There are just three rounds to go in the regular season for the National Women's Rugby League Premiership and the race to the finals is ramping up. There's plenty to play for too, with the NRL announcing earlier this week that for the first time home semi-finals would take place in the NRLW.
In Round 6, the Sydney Roosters defeated the Wests Tigers by 48-10 to retain top spot on the ladder, closely followed by the Newcastle Knights who added another two points to their tally with a win over the Cronulla Sharks.
The Canberra Raiders were humbled by the Brisbane Broncos 40 - 8 and the Gold Coast Titans managed to win by the narrowest of margins over the St George Illawarra Dragons.
But my favourite result of the weekend was the Parramatta Eels 16-12 win over the North Queensland Cowboys. This was the Eels first win of the season and hopefully gives the team some confidence leading into the remaining rounds.
Here are your Round 6 talking points.
Parramatta get their first win of the season
It's been tough going for the Eels this season. Their struggles have been well documented, but injuries to Rachael Pearson and Elsie Albert and the suspension of Kennedy Cherrington has made for a challenging season.
But there were some celebrations at Netstrata Jubilee on Saturday when the team won their first game of the season. It was a narrow escape for the Eels, with the Cowboys scoring two quick tries; one in the 59th minute and one in the 61st minute, but the Eels had just enough to hold on.
Kim Hunt was impressive for the Eels scoring twice (making up for a couple of dropped high balls in the first half) and Rachael Pearson put the result beyond doubt with a penalty goal in the 69th minute.
Discipline was a problem for both teams with a combined 22 errors across the game. But the Cowboys made it difficult for themselves, conceding 11 penalties and missing 48 tackles.
There is still plenty to work on for Dean Widders and his squad, but for now, I'm just watching the video of the Eels singing the victory song in the sheds.
Teagan Berry continues to shine whilst Lauren Brown continues to deliver under pressure
Teagan Berry did everything she could to get the Dragons the win on the weekend. Berry scored four tries in the Dragons 23-22 loss to the Titans. She also ran for 270 metres had 15 tackle breaks and on several occasions was simply untouchable. That four try haul now takes Berry to nine tries in just six games this season.
But it wasn't enough.
Lauren Brown has been one of my favourite players to watch this season. The Titans have managed to win several close games this year and it's often because of Brown's efforts. In this game, Brown kicked a field goal with 40 seconds to go to seal the win. Brown is so composed in these situations and as finals approach, the value of a player able to deliver under pressure is priceless.
Can anyone beat the Roosters?
The Roosters were the favourites coming into this season and they just get better each week.
It was a day to remember for the Roosters who scored 10 tries in 70 minutes with a hat trick on debut for Mia Wood.
Whilst Tigers fans may be concerned by the 48-10 scoreline, the Tigers had some challenges, losing both Rikeya Horne and Kezie Apps to head knocks. The impact of this was compounded with Sarah Togatuki sent to the bin with seven minutes left.
But while the Roosters fired a warning shot this weekend, so did the Broncos, defeating the Canberra Raiders. Lauren Dam and Mele Hufunga both scored a double and Julia Robinson marked her return with a try as well.
The concern for the Broncos is Ali Brigginshaw, who left the game with a broken nose. It is unclear how much time she will spend on the sidelines.
Quick Hits
-- There were three debutants in the Eels vs. Cowboys game; Libby Surha (Cowboys), Lindsay Tui (Eels) and Noaria 'Boss' Kapua (Eels).
-- Berry is the third NRLW player to score four tries in one game.
-- The 48 points scored by the Roosters was the biggest score in NRLW history.
-- Yasmin Clydesdale ran for 144 metres in the Knights win over the Sharks.
Onto the Next
The Sharks, Wests Tigers, Dragons and Cowboys are all on four points, so if any of these teams wants to push for a top four spot, that push must start now.
In a game which will have implications for the top four, the Raiders host the Knights to kick off Round 7. A win here would see the Raiders on equal points with the Knights.
The Cowboys and the Dragons face off against each other at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. So far this season the Cowboys have struggled at home, but no doubt both teams will be desperate for a win.
The Eels have a tough assignment with a game against the Roosters to close out the round.