FULLTIME: PANTHERS 28-22 SHARKS
That’s all she wrote! The premiers have prevailed in their first game of 2025 and Penrith’s quest for a fifth straight premiership is off to a flying start. The Sharks were wonderful in patches and looked dangerous at times but it wasn’t enough to unseat the kings of the mountain, even when Cronulla roared back into the contest after being 14 points down.
Nathan Cleary, as usual, was the difference. His calm and composure, his soft hands and granite jaw. That set the standard for his men and gave them the confidence to hold their nerve when the Sharks challenged them late in both halves. Under pressure, they refused to panic and were there to strike late when the chances came.
What a player Cleary is and what a team Penrith are. Will they make yet more history in 2025? Or will the Sharks, who showed plenty for their own fans to be excited about, bounce back from this early defeat and launch their own path to glory?
The Panthers have now won nine of their past 10 games against the Sharks. They did it on the back of quiet warriors, Dylan Edwards and Paul Alamoti, who combined for 408 metres between them. For the Sharks Jesse Ramien ran for 177m and Addin Fonua-Blake made a strong debut in blue with 190m of his own.
It’s been an awesome day of rugby league action so thank you for joining u. NRL season 2025 has been launched in style amid the bright lights of Las Vegas.
Viva rugby league!
Updated
78th minute: Panthers 28-22 Sharks. Here come the Sharks. Nicho Hynes runs and passes to Ramien who gets inside the final quarter. Now McInnes inches it closer. Brailey to Talakai who gets within a metre. Hynes to Ramien again on the last but the black mass swarm and they can’t get the ball to the outside men. That could be it.
Updated
TRY! Panthers 28-22 Sharks (Laurie 75")
Penrith score! That’s what they do to opposition teams. They absorb pressure then deliver it back ten-fold. Cleary was the hinge after Luke Garner fed him the pip. The prince of Penrith then paused, eyes level, and finally, when panic was sown, the pass came. Daine Laurie was flying into the corner and suddenly the Sharks momentum stops dead. However, in a twist, Cleary hooks the conversion so the Sharks have a sniff of equalling if they can score and convert.
Updated
74th minute: Panthers 24-22 Sharks. The Sharks are circling and there’s Panthers blood in the water. Here they come. Ramien puts in a great run, felled by Sorenson. Yeo puts in another try saver. Here’s the last tackle. Oh no! Trindall runs when he should’ve passed and they’re captured. That could be a crucial moment.
72nd minute: Panthers 24-22 Sharks. Penrith look a little wobbly and Dylan Edwards almost dfropped a bomb. He regathered the ball and some poise after a little juggle but the Panthers can’t get past halfway and the ascendent Sharks get their chance to continue this glorious momentum. Again Addin Fonua-Blake bends the line and looks to offload but keeps his composure. Kick goes up and the Panthers must fight it out from their goal line.
TRY! Panthers 24-22 Sharks (Fonua-Blake 68")
The Sharks score! It’s GAME ON in Las Vegas. In the end Addin Fonua-Blake just grabbed the ball and powered to the line by sheer force of will. The former Warrior scores for his new side and, with a nailed conversion by Trindall, we have a thriller on our hands.
Updated
67th minute: Panthers 24-16 Sharks. Inside the final 15 minutes now and things have gone a bit frantic and messy at Allegiant Stadium, as tempers fray and skills slip. That was an awful flurry of errors by both sides. Who can regather their cool and score next? Cleary dribbles a little kick through but Sam Stonestreet regathers on the 20m and Nicho Hynes is swiftly by his side to conjure what might need to be a miracle play.
Updated
64th minute: Panthers 24-16 Sharks. Daine Laurie has dropped the ball under no pressure and now Cronulla are attacking in the red zone. Trindall to Nikora gets them two metres out and Addin Fonua-Blake is held up over the line. They reset. But no Ramien has lost it in the tackle. Hang on, Cameron McInnes will challenge this…
62nd minute: Panthers 24-16 Sharks. Again loose play by Liam Martin costs Penrith possession. Now Cronulla have their tails up but a terrible pass gives it back to Penrith. A terrible juggling effort by winger Paul Alamoti hands it back again. He’s in trouble under the high ball today.
TRY! Panthers 24-16 Sharks (Iro 58")
Cronulla hit back! Again it was Braydon Trindall who sucked in the defenders and made the space and found Kayal Iro on his shoulder. The Sharks are back within eight points!
57th minute: Panthers 24-10 Sharks. Great take by Panther Daine Laurie denies the Sharks. He’s hurt but it’s been worth it. Liam Martin again rewards the Sharks by coughing it up on the rebound. While he’s cursing everyone Ronaldo Mulitalo has towed ahead. He fails to regather but the chance is still alive..
Updated
55th minute: Panthers 24-10 Sharks. Fourteen points down against a team hunting their fifth consecutive premiership. Can the Sharks respond? Liam Martin gifts them an offside penalty to give them a sniff of hope. Nicho Hynes goes to the line but an attempted Penrith intercept goes awry for the Panthers and sets up Cronulla 20m out.
Updated
TRY! Panthers 24-10 (Alamoti 52")
Gorgeous footy from the Panthers! That was a sublime set play that began under the posts. Cleary didn’t run, he spun, showing the ball to two defenders and drawing them in before offloading to Dylan Edwards who found his winger Paul Alamoti flying into the right hand corner. It’s an acute angle for Cleary but he makes it four from four.
Updated
51st minute: Panthers 18-10 Sharks. Dylan Edwards leads the metre eaters with 161. Behind him are three more Panthers before a Shark appears in the frame. Now Willam Kennedy’s bravery at the back is rewarded with a smack across the chops from Liam Martin who collects him heavily on the ground as second man in. Martin grins a mouthful of blood and there’s a bit of a scuffle as Kennedy composes himself. End result is Penrith on the attack. Again.
