Kelly leads Dally M race as NRLW gears up for Round 7
In the latest episode of Footy For Real, Jada Taylor and Maddie Studdon analyse the fallout from Round 6 of the NRLW, focusing on the individual brilliance driving the Dally M race and the tactical shifts defining the top eight. With the competition heading into its first ever Indigenous Round, the focus remains on consistency and the emergence of rookie talent.
Isabelle Kelly out in front for Dally M
The leaderboard for the Dally M Medal has officially gone behind closed doors, but Roosters star Isabelle Kelly remains the woman to beat. Currently sitting on 23 points, Kelly is chasing the only major individual accolade missing from her trophy cabinet.
"With the form she's playing, she's so consistent each week and I think she's a good chance to get it," Studdon remarked. "I don't think anyone can catch her. Every game you know what she's going to give you, her team's 100 per cent, and if you give her space she's either scoring a try or setting up a try assist."
Trailing Kelly are Jesse Southwell on 17 points and Julia Robinson on 16. Robinson’s move from the wing to the centre for the Broncos has been hailed as a masterstroke, with Taylor noting her statistical dominance: "302 run metres, a try where she ran 70, 21 carries, 14 tackle breaks. Those sort of numbers people should not be getting in a game."
Dragons struggle with injury toll
The St George Illawarra Dragons faced a difficult Round 6, hampered by a significant injury list that included stars Tegan Berry and Reine McGregor. Despite the 20-6 loss to the Sharks, Studdon highlighted the performance of rookie Maria Pekka as a silver lining.
"Once you give her that space she's gone and she showed that on the weekend," Studdon said of the young flyer. However, she admitted the Dragons' slow start was their undoing: "We didn't come out of the blocks far enough. We started too slow and we couldn't get out our own end for that first half pretty much."
Cowboys' tactical "fullback swap" pays off
One of the more curious tactical moves of the round occurred in the Cowboys' 14-10 win over the Eels, where coach Ricky Henry swapped his fullback and winger at half-time. Crystal Blackwell moved into the number one jersey, a decision that initially confused the hosts.
"I thought it was a bit of a weird move," Taylor admitted. "Prove me wrong, because Crystal Blackwell immediately, straight away in that second half, set up both of the wingers. Her ball playing ability is just too good to have her sitting on the wing."
Studdon agreed that the shift changed the energy of the side: "I think that's a positive thing to have in a team, for the coach to swap that and have confidence. Crystal Blackwell just goes in there and sets up those two tries, it's unbelievable."
Unstoppable Roosters set historical record
The Sydney Roosters continue to set the standard for the competition, with their victory over the Titans securing the longest winning streak in NRLW history. Taylor pointed to the deceptive play of lock Olivia Kernick as a primary reason for their dominance.
"She's quite deceptive with the ball," Taylor noted. "You think someone so strong and powerful shouldn't be able to throw the ball like that or move like that. The scariest part for these Chookies is their mentality. They talked about just getting better each week and I think that's frightening for the competition."
Round 7 Preview: Raiders chase first win
Looking ahead to Round 7, the hosts are split on whether the Canberra Raiders can finally break their duck against the New Zealand Warriors. While Studdon is backing the Warriors, Taylor is predicting an upset.
"I'm going to go for the upset," Taylor declared. "I'm going to say that the Raiders are going to get on the board this weekend. To come out fighting and throwing fists, I thought it was really, really good from them."
Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV.
