knights look to channel the 2001 men’s side to reign over the Eels.
Newcastle centre Bobbi Law was just four years old the day Andrew Johns masterminded one of the great grand final upsets. She had the chance to train with the Knights legend during pre-season.
Now she is preparing to play in a grand final, which shows the balance of power has shifted in the NRLW as two expansion sides fight for the grand prize within months of their first game.
Tiana Penitani and Bobbi Law.Credit:NRL Photos
“I’ve believed in what we’ve had going since day one,” Law said, with the Knights going winless during the 2021 season, which was played earlier this year.
“It’s pretty crazy. It still feels a bit surreal but we’ve got a big week ahead. We’re going to be ready to rock and roll.
“We’ve been building for this since day one. Our coaching staff, our wellbeing staff, they’ve been preparing us for this moment. We’ve built up new skills and we’ve learnt a lot, so it’s going to be pretty normal for us this week.
“We’ve got a whole new coaching staff, a whole new group of girls. There’s only a couple of us who were here last season. The staff and the club have worked really hard and the group of girls we have, it’s just a good bunch. We’ve got excellent leaders like Millie [Boyle] and Tamika [Upton], who are really helping to drive this culture. We’re building something really special here.”
Makenzie Weale has been named ahead of Caitlin Moran on Newcastle’s bench, but coach Ron Griffiths named that same line-up last week before a late reshuffle brought Moran into the game.
Moran and Law are among a host of homegrown talents, including 17-year-old halfback Jesse Southwell and prop Caitlan Johnston, who have helped the club’s emergence as an NRLW heavyweight.
“I’m born and bred in Newcastle. It’s really exciting, not only for myself and my family, but for the community of Newcastle and for the young girls in Newcastle,” Law said.
“Seeing us ladies having such success this year, hopefully we’re inspiring the next generation. At the end of the day, we just want to do Newcastle proud. That’s what our goal has been.”
Stream the NRL grand final live and free on 9Now.
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