TRY! Panthers 18-10 Sharks (Laurie 49")
Beautiful long ball from Cleary, who is back on his feet after that fearful blow to his midriff, and then a lovely little double pump pass by Mitch Kenny sends Daine Laurie into the corner. The Panthers are now eight points up thanks to Cleary’s conversion.
Updated
47th minute: Panthers 12-10 Sharks. No try! Braden Hamlin-Uele was adjudged to have knocked on as he twisted and lunged for the line. Penrith rumble it out, calm and measured as ever even when Nathan Cleary’s kick is charged down. They recover and start a new set on the 40m line. Trouble for Cleary in backplay. He has copped a mighty blow to the ribs and the trainers are running out. His teammates take it within 10m.
45th minute: Panthers 12-10 Sharks. It’s an arm wrestle so far in this second half as both teams work through their sets without risking too much. Great charge now by Sharks big man Braden Hamlin-Uele who spins out of one tackle and breaks another to bustle 20m. That gives Hyndes room to manouvre. And the ref gifts the Sharks another set to boot. They go to the line and fall inches short but a fast play the ball finds Hamlin-Uele and he may have found line here…
Updated
43rd minute: Panthers 12-10 Sharks. Big Sharks cult hero Thomas Hazelton charges it back into the fray to get things going in the second half. He is unsigned for 2026 and has clearly lost even more hair over the period in limbo. Cronulla get just beyond the halfway before Penrith reel in the last-tackle kick and Liam Martin thunders it back. Braydon Trindall goes flying in the attempted tackle and may be hurt. Or is it just his pride?
HALFTIME: Panthers 12-10 Sharks.
We have a fantastic game on our hands here. The Sharks were wonderful early. They drew first blood through the fast hands of Nicho Hynes and the fast feet of Jesse Ramien who reeled in the kick. Cronulla No 1 William Kennedy then delivered two outstanding saves at the back to deny the premiers.
But the Panthers were not to be denied. They came on like a storm and stampeded to the lead with fast tires to Isaah Yeo and Izack Tago, the latter off a classic Nathan Cleary chip kick. At 12-4 it looked like Penrith might put a stranglehold on the game. Instead Sharks pivot Braydon Trindall switched the momentum yet again, matching Cleary’s kicking dexterity with a deft grubber for Briton Nikora to make it 12-10 at the break.
Second half coming up soon!
39th minute: Panthers 12-10 Sharks. Today’s crowd is officially 45,209 and they slump as one when Nicho Hynes knocks on from the kick off. Uh-oh. It gifts the Panthers a chance at a field goal. He’s 35m out. He strikes it… but doesn’t like it. It fades just left and we will go to the break at 12-10. An even half of football by two fabulous sides.
TRY! Panthers 12-10 Sharks (Nikora 37")
Braydon Trindall has done it again. Brilliant play by the little playmaker as he jinks a little grubber in behind the line for Briton Nikora to grab the Sharks’ second try. He converts the try he created to bring the Sharks within two points.
Updated
35th minute: Panthers 12-4 Sharks. Good play by Nicho Hynes. He scurried out of dummy half and almost caught napping under the posts. His consolation is another set of six. Hazleton goes close to scoring but his held up without being put down. Siosifa Talakai pounds it back within range and her comes Braydon Trindall with the play…
32nd minute: Panthers 12-4 Sharks. Cronulla look tired. They battle to halfway before putting up the bomb. Edwards takes it cleanly under no pressure and darts back to the 30m line. Now it’s Luron Patea barging forward. It’s enough of a dent for Cleary to bomb it back. No contest in the air but the bounce favours Cronulla and they work out of trouble.
TRY! Panthers 12-4 Sharks (Tago 29")
Try to Izack Tago! That was beautiful by Cleary who sensed Sharks fullback William Kennedy was out of the line, perhaps gassed after those great saves on the try line. Cleary saw the space and kicked a little kick over the top of the defensive line and Izack Tago surged in, caught it on the full and touched down. In the blink of an eye, the premiers are on top! Cleary adds the extras to make it 12-4.
A magic trick in Vegas! 🧙♂️#NRLVegas #NRLPanthersSharks @Telstra pic.twitter.com/NbrLSubfbE
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
Updated
27th minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. Lovely offload by Lindsay Smith gets Penrith back in the attack zone. This is trouble for the Sharks who are suddenly under siegge. They have the Sharks stretched and here comes Cleary with a set move kick over the top…
TRY! Panthers 6-4 Sharks (Yeo 26")
Try to Isaah Yeo! That was a last tackle classic by the Penrith skipper. Sensing the momentum, the big man took matters into his own hands, scooped up the ball from dummy half and swerved around a couple of tired tacklers to touch down under the post. The premiers hit back and Cleary’s conversion gives them the lead!
25th minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. Another great save by Kennedy! Cleary put it on the boot in the quest for a 40-20 and looked to have nailed it before the Sharks fullback unleashed a desperate dive to bring it back into the field of play. Inspirational stuff.
23rd minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. No try! And that was all down to the desperate effort by William Kennedy who matched Lindsay Smith’s lunge with one of his own to knock the ball free just centimetres from the turf. Great trysaver by the head-banded fullback!
Will Kennedy with the save! 🤯#NRLVegas #NRLPanthersSharks pic.twitter.com/LDMmzF9zkQ
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
Updated
22nd minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. Nathan Cleary appears to be targeting Shark Ronaldo Mulitalo with the high ball and it’s worked this time after Liam Martin’s chase so disorients Mulitalo that he knocks on in the leap. Here come the premiers now 10m out. Lindsay Smith charges to the line and reaches out… did he find the stripe?
