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The Australian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Dragons break Bulldogs' hearts, Raiders' horror start continues with Parramatta thrashing
The Dragons have handed the Bulldogs their first loss of the season with teenage sensation Kasey Reh scoring with the final play of the game just moments after their opponents shanked a field goal attempt at the other end. The 18-14 thriller was the game of the NRLW season so far, with the Dragons racing out of the blocks before the Bulldogs showed their customary fight to give themselves a chance at victory. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but they'll probably regret turning down a shot at penalty goal from 30 metres out with two minutes remaining, with halfback Tayla Preston missing a shot at field goal moments after she sent another attempt cannoning into the post. The missed opportunity hurt them in the end as Nita Maynard-Perrin – who had a try disallowed late in the second half – jumped out of dummy-half and played short to Reh who burst through to score the winner. The Dragons have claimed victory over the Bulldogs in an NRLW thriller. Picture: Getty Images It was an epic finish to a cracking game that started with Raecene McGregor nailing a 40/30 which led to Indie Bostock opening the scoring from the next set. The Dragons kicked clear with another try before the Bulldogs struck back twice down their left edge, with Hannah Southwell's slashing solo effort from 40 metres out putting the Red V back in front. But the Bulldogs were back level when fullback Andie Robinson sliced through, only for Preston's sideline conversion to thump into the upright. CANBERRA'S HORROR START TO THE NRLW SEASON CONTINUES Canberra's horror start to the NRLW season has continued after they slumped to their third loss in a row at home as the Eels punished some sloppy errors at the back to celebrate Mahalia Murphy's return from injury with a thumping win. Murphy missed the opening two rounds of the season with a hamstring injury but scored a crucial try on the stroke of halftime as Parramatta bounced back from last week's loss in New Zealand to win 46-12. The halves had a field day with Cassey Tohi-Hiku setting up two tries while Rachael Pearson had three assists and scored one of her own as Canberra struggled to deal with their high kicks. Rachael Pearson one of the Eels' eight tries. Picture:The Eels made them pay with a couple of quick tries, including one to Martha Mataele who crashed over for her first try to celebrate her birthday on a day the club posted its highest NRLW score. The future looks bright for a team brimming with young talent, including rookie prop Tess McWilliams who powered past superstar Simaima Taufa to open the second-half scoring. Parramatta's attack will be hard to stop if Zali Fay continues to do special things after the winger flew through the air to reel in a Pearson kick before she offloaded to Owen who grabbed her second try. Rory Owen attempts to escape the Canberra defence. Picture:CAPITAL CURSE The Raiders would have been banking on a fast start to the season with their first three games at home, but they are anchored to the bottom of the table and are winless through the opening three rounds. They have now lost nine-straight games at GIO Stadium, with their last win coming way back in 2023 against the Eels. The writing was on the wall from the very first set when they dropped the ball, and things didn't improve as the Green Machine completed just 53 per cent of their sets in the first half. Their inability to handle kicks is a huge concern with all four of Parramatta's first-half tries coming on the back of simple errors, including one to Rory Owen who was simply more desperate to attack the loose ball. The Raiders suffered their third loss at home. Picture:SIGNS OF HOPE Madison Bartlett grabbed a double to become the second player to score 30 NRLW tries, while Raiders fans would have enjoyed what they saw from Elise Simpson who overcame a few tough moments to shine on debut. The local junior will learn a lot from Saturday's showing, with Simpson gifting the Eels a couple of tries with dropped balls but also coming up with some big plays in defence. The fullback set up both of Bartlett's tries with lovely passes on the left edge, while Simpson also had a huge kick return which led to another try a few plays later.
