Junior Female Report: Round 1

Author: melbournestorm.com.au
Timestamp: Mon 9 Feb 2026, 01:44 PM

It was a milestone weekend for Melbourne Storm’s female pathway program, marking the first time Storm have fielded female sides in NSWRL competitions. Both teams delivered strong opening performances, with the U17s securing their first-ever win and the U19s narrowly falling short in a competitive clash.

Lisa Fiaola Cup (U17)

Melbourne’s U17’s side hosted the North Sydney Bears and produced a dominant performance, recording a historic 50-4 win.

Storm came out firing in the opening half, crossing for five tries to take a 26–0 lead into the break. Keira Collins led the way with two tries as the Lisa Fiaola side controlled from the outset.

The young squad continued their momentum in the second half, adding a further four tries while limiting the Bears to just one for the entire match.

It was a true team effort with eight different players crossing the try line. Ocean Kaiwai-Rangikauhata was a standout, finishing the match with one try and seven conversions to register crucial points for her side.

It was a memorable day and a promising start to the team’s inaugural season in the competition.

Round 1 - Round 1 - Saturday 7 Feb

Full Time

Storm

Bears

Venue: Seabrook Reserve, Broadmeadows

Team Stats Play by Play

Tarsha Gale Cup (U19)

Storm’s U19’s also hosted the North Sydney Bears on Saturday in the inaugural match for the Tarsha Gale Cup side. Storm produced a gutsy performance but went down 22-36 in a hard fought contest.

The opening half was tightly contested, with Melbourne taking a narrow 16–14 lead into half-time after a strong opening 30 minutes.

The Bears came out firing early in the second half, scoring two tries in the opening ten minutes to apply pressure on Storm.

Melbourne continued to fight until the end and added a late try but ultimately ran out of time.