20th minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. Uh-oh. Penrith have spilt it again and now the Sharks can attack from 30m out. Nicho Hynes has a dart out of dummy half before Oregon Kaufusi barrels into the line and coughs up the ball. Panthers race it to halfway but Dylan Edwards botches the play the ball and gives it back. Following that bad pass in the last set, that’s two errors in two minutes for the usually immaculate Edwards.
15th minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. A sloppy offload by Panthers prop Lindsay Smith lets Cronulla off the hook and Sam Stonestreet flies down the sideline, making 40 metres. Nicho Hynes swoops in support and gets it left but the pass finds a backrower not a back and it all falls apart! As Warren Wok Ryan used to say, ‘What’s that trombone doing in the string section?’
12th minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. Jesse Ramien gives away a penalty for holding on too long in the tackle and the Panthers now get the ball back 35 metres out. Yeo spearheads the attacking wave but his backs don’t help much, throwing the ball behind each other twice before kicking into the hands of the Sharks.
9th minute: Panthers 0-4 Sharks. Cronulla have had more possession and done more with it. Penrith never look rattled though. Indeed, Liam Martin does some serious rattling of his own with powerful charge. Isaah Yeo takes the next carry and does well, bending the line but failing to break it. Cleary hoists it high but it’s taken safely and the Sharks battle upfield.
TRY! Panthers 0-4 Sharks (Ramien 4")
The Sharks are in! Lovely movement to the right where the Panthers were stretched after McLean left the field and Nicho Hynes sensed the space and weighrted the pass perfectly to send Jesse Ramien crashing over.
Hynes with the ball for Ramien! 👏#NRLVegas #NRLPanthersSharks pic.twitter.com/Ofk4EuMqF1
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
Updated
3rd minute: Panthers 0-0 Sharks. Trouble for 18-year-old Casey McLean. He’s been hit high and hard and those few seconds on the turf is enough for the ref to call for an HIA. Sure enough, he goes off and Daine Laurie runs on. Here come the Sharks.
2nd minute: Panthers 0-0 Sharks. Panthers enforcer Liam Martin gets his first shirtfront of the season out of the way after Nathan Cleary kicks off and Addin Fonua-Blake charges into the teeth of the defence. A penalty gives Cronulla the chance to clear but they fail to find touch. Nervous start from the Sharks.
Sharks players are on Allegiant Stadium and here come the men in black, marching out to the ominous chimes of AC/DC’s Hells Bells.
Buckle ‘em up and batten ‘em down, folks. We’re seconds from kickoff…
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has also shuffled his lineup too. The shoulder injury to Sione Katoa means Sam Stonestreet comes into the side on the wing. Jesse Ramien has recovered from his preseason ankle twinge and is good to go after missing the preliminary final loss to Penrith last year. He bumps Siosifa Talakai to the bench. All eyes will be on new Shark’s signing Addin Fonua-Blake who will be key to the start.
With a squad full of Origin stars and internationals, Nick Tedeschi is tipping big things for the men from the Sutherland Shire in 2025…
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has made no changes to his Vegas squad but it’s a different lineup to what we saw in 2024 and there’ll be more changes in 2025 as injuries, new recruits and the fabled Penrith juniors system play their part
Paul Alamoti will replace the injured Brian To’o (hamstring) on the wing while Luke Garner starts in the centres. Lindsay Smith is starting while high-profile recruit Isaiah Papli’i will come off the bench. Luron Patea is the fresh face on the interchange with Liam Henry (shoulder) not ready to go yet. Casey McLean will star in the No 2 jersey but his brother Jesse McLean will watch from the stands.
Are we about to watch the first step in a Panthers five-peat?
Thanks Megan! It’s now time for our final game of the quadruple-header: Penrith Panthers v Cronulla Sharks.
Here’s how the sides line up:
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Casey McLean 3. Izack Tago 4. Luke Garner 5. Paul Alamoti 6. Jack Cole 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Daine Laurie 15. Isaiah Papali’i 16. Matt Eisenhuth 17. Luron Patea 18. Brad Schneider 19. Mavrik Geyer 20. Jesse McLean 21. Luke Sommerton 23. Blaize Talagi.
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Samuel Stonestreet 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Daniel Atkinson 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Braden Hamlin-Uele 17. Thomas Hazelton 18. Tuku Hau Tapuha 19. Mawene Hiroti 20. Billy Burns 21. Jayden Berrell 22. Hohepa Puru
Full time: Jillaroos 90-4 Lionesses
What a game of rugby league. That must have felt like a slog for England pretty much from start to finish, but they can at least take something from that final try. The Jillaroos looked devastated that they let that try in at the end, I imagine the clean sheet was a big motivator for them, but I think that disappointment will fade pretty quickly.
This game showcased the importance of the professionalism on offer in the NRLW. The money the players make is frankly a pittance compared to their NRLM counterparts, but relative to what’s on offer in England, it’s a fortune. This is a pattern in many women’s sports, where Australia are often the first to invest, which leads to almost unstoppable dominance. It will be interesting to see if those in power in English rugby league take anything away from this match and make the decision to invest more heavily in their women’s competition.
TRY! Jillaroos 90-4 Lionesses (Roach 69')
Finally England are on the board. Roach gets through the Australian defence with a nice dummy, then fights off two more defenders to stretch out and reach the line. Her conversion attempt hits the post, so no extra points to be added.
69th minute: A mistake from Sergis early in the set gives England one more chance to salvage something from this match with a scrum feed 20m out. They nearly give up the ball, but manage to get it back with six more tackles.
GOAL! Jillaroos 90-0 Lionesses (Aiken 66')
Aiken kicks another from right in front in a clinical display.
TRY! Jillaroos 88-0 England (Joseph 65')
Higgins finds some space and gets the ball to Apps, who breaks the line, dummies left, passes right and Joseph is in space and scores under the post.