News.com.au
03-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Bulldogs co-captain and fan Tayla Preston to live out childhood dream in NRLW opener
Tayla Preston has a signed pair of Willie Mason's footy shorts somewhere, stuffed in a box of Bulldogs memorabilia she's about to cram more into. On Friday night the Bulldogs' inaugural NRLW signing and now co-captain of the competition's newest expansion team will complete a childhood dream to play for the club she grew up idolising. 'It's honestly so surreal and so special to me, I've grown up going for this club so to wear this jersey, I just have so much pride and I want to repay the club for all the faith they've put in us,' she says ahead of Friday night's historic clash with Newcastle at Accor Stadium. 'It's the 90th year for the club and inaugural season, it doesn't get much better to be honest. I get goosebumps thinking about it every day and I feel so lucky that I get to represent this club, it's such an honour.' It's a full circle moment for the Preston family. Tayla's dad John was born and raised in Belmore, but was also a goalkicking halfback in Canterbury's lower grades in the 1980s. 'I have a few photos of me back in the day back in the boys sheds, with Trent Hodkinson, Josh Reynolds and Josh Morris,' she says. 'I have some photos at school repping my Bulldogs jersey for Jersey Day, not sure where that jersey has gone now it definitely wouldn't fit me. 'We have Willie Mason's old footy shorts from the Bulldogs, signed, too,' she laughs 'We found them the other day' We ask, they're definitely washed. 'They used to be massive on me but I think they might nearly fit me these days.' They're the very players who have been helping out at training across the pre-season. New coach Brayden Wiliame is a recently retired NRL player who is still learning the ropes as a rookie mentor for the women's team. Since joining the Bulldogs he's leant on the clubs' former players to impart their knowledge on the team. 'We had Josh Jackson come in and Josh Reynolds did some kicking stuff with our halves the other week,' he says. 'I'm more than open for guys to come in and take sessions. 'We had Brad Fittler come in not that long ago, he just came in to watch but it was cool for the girls to see that. 'I'm not precious about, oh 'this is my team don't touch it'. I understand there's things I'm still learning, so any time we can get ex-players in or people to come in and help the team, I'm more than happy for that. 'That's the culture we're trying to build here.' Wiliame was a late addition to the NRLW team, arriving just before pre-season kicked off in May. He replaced former head coach Blake Cavallaro, who parted ways with the club amid claims of an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. The former Eels, Dragons, Manly and Warriors centre arrives highly regarded and eager to learn after hanging up the boots of his playing career in 2023. 'I think the game has evolved a lot over the past five years or so, it got a lot faster and a lot more is the asked of the players nowadays,' he says of the NRLW. 'But as a recent player I feel like I can add that experience, I know what it feels like out there, so what I say can hold some weight. 'I was only doing this two years ago, going through a pre-season, so I know what it feels like.' He says building a Bulldogs team that matches the culture of the club is his first priority. 'Grit is something that always comes up with the Bulldogs. That's what they've been known for, and particularly over these last couple of seasons since Cam (Ciraldo) has come in, they haven't had the biggest forward pack but they just go after teams,' he says. 'We do have quite a powerful forward pack, but that's what we'll be about.'
The Advertiser
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Preston's NRLW Bulldogs dream decades in the making
When Tayla Preston became Canterbury's inaugural NRLW signing, her mother went out to the garage and rummaged around for a specific family treasure from 20 years earlier. The last time Canterbury won the NRL premiership in 2004, the Preston family - Canterbury tragics living in Bulldogs heartland - had framed a signed poster of the iconic team. NRL legends Sonny Bill Williams, Jonathan Thurston, Hazem El Masri and Willie Mason were in the team that pipped the Sydney Roosters in a classic grand final that day. Two decades on, the Prestons hung the photo frame back up in the family home as a reminder of what Tayla could achieve blazing a trail with the club's first NRLW team. "We kind of said, 'We'll have to put that up around the house to set a goal'," Tayla Preston told AAP ahead of round one this weekend. "It's pretty cool to be able to look at that. I'd love to be able to lift the trophy up for the Bulldogs one day." Along with the Warriors, Canterbury are one of two new NRLW franchises pushing the competition to 12 teams this season. But for co-captain and playmaker Preston, playing for the Bulldogs is an opportunity many years in the making. She grew up playing touch football and idolising the likes of Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris as they wore the famous blue-and-white strip. Her brother Jarryd was as keen a Canterbury fan, too, and used to run around wearing a pair of Mason's oversized footy shorts he'd been gifted after a game when the siblings were young. Tayla has since crossed paths with Mason when he's dropped into training for the NSW Women's Premiership team. "I wasn't game enough to tell him we had a pair of his shorts at home. Maybe one day," she said with a laugh. So after a lifetime dreaming of playing for the Bulldogs at first-grade level, Preston is determined to make her chance count. Preston insists a grand final appearance, just like that one from 