Latest news with #ApiiNicholls
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
NRLW live updates: Warriors Women v Gold Coast Titans
Tysha Ikenasio of the Warrirors scores as Michaela Brake and Apii Nicholls (captain) celebrate. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ Photo: Brett Phibbs/ The Warriors women come in trying to improve on their one-win/two-loss record so far. They face the similarly placed Gold Coast Titans at Mt Smart as part of another doubleheader. Kickoff is 2.45pm.
RNZ News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NRLW live updates: Knights v Warriors Women
Tysha Ikenasio of the Warriors scores a try as Michaela Brake of the Warriors and Apii Nicholls (captain) of the Warriors cheer. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ The Warriors women have recorded their first win of their ressurected existence, now go hunting an away scalp in Newcastle. Kick-off is at 8:15pm NZT.
RNZ News
13-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ Warriors women learn on fly in NRLW homecoming
Warriors women celebrate a try against Parramatta Eels. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ After six years away, NZ Warriors wāhine gave home fans a glimpse of their future, as they continued their rugby league education with a first NRLW win at Mt Smart on Sunday. The inexperienced roster that looked lost at times against defending champions Sydney Roosters seven days earlier, seemed far more connected in a 14-0 victory over Parramatta Eels. To coin an old phrase, the penny dropped for the 10 players who had never stepped out at this level before - including a handful of rugby converts, who had never even played the game before. "From our performance from last week to this week - without a trial game, we were in freefall at times last week, but we kept going for each other," Warriors coach Ron Griffiths observed. "Today, we were in freefall, but because we had that run under our belt, we understood how to win moments back." The Warriors returned to the Aussie women's competition after the Covid-19 pandemic forced a five-year hiatus, but only seven had previous NRLW experience and only one - captain Apii Nicholls - had worn the jersey before. Michaela Brake scores her first NRLW try against the Eels. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ The rest have been either plucked from domestic club footy or raided from the other oval-ball code. They also took on the titleholders without a pre-season game and that lack of cohesion showed in a 30-6 defeat at Sydney. "If you watched Shak's performance last week [former Black Fern Shakira Baker], it was immense for a lady that had only played limited rugby league games," Griffiths said. "When you watched her again today, you could see those moments she missed last week, she got them right." With their performance against Parramatta, in their first home game since 2019, the Warriors seemed far more at ease in their unfamiliar surroundings. Asked which aspect of the scoreline pleased him most, Griffiths had no hesitation. "Definitely the zero," he said. "There's lots of pleasing moments to come out of that, but one thing we've spoken about from day one was having a team full of defensive resolve. "Putting the layers on top in attack will come and we've seen a vast improvement today in that - but definitely the zero." Given her impressive sevens pedigree, most attention will naturally centre on winger Michaela Brake, as she tries to master a new skillset, and she took a huge step forward in her development. The nuggety speedster known as 'Mini' scored her first NRLW try in the opening minutes against the Eels, and tormented them throughout with her willingness to run in the open field and from dummy half. "Last week, Michaela had 10 carries and they were all powerful, but we've been talking to her about when she needs to run," Griffiths said. "We've only given her fleeting bits of information. "Her ruck recognition today, and understanding when to follow the ball and run, was self-taught. She's been watching the game and thinking, 'I need to improve from last week and that's when I need to chase these moments in time'. "She did that exceptionally today." Tysha Ikenasio scores a try against Parramatta Eels. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ The next step in that evolution will come when Brake's teammates recognise she's about to run and then follow. One try went begging against the Eels, when Brake scampered clear from her own half, but ran out of support with just the fullback to beat. "We need to anticipate that and it's up to us as coaches to put them in those scenarios where they see that picture - 'What are we seeing right now, we need to be on that play'." Some of that learning happened in game. In the first half, halfback Emily Curtain rolled a kick to the tryline, but centre Tysha Ikenasio - another sevens exponent - slightly mis-timed her chase and couldn't control the bounce. When Curtain repeated that kick in the second half, Ikenasio was on the spot to score. Perhaps the play of the game came from Nicholls herself. As Eels counterpart Abbi Church counterattacked from her own goal-line, the field suddenly opened up with teammates around her. Nicholls stood her ground on halfway and dumped Church in a crucial one-on-one tackle that's sure to feature in this week's game analysis. "Her career is littered with moments like that where, when the break's made, she makes a decision," Griffiths said. "She doesn't always get it right, but her application to go and make that tackle is important. "One thing I noticed today, when that break was made, I could see her and Mini communicating. "Last week, if the break was made, we went to that player. This week, I could see them communicating amongst each other." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- 1News
