Nellie Doherty Cup
Suncorp Stadium
Sunday, July 30, 12.15pm
QUEENSLAND
1. Teresa ANDERSON
2. Megan SPICER
3. Kerryanne STEAD
4. Jaye CHRISTENSEN
5. Tammy COLE
6. Erin ELLIOTT
7. Karyn MURPHY ?
8. Leah WILLIAMS
9. Rebecca JONES
10. Neena FRASER
11. Melissa EDWARDS
12. Tahnee NORRIS (vc)
13. Stephanie HAN****
14. Jenny POPE
15. Anne Marie BURKI
16. Jasmine GREEN
17. Carolyn WHITE
NEW SOUTH WALES
1. Tiana WYNARD
2. Chelseas PETROUX
3. Dahlia TAHU
4. Teina CLARK
5. Sandy SCOTT
6. Beinda HOLMES
7. Sue CURTIS
8. Chloe CALDWELL
9. Sandra LAUGHLIN
10. Karol TANEVESI
11. Johnnie TUKWAHO
12. Kylie PENNELL ?
13. Farlane WINEERA
14. Katrina FANNING (vc)
15. Joy MAUGA
16. Natalie BELL
17. Shellie BROWN
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THE SHOWPIECE of the Australian Women?s Rugby League season ? the Nellie Doherty Cup ? is to be held at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, July 30.
Following on from last year?s thriller - won 20-18 courtesy of a try to Queensland?s Tahnee Norris in the dying minutes - the clash will be staged as a curtain-raiser to the Brisbane Broncos v Wests Tigers NRL match.
Queensland maintains an undefeated record against New South Wales since 1999, although 2006 will be just the second year that the Doherty Cup has been contested.
The silverware is named in honour of Ms Nellie Doherty, instigator of the first official Women?s Rugby League match in 1921 at North Sydney Oval.
Over 22,000 people attended the match, supported by the great Herbert ?Dally? Messenger, who delivered an exhibition of goal-kicking before the match.
At the time Sydney football writer JC Davis wrote in the Arrow that rugby league ?is no women?s game, no more than bare knuckle fighting? and there was widespread derision of the sport.
Yet the game has lived on to endure a testing 85 years, growing in Queensland to include senior competitions in the Greater Brisbane Area, Mackay and Cairns. Schoolgirl competitions also exist.
With little opportunity for fulltime professionalism, players and officials balance their duties with work commitments and most finish out-of-pocket to play the game they love.
In 2006 Queensland will yet again be skippered by ever-consistent playmaker Karyn Murphy, who in the past has been praised for her skills by none other than ?King? Wally Lewis. Acting as Murphy?s deputy will be back-rower Norris, hero of the 2005 match.
The Maroons? side features controversial hooker Rebecca Jones, believed to be the first rugby league player to represent both Great Britain and Australia. Lock Stephanie Han**** is the daughter of former Queensland Origin forward Rohan Han****.
New South Wales is not without its own ties to greatness. Vice-captain Katrina Fanning is the cousin of former Blues captain Laurie Daley, while centre Dahlia Tahu shares her surname with international three-quarter Timana.
from www.qrl.com.au