The Eels were given a penalty for the hip-drop on playmaker Cassey Tohi-Hiku, and McGregor was initially allowed to stay on the field, before the bunker intervened and sent her for 10.

Tohi-Hiku was subsequently ruled out of the match – a huge blow for Parramatta who had already lost centre Rory Owen to a lower leg injury, but it was the two points from that penalty kick that proved to be the difference, with the Eels escaping with a two-point victory.

The Dragons rallied for the 10 minutes without their skipper and emerged from the period without any points being added, before Margot Vella and rookie fullback Tyra Ekepati scored back-to-back tries to give the Dragons the lead.

But Parramatta fought back in the final 25 minutes, with Albert barging across to score Parramatta’s first try of the night – which subsequently ended McGregor’s night – before Fleur Ginn went across again in the 61st minutes.

The Dragons were missing big-name players, including fullback Teagan Berry to suspension, centre Bobbi Law to appendicitis, Kasey Reh to a concussion and winger Indie Bostock to a finger injury, and will now head into their round-six match against the Sharks without their halfback.

Record-breaking Southwell leads Knights to victory

Novocastrians who battled the elements were given a show as Knights halfback Jesse Southwell continued her record-breaking run with a 100 per cent conversion rate this season.

Southwell put on a masterclass in the Knights’ 18-0 victory against the Raiders, landing all three conversions on Sunday to make it 21/21 for the season. If you include her final matches from the 2024 season, Southwell has nailed 23 consecutive kicks.

It means Southwell will try to extend her record when the Knights face the Tigers at home next week. The previous NRLW record in a single season was 11, held by former Broncos player Meg Ward during the 2020 season.

The NRL record is 35 consecutive kicks, held by Hazem El Masri from his 2003 season with the Bulldogs.

Speaking after the match, Southwell said she knew she was making NRLW history.

“To be honest, I was [aware of the record] and I was freaking out,” Southwell said. “The one close to the post I was really freaking out.”

Conversions aside, Southwell was involved in everything on Sunday.

After 37 scoreless minutes – the first time an NRLW match was 0-0 at half-time – Knights winger Sheridan Gallagher crossed the chalk thanks to the mastery of Southwell, whose double pump deceived the Canberra defence and put Shanice Parker through.

It was the short pass from Southwell again that put Tiana Davidson through for Newcastle’s second try, before Olivia Higgins scored the final try of the match.

Southwell also produced two line-break assists, a try assist and three forced goal-line dropouts.

Warriors survive in slippery, error-riddled match

The extreme weather of Saturday continued into the first of Sunday’s fixtures, as the Warriors notched their second win of the season, 12-6 against the Cowboys.

Sporadic downpours made for tough playing conditions. The teams combined for 25 errors, as the weather started to take a toll on the ground.

Most of the match was played through the middle of the field, with the conditions too slippery to spread the ball, which resulted in the turf being chopped up down the centre of the pitch.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said the ground had held up remarkably well considering the challenging conditions.

“The ground crews here do a terrific job, the drainage is very good at McDonald Jones Stadium and if ever it was going to be tested, three games of football [yesterday] with sort of sheets of torrential rain, and it’s playing perfectly today, which is a testament to the ground crew and the drainage system here.”

Abdo said the NRL was pleased with the inaugural NRLW Magic Round despite the weather.

“Obviously, we can’t control the weather, but what we can control is the fact we have a competition that everyone is interested in, and I look forward to seeing the TV ratings because I think around the country with poor weather, everyone’s at home watching the football, so hopefully some really good TV numbers as well.”

The continual errors and high turnover made for a low-scoring Sunday match, with the Cowboys scoring their first and only try in the ninth minute, due more to fumbling from the Warriors than their execution of play.

But the Warriors hit back with a try for Ivana Lauitiiti ahead of half-time before Payton Takimoana went across in the corner to seal the win in the second half.