2004, should not be off the cards for the youthful Dogs roster coached by ex-NRL player Brayden Wiliame. Veteran prop Holli Wheeler, co-captain alongside Preston, and Kiwi Ferns trio Alexis Tauaneai, Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa and Ashleigh Quinlan will be essential to helping Canterbury realise that goal. "There's no reason why we can't be there on grand final day. We believe we've got the squad to do so," Preston said. "For us it's just about building that legacy and holding those standards really high for the young girls to be able to see there's a proper pathway now and they can play for the club that they idolise too." When Tayla Preston became Canterbury's inaugural NRLW signing, her mother went out to the garage and rummaged around for a specific family treasure from 20 years earlier. The last time Canterbury won the NRL premiership in 2004, the Preston family - Canterbury tragics living in Bulldogs heartland - had framed a signed poster of the iconic team. NRL legends Sonny Bill Williams, Jonathan Thurston, Hazem El Masri and Willie Mason were in the team that pipped the Sydney Roosters in a classic grand final that day. Two decades on, the Prestons hung the photo frame back up in the family home as a reminder of what Tayla could achieve blazing a trail with the club's first NRLW team. "We kind of said, 'We'll have to put that up around the house to set a goal'," Tayla Preston told AAP ahead of round one this weekend. "It's pretty cool to be able to look at that. I'd love to be able to lift the trophy up for the Bulldogs one day." Along with the Warriors, Canterbury are one of two new NRLW franchises pushing the competition to 12 teams this season. But for co-captain and playmaker Preston, playing for the Bulldogs is an opportunity many years in the making. She grew up playing touch football and idolising the likes of Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris as they wore the famous blue-and-white strip. Her brother Jarryd was as keen a Canterbury fan, too, and used to run around wearing a pair of Mason's oversized footy shorts he'd been gifted after a game when the siblings were young. Tayla has since crossed paths with Mason when he's dropped into training for the NSW Women's Premiership team. "I wasn't game enough to tell him we had a pair of his shorts at home. Maybe one day," she said with a laugh. So after a lifetime dreaming of playing for the Bulldogs at first-grade level, Preston is determined to make her chance count. Preston insists a grand final appearance, just like that one from 2004, should not be off the cards for the youthful Dogs roster coached by ex-NRL player Brayden Wiliame. Veteran prop Holli Wheeler, co-captain alongside Preston, and Kiwi Ferns trio Alexis Tauaneai, Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa and Ashleigh Quinlan will be essential to helping Canterbury realise that goal. "There's no reason why we can't be there on grand final day. We believe we've got the squad to do so," Preston said. "For us it's just about building that legacy and holding those standards really high for the young girls to be able to see there's a proper pathway now and they can play for the club that they idolise too." When Tayla Preston became Canterbury's inaugural NRLW signing, her mother went out to the garage and rummaged around for a specific family treasure from 20 years earlier. The last time Canterbury won the NRL premiership in 2004, the Preston family - Canterbury tragics living in Bulldogs heartland - had framed a signed poster of the iconic team. NRL legends Sonny Bill Williams, Jonathan Thurston, Hazem El Masri and Willie Mason were in the team that pipped the Sydney Roosters in a classic grand final that day. Two decades on, the Prestons hung the photo frame back up in the family home as a reminder of what Tayla could achieve blazing a trail with the club's first NRLW team. "We kind of said, 'We'll have to put that up around the house to set a goal'," Tayla Preston told AAP ahead of round one this weekend. "It's pretty cool to be able to look at that. I'd love to be able to lift the trophy up for the Bulldogs one day." Along with the Warriors, Canterbury are one of two new NRLW franchises pushing the competition to 12 teams this season. But for co-captain and playmaker Preston, playing for the Bulldogs is an opportunity many years in the making. She grew up playing touch football and idolising the likes of Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris as they wore the famous blue-and-white strip. Her brother Jarryd was as keen a Canterbury fan, too, and used to run around wearing a pair of Mason's oversized footy shorts he'd been gifted after a game when the siblings were young. Tayla has since crossed paths with Mason when he's dropped into training for the NSW Women's Premiership team. "I wasn't game enough to tell him we had a pair of his shorts at home. Maybe one day," she said with a laugh. So after a lifetime dreaming of playing for the Bulldogs at first-grade level, Preston is determined to make her chance count. Preston insists a grand final appearance, just like that one from 2004, should not be off the cards for the youthful Dogs roster coached by ex-NRL player Brayden Wiliame. Veteran prop Holli Wheeler, co-captain alongside Preston, and Kiwi Ferns trio Alexis Tauaneai, Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa and Ashleigh Quinlan will be essential to helping Canterbury realise that goal. "There's no reason why we can't be there on grand final day. We believe we've got the squad to do so," Preston said. "For us it's just about building that legacy and holding those standards really high for the young girls to be able to see there's a proper pathway now and they can play for the club that they idolise too."