GOAL! Jillaroos 84-0 Lionesses (Aiken 64’)
Another opportunity right in front for Aiken and she makes no mistake.
TRY! Jillaroos 82-0 Lionesses (Sergis 63')
Sergis runs a perfect line to cut through the English defenders and score her third.
65th minute: The Jillaroos get a seven tackle set – not what England need right now at all. They’re looking less clinical with some loose passes, but England manages a touch, that restarts the set for them.
62nd minute: Robinson makes an uncharacteristic error, dropping the ball from the kick off and England get a scrum feed 20m out. They’re throwing everything at this opportunity, but the Jillaroos are determined to cut off every scoring opportunity. Roach’s kick goes dead in goal.
GOAL! Jillaroos 78-0 Lionesses (Aiken 59')
Another successful kick for Aiken and the Jillaroos power on.
TRY! Jillaroos 76-0 Lionesses (Sergis 58')
England’s problems are compounded when they give away another penalty and the Jillaroos once again put on the speed on the outside, with some quick passing to get Sergis over the line.
58th minute: England can’t get out of their own half and can’t put in a big enough kick to put pressure on Australia.
57th minute: England play another decent set, with no mistakes, but they need something more special than that if they want to get some points on the board against this rampaging Australian team. It’s a good set from the Jillaroos to follow, finishing with a kick chip over the top by Aiken, but Dagger fields it for England.
55th minute: Aiken puts in a low kick to finish the set. Partington picks it up, but knocks it on into the Australian defence. England challenge the decision, but it’s unsuccessful and Australia get the scrum feed. The quickly move the ball to the right and Whitfield reaches for the line, but the bunker rules a double movement and England get a penalty.
54th minute: England kick off and Mato catches it easily and makes a strong first hit up. Aiken makes a half line break, but England reel her in.
TRY! Jillaroos 72-0 Lionesses (Whitfield 51')
The Jillaroos get a penalty early in the set, to add insult to injury and they power down the field. Engalnd hold them out for four tackles, but Kernick throws a brilliant cut out pass to Whitfield, who scores in the corner. Aiken misses the conversion.
GOAL! Jillaroos 68-0 Lionesses (Aiken 49')
Another conversion for Aiken, she kicks it from right in front.
TRY! Jillaroos 66-0 Lionesses (Sergis 48')
England throw everything at this defensive set, they look determined to limit the damage, but they can’t do more than that at this stage. In the end, they can’t even do that, as Aiken fools them again, drawing defenders in and throwing a pass left to Sergis, who easily gets through the gap to score.
GOAL! Jillaroos 62-0 Lionesses (Aiken 47')
Right in front again and Aiken knocks it over.
TRY! Jillaroos 60-0 Lionesses (Robinson 46')
This is very hard to keep up with, the Jillaroos cannot stop scoring. Sergis makes a break down the wing, offloads to Robinson, who beats three defenders to score.
GOAL! Jillaroos 56-0 Lionesses (Aiken 45')
Aiken must be thanking Upton for scoring so many right in front.
TRY! Jillaroos 54-0 Lionesses (Upton 44')
The Jillaroos make another play down field and Taufa gets through the line with a nice step around the defence. Who should be by her side but Upton? She takes the pass and crosses the line once again.
44th minute: Australia are nearly in again, but Jess Sergis (who has come on to replace Isabelle Kelly) pushes an English defender and the bunker rules no try. England get another opportunity in attack, but the Jillaroos defence remains impenetrable.
GOAL! Jillaroos 50-0 Lionesses (Aiken 41')
Aiken makes another simple conversion and brings up the half century for Australia.
TRY! Jillaroos 48-0 Lionesses (Upton 40')
Upton cannot be stopped, this is her fourth try in the match. I’ve run out of ways to describe them, but she once again outfoxes the England defence, gets on the inside of the defenders and scores next to the post.
GOAL! Jillaroos 44-0 Lionesses (Aiken 39')
A simple one for Aiken to put away from right in front and she adds another two points.
TRY! Jillaroos 42-0 Lionesses (Kelly 38')
An error from England is really not what they need right now. The Jillaroos pounce and Kelly dives over the line.
38th minute: Once again, the Jillaroos are close to the try line in the blink of an eye. Aiken puts in a kick to finish the set, but it’s too long for these very short in goals.
37th minute: Whitfield is taken from the field on a stretcher – hopefully she is OK and makes a quick recovery. England resume their attack and it’s a disciplined set from them to start the half, but they can’t break the Australian line. Upton fields the kick easily and Robinson pushes up the field to get the Jillaroos into a strong attacking position.
The half starts with a VERY big collision and head clash between Sarah Togatuki and Vicky Whitfield and there’s a break now while both players are assessed.
The second half is underway, with the Jillaroos kicking off…
It’s worth noting that the Jillaroos have had some upheaval coming into this match, with coach Brad Donald resigning less than a month ago after nine years in the role. It’s a big moment for interim coach Jess Skinner, who will be hoping this dominant performance secures her the role.
Half-time: Jillaroos 38-0 Lionesses
Well, what can I say about that first half? It was simply Jillaroos domination from start to finish. The Lionesses were forced to spend a significant portion of that half in defence, which is a very tiring position to be in. Australia were ruthless, not giving an inch in defence and constantly asking questions in attack, finding new ways to break England’s defence and spirits in every set. England will need a big rest and to find something special in the second half if they want to be in this game.
TRY! Jillaroos 38-0 Lionesses (Robinson 34')
Right on the stroke of half-time, Aiken sets up yet another try – her fourth assist of the game. Kelly loops around the outside of the defence and scores in the corner. Brigginshaw takes over the kicking duties, but she can’t slot the goal either.