Bulldogs, Titans fight out first NRLW draw

The Bulldogs and Titans could not be separated after 80 high-octane minutes as the first match of Magic Round delivered a 14-14 draw – the first in NRLW history.

It was the first time an NRLW match had gone to golden point in 2025 and just the fourth time since the competition was established in 2018, and after failed field goal attempts and plenty of dropped ball, the teams could not be separated when the final whistle was blown.

Bulldogs skipper Tayla Preston pushed her only field goal attempt of the first half of extra time to the right, and the Titans couldn’t get the ball close enough for halfback Lauren Brown to try and replicate her heroics from game two of the 2024 Origin series.

A knock-on in front of the sticks for the Gold Coast and another bungled field-goal opportunity for Canterbury saw the teams go the full 80 minutes with the scores unchanged.

It was the boot of Preston that had kept the Bulldogs in the match to begin with, after Canterbury trailed by 10 at half-time.

Preston kicked a 40/20 to set up winger Elizabeth MacGregor for her second try of the afternoon to lock the scores at 14-all.

The Bulldogs had the momentum and looked the more likely winner when Titans forward Jasmine Solia was sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge on Monica Tagoai, who subsequently left the field for a head injury assessment. But the Gold Coast managed to survive the last 10 minutes to force added time.

Lightning delays play as Roosters continue title defence

The Roosters kept their title defence on track with a 34-4 victory over the Tigers despite a 38-minute delay due to lightning in the second half.

Players were sent back to the sheds five minutes after coming back on from the break, shortly after Roosters centre Jess Sergis had scored her second try of the afternoon.

The delay meant Roosters five-eighth and goalkicker Jocelyn Kelleher had to wait well over half an hour before she could attempt the conversion for Sergis’ try.

Screens around the stadium displayed the message, “Lightning has been detected within 5km. For your safety, please seek shelter and follow directions of staff”, frustrating fans who had already endured torrential rain.

The conditions meant Sergis had to hold the ball on the tee with one finger, NFL-style, for Kelleher’s conversion, which she slotted easily.

It was business as usual for the Tricolours after the restart. Reigning Dally M Medal winner Olivia Kernick had a try disallowed after a review showed she was offside from the kick, but Kelly crossed for her second to get the Roosters’ tally ticking over again.

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Tigers forward Jade Fonua gave a penalty away for a hair-pull on Rima Butler, which resulted in another try for the Tricolours – this time for Aliyah Nasio – as full-time approached.

The rain was so heavy that fans struggled to see the action on the pitch as the reigning premiers continued their 100 per cent record with a fifth straight win this season.

Upton bags hat-trick as Sharks’ injury woes continue

The storms that plagued the second match returned for the third, but the Broncos shrugged off the lightning delay to record their fourth win of the season with a 28-14 victory over the Sharks.

Players were called from the field after 10 minutes as the lightning returned, but not before Brisbane fullback Tamika Upton scored her first of three tries for the night.

Cronulla captain Tiana Penitani Gray was forced off for a head injury assessment just before half-time after suffering a head knock attempting to tackle Ali Brigginshaw.

Penitani Gray was deemed to be showing category one concussion symptoms, ruling her out for the remainder of the match. She will also miss the clash against the Dragons next week due to the NRL’s mandatory 11-day stand down protocol.

The Sharks were already without fullback Emma Verran, who was managing a foot injury, while young fullback Jada Taylor remains sidelined as she comes back from an ACL injury.

Caitlan Johnston-Green, Rhiannon Byers and Brooke Anderson are also among Cronulla’s injured, as last year’s grand finalists continue their slide after losing a handful of players to new team Canterbury.

Upton proved once again why many regard her as the best player in the game with a first-half double and try assist before she made it a hat-trick in the second half.

The Sharks were able to get themselves back into the contest, scoring the last three tries of the match after being down 22 points at half-time, but Brisbane’s work in the first half was enough to seal victory and keep them in touch with the Roosters, who are one win ahead of them on the ladder.

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