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Tayla Preston's NRLW Bulldogs dream decades in the making
When Tayla Preston became Canterbury's inaugural NRLW signing, her mother went out to the garage and rummaged around for a specific family treasure from more than 20 years earlier. The last time the club won the NRL premiership in 2004, the Preston family — Canterbury supporters living in Bulldogs heartland — had framed a signed poster of the team. NRL legends Sonny Bill Williams, Johnathan Thurston, Hazem El Masri and Willie Mason were in the squad that pipped the Sydney Roosters 16-13 in the grand final. Two decades on, the Prestons hung the photo frame back up in the family home as a reminder of what Tayla could achieve, blazing a trail with the club's first NRLW team. "We kind of said, 'We'll have to put that up around the house to set a goal,'" said Preston, ahead Friday night's round-one match against Newcastle at Stadium Australia. "It's pretty cool to be able to look at that. I'd love to be able to lift the trophy up for the Bulldogs one day." Along with the Warriors, Canterbury are one of two NRLW additions in 2025, pushing the competition to 12 teams this season. The Warriors re-join the NRLW, having last played in the competition in 2020. For playmaker Preston — who is a co-captain alongside Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa — representing the Bulldogs is an opportunity many years in the making. She grew up playing touch football and idolising the likes of Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris as they wore the famous blue-and-white jersey. Preston played halfback for Cronulla in last year's NRLW grand final, which the Sharks lost 32-28 to the Sydney Roosters, and has previously appeared for Parramatta. She insists a grand final appearance should not be off the cards for the youthful Bulldogs roster coached by ex-NRL player Brayden Wiliame. Veteran prop Holli Wheeler and Kiwi Ferns trio Alexis Tauaneai, Teakaraanga-Katoa and Ashleigh Quinlan will be essential to helping Canterbury realise that goal. "There's no reason why we can't be there on grand final day. We believe we've got the squad to do so," Preston said. "For us it's just about building that legacy and holding those standards really high for the young girls to be able to see there's a proper pathway now and they can play for the club that they idolise too." AAP
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Preston's NRLW Bulldogs dream decades in the making
When Tayla Preston became Canterbury's inaugural NRLW signing, her mother went out to the garage and rummaged around for a specific family treasure from 20 years earlier. The last time Canterbury won the NRL premiership in 2004, the Preston family - Canterbury tragics living in Bulldogs heartland - had framed a signed poster of the iconic team. NRL legends Sonny Bill Williams, Jonathan Thurston, Hazem El Masri and Willie Mason were in the team that pipped the Sydney Roosters in a classic grand final that day. Two decades on, the Prestons hung the photo frame back up in the family home as a reminder of what Tayla could achieve blazing a trail with the club's first NRLW team. "We kind of said, 'We'll have to put that up around the house to set a goal'," Tayla Preston told AAP ahead of round one this weekend. "It's pretty cool to be able to look at that. I'd love to be able to lift the trophy up for the Bulldogs one day." Along with the Warriors, Canterbury are one of two new NRLW franchises pushing the competition to 12 teams this season. But for co-captain and playmaker Preston, playing for the Bulldogs is an opportunity many years in the making. She grew up playing touch football and idolising the likes of Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris as they wore the famous blue-and-white strip. Her brother Jarryd was as keen a Canterbury fan, too, and used to run around wearing a pair of Mason's oversized footy shorts he'd been gifted after a game when the siblings were young. Tayla has since crossed paths with Mason when he's dropped into training for the NSW Women's Premiership team. "I wasn't game enough to tell him we had a pair of his shorts at home. Maybe one day," she said with a laugh. So after a lifetime dreaming of playing for the Bulldogs at first-grade level, Preston is determined to make her chance count. Preston insists a grand final appearance, just like that one from 2004, should not be off the cards for the youthful Dogs roster coached by ex-NRL player Brayden Wiliame. Veteran prop Holli Wheeler, co-captain alongside Preston, and Kiwi Ferns trio Alexis Tauaneai, Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa and Ashleigh Quinlan will be essential to helping Canterbury realise that goal. "There's no reason why we can't be there on grand final day. We believe we've got the squad to do so," Preston said. "For us it's just about building that legacy and holding those standards really high for the young girls to be able to see there's a proper pathway now and they can play for the club that they idolise too."
