If the Sharks are to say their first ever NRLW premiership they will need to do it the arduous manner towards the extremely fancied Roosters however that is simply how star centre Annessa Biddle likes it.
Few gave Cronulla an opportunity towards Brisbane final week and few would have given Biddle a shot at outpointing Broncos star Mele Hufanga, however the Otara Scorpions product dominated her extra fancied opposition because the Sharks pulled off a 14-0 upset.
Hufanga is among the most harmful gamers in ladies’s rugby league, a hurricane of velocity and energy who has left many a defender greedy at air or damaged on the bottom behind her.
Biddle admits she did not have a lot of a plan — the younger centre simply threw her shoulders into Hufanga and did not fear about what occurred subsequent.
Even now, she’s not fairly positive the way it occurred, she simply is aware of she craves the problem of taking up the most effective attacking gamers the sport has to supply, and the higher they’re the higher for her.
“I am so glad our workforce had religion in me to mark Mele. I do not know the place that aggression got here from, I used to be like the place has this been in the remainder of the video games?” stated Biddle.
“However one thing simply hit me on sport day, that we needed to make it to the grand closing and I needed to play prefer it was my final ever sport.
“I am such an aggressive participant and I like a little bit of contact, even when I get hit that is high quality. Each time I am going in for a deal with I’ve to verify I am in it 100 per cent.
“I like how aggressive this sport is. I like the competitors, particularly with somebody like Mele who has footwork and measurement, it was superior.”
Biddle blew proper previous Hufanga for a attempt to stored her wrapped up in defence in a coming of age efficiency, however she’ll need to repeat the dose towards Tricolours legend Isabelle Kelly if the Sharks are to tug a quick one on Sunday.
By outpointing Hufanga, it seems like there’s nothing the 21-year-old cannot do and there is no prizes for guessing how she’s going to go about it.
“I am going to do loads of examine, attempt to shut her down early as soon as I do know what she does, cease her from getting that point and area,” Biddle stated.
“We have now a lot adrenaline and it is nerve-wracking but additionally thrilling. It is our first time for the entire membership and it nonetheless feels a bit unreal.”
Cronulla shook off three straight losses to stun Brisbane within the semifinal, a revival Biddle places right down to the inspirational management of fellow centre and captain Tiana Penitani, who’s acted as a mentor since Biddle joined the membership final season.
“It is the little issues – keep your psychological area, studying to take care of excessive stress moments,” Penitani stated.
“I have not needed to educate her a lot, however when she got here to us for pre-season final yr she was fairly inexperienced.
“However she’s labored actually arduous, discovered the ins and outs of the sport and fine-tuned her expertise.
“Her fast go, her flick passes to Georgia (Ravics), her defensive reads and understanding the system, she’s such a expertise, I do not need to take any credit score as a result of she’s accomplished a lot herself.”
Penitani is coming off a high quality season in her personal proper after being named within the workforce of the yr on the Dally M’s earlier within the week.
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She was Cronulla’s solely consultant, which is an indication of how their greatest work this season has come once they’ve labored as a unit.
There are nonetheless stars, like Penitani, Biddle and Emma Tonegato at fullback, however the Sharks discover energy of their numbers.
They will have to take action once more in the event that they’re to beat the Roosters, who smashed them 40-0 a month in the past to kick off a dropping run that appeared to have Cronulla on the point of collapse after beginning the season with six straight wins.
But when they will spring one ambush, why not a second?
The lure of capturing the membership’s first ladies’s premiership is a robust drive and beneath Penitani’s management an upset feels attainable – no less than it does when the undaunted Biddle makes it sound so easy.
“Our captain has loads of nice speeches for us and final week she impressed us to have one another’s backs, we had nothing to lose and we simply performed with all our hearts,” stated Biddle.
“We simply have to try this once more.”