Warriors wahine stumble to champion Roosters in NRLW return
NZ Warriors have quickly learnt how much ground they must make up in their NRLW return, succumbing 30-6 to defending champions Sydney Roosters in their 2025 season-opener. After a four-year hiatus forced by the Covid pandemic, the Auckland club fielded a largely untried team — only seven players had previous experience in the Australian competition — against the reigning premiers in Sydney. The Warriors weathered the early storm from their rivals, but conceded first points, when winger Payton Takimoana spilled the first pass from a tap restart inside her own 20 and Roosters winger Jayme Fressard capitalised in the opposite corner. Moments later, sevens star Michaela Brake made a meal of her first high kick in rugby league and Taina Naividi powered over for the Roosters' second try. Rugby convert Patricia Maliepo, playing at five-eighth, opened the Warriors account, from a sustained period of pressure on the Roosters goal-line, converting her own try to keep her team in contention. ADVERTISEMENT The Roosters kicked into another gear and Naividi had her second try, after the Warriors charged down a kick, but the ball quickly found Roosters star Isabelle Kelly, who carved through the backpedalling defence. Takimoana fielded a kick on her goal-line and was driven back for a dropout, and from the restart, Naividi picked up a first-half hattrick to put the titleholders ahead 18-6 at the break. The Warriors wahine played their first game back in the NRLW against the dominant defending champions. (Source: 1News) From the second-half kickoff, Warriors forward Matekino Gray was dispossessed of the ball and Roosters counterpart Rima Butler rumbled over from the ensuing scrum. As fatigue set in, the Warriors began falling off tackles or committing basic errors that had them constantly on the back foot. When captain Apii Nicholls spilled the ball in her own half, Fressard seemed to have her second try, but Brake did enough to drive her into touch, as the Roosters winger suffered a dislocated elbow in the process. Apii Nicholls of the Warriors is tackled during the Sydney Roosters Women v NZ Warriors Women. (Source: Photosport) ADVERTISEMENT Moments later, Nicholls threw a long pass beyond her winger into touch and the Roosters struck again through lock Olivia Kernick, as the scoreline began to mount. Naividi was denied a record-equalling fourth try by a forward pass and, at the other end of the field, former Black Fern Shakira Baker lost the ball over the tryline. The Warriors had other opportunities to add to their tally, but their hands let them down at close range. Brake could not find enough space to show her speed, but fellow sevens exponent Tysha Ikenasio was probably the Warriors' best, running for a team-high 168m, while Maliepo's unorthodox rugby skills translated well to league. Coach Ron Griffiths now has seven days to address the issues, before his team face Parramatta Eels — 18-16 winners over Cronulla Sharks in their opener — at Go Media Stadium.
NZ Herald
06-07-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Warriors v Roosters: NRLW round one live updates in Sydney
Follow the action as the Warriors make their NRLW return against the defending champion Sydney Roosters. Match preview After a near five-year absence, the Warriors are back in the NRLW. The Warriors were one of four foundation clubs alongside the Brisbane Broncos, St George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters when the NRLW was launched in 2018. They played in the competition for the first three seasons before the Covid pandemic's impact forced them to withdraw. Since then, the competition has expanded to 12 teams, and the Warriors face a tough task in their first assignment against the defending champion Roosters in Sydney. Captain Apii Nicholls is the only player to have previously played for the Warriors, with seven of the starting 13 named making their NRLW debuts, including former Black Ferns sevens star Michaela Brake. The side will be coached by Ronald Griffiths, who won back-to-back NRLW premierships with the Newcastle Knights in 2022 and 2023. The Warriors and Roosters played in the first official NRLW match back in 2018, which the New Zealand side won 10-4. NRLW games are played in two 35-minute halves. Warriors: 1. Apii Nicholls (c), 2. Michaela Brake, 3. Tysha Ikenasio, 4. Emmanita Paki, 5. Payton Takimoana, 6. Patricia Maliepo, 7. Emily Curtain, 8. Harata Butler, 9. Capri Paekau, 10. Lavinia Kitai, 11. Shakira Baker, 12. Kaiyah Atai, 13. Laishon Albert-Jones. Interchange: 14. Lydia Turua-Quedley, 15. Maarire Puketapu, 16. Ashlee Matapo, 17 Matekino Gray. Roosters: 1. Brydie Parker, 2. Taina Naividi, 3. Jessica Sergis, 4. Isabelle Kelly (c), 5. Jayme Fressard, 6. Corban Baxter, 7. Jocelyn Kelleher, 8. Otesa Pule, 9. Keeley Davis, 10. Rima Butler, 11. Mia Wood, 12. Jasmin Strange, 13. Olivia Kernick.