Updated
33rd minute: Another set for the Jillaroos and the Lionesses look like half-time can’t come soon enough. They are dead on their feet out there. Not enough Bondi to Coogee walks perhaps? They hold the Jillaroos out and get the ball back, but almost immediately lose it.
TRY! Jillaroos 34-0 Lionesses (Kelly 30')
Aiken puts on a masterclass of playmaking, with a step and a dummy that draws two defenders and creates a gap that she puts Kelly through. Kelly steps on the accelerator and makes the line with ease. The conversion is missed again – the only area of the Jillaroos’ game that hasn’t quite clicked is their goal kicking.
3oth minute: It’s a decent set for England, but Roach puts in a kick that’s just too deep at the end of the set, to give the Jillaroos a seven tackle set. Togatuki comes off the field, but it’s no respite for England, as Mato replaces her, who has also been excellent today.
29th minute: Togatuki starts the set strongly with a massive hit up to draw in four England defenders. Brigginshaw is tackled awkwardly, but recovers quickly. Aiken puts up a huge bomb, which is dropped by Davies, the England winger, but the Australian chasers are ruled to be offiside and England get the penalty.
TRY! Jillaroos 30-0 Lionesses (Upton 25')
Robinson turns her defender inside out and gets the ball to Upton. Hardcastle makes the tackle attempt, but she can’t stop Upton from powering to the tryline. Aiken can’t add the two points, but the Jillaroos are not too concerned at this stage.
25th minute: England get close to Australia’s line again, but the play they attempt on the sixth tackle doesn’t come off and they hand the ball back for the Jillaroos to march down field once again. Brigginshaw’s kick at the end of the set is slightly too big and goes dead in goal, so England start from the 20m line.
23rd minute: Another break from Penitani looks like a certain try, but a wayward pass slows down the rampant Jillaroos. They attack the line again, but England jump on the ball. The Jillaroos force a line drop out and a huge tackle sees the ball pop out, so the Lionesses get the ball back and head down field. The game is paused as there appears to have been shoulder contact on the head of Togatuki in that huge tackle, but the bunker clears it and England play on.
21st minute: Kernick makes a great break, but loses the ball and England go on the counter attack. Dagger looks like she’ll score, but the Jillaroos scramble to defence and manage to pull her down 10m short of the line. They go hard at the line, but the Jillaroos’ defence is like a brick wall.
GOAL! Jillaroos 26-0 Lionesses (Aiken 18')
Another simple conversion for Aiken to push the Jillaroos further ahead.
TRY! Jillaroos 24-0 Lionesses (Upton 17')
The Lionesses just can’t get their hands on the ball at the moment and all this time in defence is having a big impact. Isabelle Kelly burns her opposing centre, gets the ball to Upton, who uses a step to get on the outside of the defence and scores.
GOAL! Jillaroos 20-0 Lionesses (Aiken 15')
Another simple kick for Aiken and she adds to England’s pain.
TRY! Jillaroos 18-0 Lionesses (Mato 14')
It’s hard to keep up with this much try-scoring action! Penitani makes a break and suddenly the Jillaroos are deep in Lionesses’ territory once again. England nearly force a handover on tackle six, but the Jillaroos get it back to Aiken who puts in a beautiful kick for Mato to dive on and they score again.
GOAL! Jillaroos 14-0 Lionesses (Aiken 13')
And easy kick this time for Aiken and she slots it over the black dot.
TRY! Jillaroos 12-0 Lionesses (Upton 12')
The Jillaroos can’t be stopped – they power down the field and Aiken puts in a beautiful little spiral kick to set up the try for Upton under the posts.
12 mins: No mistake from the kick off for the Jillaroos and they power back down the field.
TRY! Jillaroos 8-0 Lionesses (Penitani 9')
Some great footwork by Kezie Apps sets up a big break down the middle of the field. Apps is tackled five metres out from the line, but quick ball movement gets the ball out to Penitani in the centres and she dives over. The conversion is missed again.
10th minute: The Lionesses are throwing everything at the Jillaroos, swinging the ball from right to left and back again, but Australia’s defence on the tryline is strong and England are tackled on the sixth and must hand the ball over. The Jillaroos get back on the attack.
8th minute: An error from the kick off sees Clydsdale lose the ball in a tackle and England get the scrum feed 30m out from Australia’s line.
TRY! Jillaroos 4-0 Lionesses (Robinson, 5')
A huge break along the wing from Jakiya Whitfield started the momentum for the Jillaroos, with Whitfield drawing a penalty and Robinson making a break on the other wing to sprint and score in the corner. The conversion is missed, but the Jillaroos are looking confident.
4th minute: It’s a disciplined set from England, but the grubber kick at the end of the set easily finds Aiken who scoops it up to get the Jillaroos moving back down the field. Brigginshaw tests the England team again with a high kick, but they’re up to challenge so far.
2nd minute: A strong start from the Jillaroos, with a great opening set, finishing with a good kick from Aiken, but it’s taken well by the Lionesses. But early in the set, Clydsdale gives away a penalty and they get a full set inside the Jillaroos’ half.
Kick off!
The Lionesses kick off and we’re underway in this women’s Test!
Hello rugby league fans! I’m jumping in to relieve Angus for this next game, which is sure to be massive as the Australian Jillaroos take on the English Lionesses. It’s a huge moment in women’s sport, as this will be the first professional women’s match played at Allegiant Stadium. Looking forward to seeing what the teams have got for us today!
FULL TIME: Canberra Raiders 30 – 8 New Zealand Warriors.
That’s a great win for the Raiders and it sends a real warning shot to the competition in 2025. They were ruthless in that first half and dominated possession with over 60% of the ball. Moreover, they had all the ideas too, with Corey Horsburgh superb in his scheming and an abundance of big, strong, fast flyers chiming in to capitalise on his stealth. Sebastian Kris was superb and winger Xavier Savage bagged a double, including a 90-metre intercept that broke Warriors hearts. Jamal Fogarty outscored New Zealand on his own, kicking five from six.
The Warriors will be gutted by that display. They badly missed their talisman Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who is sidelined with a wrist injury. Former captain Tohu Harris was also a big absentee with the New Zealanders looking rudderless and impotent. Jackson Ford walked off with his head high after a brave effort in defence and Dylan Walker tried some new tricks from the old dog playbook that sparked a few attacking flurries. Even in a side back pedalling for much of the game, Luke Metcalf didn’t do enough at halfback. His kicking game was tepid and his running game was non-existent. That’s a problem area for the Warriors in 2025.
That result marks the Raiders largest round one victory since 2019 when they walloped the Gold Coast Titans 21-0. For the Warriors, it’s a little big of unwelcome history too: that 30-8 scoreline marks their biggest-ever defeat in a season opener.
FULL TIME 🟢⚪#NRLVegas #NRLRaidersWarriors pic.twitter.com/7tH96tTEMf
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
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76th minute: Canberra Raiders 30 – 8 New Zealand Warriors. Joe Tapine is out of the sin bin for that shoulder charge on Mitch Barnett and has returned to the field for the final five minutes. His teammates welcome him back with a breather as Jamal Fogarty lines up the penalty kick. It is successful off the boot and that gives him five from six today.
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75th minute: Canberra Raiders 28 – 8 New Zealand Warriors. The Warriors win another set restart but squander it with a kick that’s way too long. Xavier Savage gets up arguing that he’s been squirrel gripped in the tackle but thankfully we don’t go to the slow-motion replay to confirm that claim. Instead they get a penalty for a rake in the tackle.
TRY! Canberra Raiders 28 – 8 New Zealand Warriors.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck scores for the Warriors! That’s four tries in four games against the Raiders and a welcome one for the Kiwis who have finally made their one-man advantage pay. Big Roger just bumped through a tired Sebastien Kris on that occasion and crashed over in the corner. Alas, it’s too little too late for the Warriors and Luke Metcalf misses the conversion attempt.
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73rd minute: Canberra Raiders 28 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. The excitement is starting to show on both sides as the adrenaline fades and the afterburners run dry. Raiders star Sebastien Kris, weary from his try scoring feats today, has knocked on this time the Warriors look to have scored through Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
69th minute: Canberra Raiders 28 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. Simi Sasagi is on for the Raiders and star on the rise Demitric Vaimauga is on for the Warriors. We have our first cramp for the season. Pickle juice emergency pending! Play goes on as the Warriors cross the halfway. On the rare occasions they’ve ventured into enemy territory they haven’t had much strike power. They go close here but James Fisher-Harris is stopped short. Good desperation by the Raiders.
64th minute: Canberra Raiders 28 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. We have a blatant shoulder charge by Raider Joseph Tapine on Mitch Barnett.. The Americans in the crowd are enjoying that clash of titans but that was silly play and it means a stint in the sin bin and probably a couple of weeks punishment in the offing for Tapine.
60th minute: Canberra Raiders 28 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. Chanel Harris-Tavita is trying to put a bit of starch in this Warriors outfit. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad saves another near try with a last-man tackle on Savelio Tamale following a long break and then manages to strip the ball one-on-one. Warriors look tired and rusty. There’s more bad news in the form of fresh legs for the Raiders as Tom Starling goes to the bench and Owen Pattie is on for a taste of Vegas footy and a very special NRL debut.
Updated
TRY! Canberra Raiders 28 – 4 New Zealand Warriors.
Canberra Raiders are too far gone now! That was a good inside work by Xavier Savage who tipped it onto Zak Hosking and put Matthew Timoko into space to burn the Warriors on the outside, breaking through a would-be tackle from Chanel Harris-Tavita before standing up Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad for his 25th career try. Fogarty converts to make it 22 points the difference.
Timoko turns on the burners! 🚀#NRLVegas #NRLRaidersWarriors @Telstra pic.twitter.com/noOcMxyuPO
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
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56th minute: Canberra Raiders 22 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. The Raiders have crossed but the ball carrier has run through a hole created by an obstruction. Zac Hosking is the culprit there. He took the player out.
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52nd minute: Canberra Raiders 16 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. Has Roger Tuivasa-Sheck scored? He may have got a finger on that kick from Chanel Harris-Tavita. We’re going upstairs to find out and yes… but no. As in Yes Tuivasa-Sheck did get a finger on the ball but No, he didn’t score. He knocked it forward under pressure from Xavier Savage.
50th minute: Canberra Raiders 16 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. Good defence from Jackson Ford and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck stops the Raiders roll but Josh Papalii rumbles into bend the line Canberra’s way. They kick high and chase hard. The Warriors are pinned in their own half but they can’t drop their heads yet. They force the issue and kick beautifully to force a goal line kick off and win a fresh set. Still hope for the Kiwis!
Updated
TRY! Canberra Raiders 22-4 New Zealand Warriors
Sebastian Kris has been awarded the try! That gets the Raiders rolling in the second half and puts the Warriors further into the doldrums. Plenty of time left yet but the fact the Warriors have only had 45 percent of the ball and missed 32 tackles doesn’t bode well.
46th minute: Canberra Raiders 16 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. The Raiders have crossed through Sebastian Kris! But hang on, there’s talk of a knock on from Nicoll-Klokstad who knocks it into the leg of Hudson Young. We’re going upstairs…
43rd minute: Canberra Raiders 16 – 4 New Zealand Warriors. Second half is under way… Xavier Savage leading the opening charges but Jackson Ford makes a great tackle to shut it down and Nicoll-Klokstad does likewise on the next to stymie the Raiders. A great run by Wayne Egan gets the Warriors into the danger zone… but they knock on.
Here’s the match report from the Wigan v Warrington game that kicked off today’s quadruple header…
HALFTIME: Canberra Raiders 16-4 New Zealand Warriors
Dominant display by Canberra and it’s been led by Corey Horsburgh (13 hitups, three offloads, 20 tackles) and his partner in lime Tom Starling who have monstered the Warriors through the middle. Although both teams have leaked three penalties each it’s been Canberra’s precision in attack and ability to use the truncated space of this Allegiant field that has been the difference. They have bamboozled the Warriors through the middle and then skewered them on the edges.
TRY! Canberra Raiders 16-4 New Zealand Warriors
Kurt Capewell has scored for the Warriors! Strewth, they needed that. Adam Pompey breaks free out wide and offloads to the veteran who was flat footed in the corner but with time enough to take a step and plant the ball. That try came from the errant Raiders offload at the other end. Suddenly the Kiwis are back in the game despite only 39% possession in this first half. Veteran utility Dylan Walker has made a big difference from the bench for New Zealand, bringing energy and guile. They needed some X factor and he’s provided it.
Capewell gets the Warriors on the board! 🔥#NRLVegas #NRLRaidersWarriors pic.twitter.com/7VnKNDa0mh
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
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35th minute: Canberra Raiders 16 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. The Warriors have missed 21 tackles to the Raiders’ one! But Sticky Stuart’s men have botched this set, forcing a pass in the tackle. The Warriors will get a chance to trouble the scorers. What can they find?
TRY! Canberra Raiders 16-0 New Zealand Warriors
Intercept by Xavier Savage and he races 90-metres to score his second! Savage was pinned on his line when he swooped on Luke Metcalf’s pass and bolted. The Raiders are on fire, making the most of the condensed field at Allegiant Stadium (seven metres narrower, four metrres shorter) with inside balls and switch plays. Fogarty adds the extras and now Canberra’s dominance is fairly reflected on the scoreboard.
GOODBYE! 👋#NRLVegas #NRLRaidersWarriors pic.twitter.com/6KUWxrU4Xa
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
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31st minute: Canberra Raiders 10 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Here’s Hudson Young into the action. He’s been quiet thus far, perhaps still a bit sheepish about his wiffle bat scandal earlier in the week. Xavier Savage is on report for a late tackle.
TRY! Canberra Raiders 10 – 0 New Zealand Warriors.
Xavier Savage is over in the corner! That came from the Tom Starling bust and run. He maintained momentum in the tackle by Nicoll-Klokstad and Canberra spread it quickly to the edge where the Warriors were too thinly stretched. Fogerty misses the conversion and we are 10-0 after 28 minutes.
Quick hands for Savage in the corner! 👌#NRLVegas #NRLRaidersWarriors pic.twitter.com/apaLzo5paP
— NRL (@NRL) March 2, 2025
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26rd minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Dylan Walker is on the Warriors as the Matt Webster’s side struggle to match the pace of the Canberra Raiders. Now Tom Starling has made a big bust now. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad drags him down but the lime green jerseys are swarming.
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23rd minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Here come the Raiders again through Morgan Smithie who is on from the bench. Adam Pompey puts on a massive hit but James Fisher-Harris misses his assignment on the next tackle and the Raiders wriggle free. They’ve lost momentum though and it all falls apart.
19th minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. A good catch by Xavier Savage sets up the Raiders for another, er, raid. Ethan Strange and Jamal Fogarty are pulling the strings nicely now, still moving at pace, but throwing in cross-plays up the middle before zipping wide. Unfortunately a great ball from Ethan Strange has been too good for his outside man and the Warriors will win the ball back from the scrum.
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15th minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Oh no. The skills are starting to fray as we have a knock-on both ways. This game has been played at a frantic pace with lots of offloads (eight so far for the Raiders!) but it’s starting to go awry on this slightly smaller field. Warriors will get the scrum near halfway.
13th minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Canberra have crossed but this will be rubbed out for An obstruction play. Josh Papalii was the man responsible (irresponsible?) and it gets the Warriors out of jail. They charge back but too fast. They’ve coughed it up. And after no penalties in the first ten minutes we have a third in as many minutes, this time to Canberra. It’s against Mitch Barnett in the tackle. Here come The Milk Men!
13th minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. The frontline defence by Canberra has been awesome with Josh Papalii leading the way. They nullify the Warriors set and the Raiders retrieve the last tackle bomb on the 40 metre and march into the enemy half. Now we have a penalty to the Raiders because Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has taken our kicker Corey Horsburgh in the air. That will be dangerous contact and Nicoll-Klokstad on report.
11th minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Again the Warriors have failed to convert and this time it’s Kurt Capewell with the error on the sideline. They haven’t thrown any real punches with either of those attacking raids and the Raiders have survived with relative ease.
9th minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Warriors attack comes to nothing as they are caught on the last. But Xavier Savage and Josh Starling have botched the changeover and gifted the ball back to the Warriors. Scrum to the Kiwis 15 metres out…
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7th minute: Canberra Raiders 6 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. The big bopper Big Papa gets us started again as Josh Papalii hammers into the traffic. But we have a play the ball error in the next tackle and we’ll have a changeover. Warriors on the attack 20m out.
TRY! Canberra Raiders 6-0 New Zealand Warriors
Try to Sebastian Kris who has reached out and scraped the paint! That came from fast offloads from Corey Horsburgh who looks fit and fast and up for the battle today. This game has been played at warp speed and Canberra have first blood through Kris in his 86th game in the NRL. Jamal Fogarty converts to make it 6-zip.
3rd minute: Canberra Raiders 0 – 0 New Zealand Warriors. Fast start by both sides and a a very short 10-metres being played by the ref as the players get into each other’s faces with fast starts off the line. Warriors star James Fisher-Harris gets lucky with his first play, raking the ball out but not being penalised.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has taken inspiration from the poker tables at his hotel and reshuffled his pack for today’s game against the Warriors. Josh Papalii will start, and Morgan Smithies revert to the bench. Smart move to unleash big Papa from the get-go. Vegas won’t know what hit it…
Ethan Strange and Jamal Fogarty will run the side from the halves. Corey Horsburgh and Joseph Tapine will bring muscle up the middle. There are a couple of fresh faces in the lime green line-up. Owen Pattie will debut from the bench and Savelio Tamale plays his second NRL game on the wing.
For the Warriors, coach Matt Webster has also made some late changes. Co-captain Mitch Barnett will now start at lock, Jackson Ford is promoted from the interchange to start in the front row and Erin Clark reverts to the bench.
The Warriors will be spearheaded by new recruit James Fisher-Harris and playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita calls the plays from five-eighth, with half Luke Metcalf riding shiotgun. Taine Tuaupiki replaces Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on the wing.
Here come the players onto Allegiant Stadium. Warriors will kick off… here we go!
Here’s how the teams line-up in the Raiders v Warriors showdown.
Canberra Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Savelio Tamale 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Corey Horsburgh 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Owen Pattie 15. Simi Sasagi 16. Josh Papali’i 17. Ata Mariota 18. Danny Levi 19. Trey Mooney 20. Ethan Sanders 21. Chevy Stewart 22. Jed Stuart
New Zealand Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Taine Tuaupiki 3. Ali Leiataua 4. Adam Pompey 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Luke Metcalf 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Marata Niukore 13. Erin Clark 14. Dylan Walker 15. Jackson Ford 16. Demitric Vaimauga 17. Leka Halasima 18. Samuel Healey 20. Te Maire Martin 21. Eddie Ieremia 22. Bunty Afoa 23. Edward Kosi
It’s full time in phase one of rugby league’s Operation Vegas.
Wigan Warriors 48 – 24 Warrington Wolves
Next, Raiders v Warriors coming up in 20 minutes.
FULL TIME 🍒#NRLVegas pic.twitter.com/AIi4LFPtxb
— NRL (@NRL) March 1, 2025
Updated
From 42-zip, Warrington have scored three quick tries to restore some respect to the scoreline. Teen tearaway Arron Lindop started the fightback by chasing a George Williams grubber home. Then Ben Currie caught a bomb and shovelled a one-handed pass to James Harrison for a try. Finally, Matt Dufty, former NRL star for the Dragons and Bulldogs, made a 25-metre run to score. Josh Thewlis’s conversion makes it 42-18.
Matt Dufty takes them on! 😤#NRLVegas pic.twitter.com/7Ti5EQFcHt
— NRL (@NRL) March 1, 2025
Although the Wolves are rallying, Wigan’s first hour was a masterclass…
Wigan are putting on a SHOW! 😍#NRLVegas pic.twitter.com/8nRpQAXFET
— NRL (@NRL) March 1, 2025
Regardless of the blow-out scoreline in the Warriors-Wolves game, the match was widely branded as the “biggest game in British rugby league.”
Aaron Bower’s story illuminates how “rare it is for Super League and the NRL to work hand in hand like this, but there is a shared goal of collectively cracking the US sports market and exposing rugby league to the masses worldwide.”
Las Vegas is a town where the numbers fall and for Sam Burgess’s boys they are falling hard. Currently the scoreline sits at Wigan Warriors 42 – 0 Warrington Wolves.
Those numbers will leave Big Sum with a serious hangover…
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Will US President Donald Trump attend today’s festival of the boot?
The fact the NRL even invited him has caused no end of drama with one anti-domestic violence charity severing ties with the league over what it called a “tone deaf” offer.
“White Ribbon penned a letter to the NRL this week that ended a partnership dating back to 2008, citing the league’s decision to associate with “well-known perpetrators of abuse and violence against women”.
Here’s how Martin Pegan previewed the NRL’s return to Vegas…
“Now that the league has arrived at its destination, there are more fans in town, more events on the ground, and teams from more countries putting the finishing touches on their own show. Twice as many matches as last year are still to come when all the off-field glitz and glamour are put to one side and the quadruple-header finally kicks off at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday”
Preamble
Greetings sports fans! Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the extravaganza that is Rugby League in Las Vegas 2.0. Angus Fontaine here on the keys and what a day of action we have for you today.
Currently under way on Allegiant Stadium is the clash between Super League giants Wigan and Warrington. Wolves coach and Rabbitohs great Sam Burgess made it onto his flight with four minutes to spare but at halftime, his boys were still grounded at 0-24.
First up, we’ve got the NRL season opener between the Canberra Raiders and New Zealand Warriors at 4:00pm PST / 11:00am AEDT. Raiders coach ‘Sticky’ Ricky Stuart has already been hailed as the game’s “ultimate trash talker” by the US media and I’m not game to disagree.
Next, for their first meeting since the 2017 World Cup, Australia take on England in a women’s international. That match kicks off at 6:15pm PST / 1:15pm AEDT and Megan Maurice will be on the tools with a live call eight years in the making
Finally, it will be four-time defending NRL champions the Penrith Panthers duking it out with the Cronulla Sharks at 8:30pm PST / 3:30pm AEDT. Can Ivan Cleary’s mountain men reign supreme again in 2025 despite losing a galaxy of stars to rivals? Or will the Sharks, with new marquee signing Addin Fonua-Blake, pop their bubble?
Eight mighty teams. Four fierce games. One crazy day. Here we go…
IT'S SHOWTIME... #NRLVegas 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/IrhwH8CK8h
— NRL (@NRL) March 1, 2025
