DANIEL Lacey and his Illawarra Steelers have continued their perfect Tarsha Gale title defence, by defeating the Newcastle Knights 30-nil on Saturday.
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After winning their season opener against Wests Tigers in round two (after round one was washed out), the scarlett and white were never troubled by the visitors at the Collegians Sporting Complex.
Stingrays of Shellharbour's Riley Scott opened the scoring after five minutes, before Ula-Mari Time-Cribb and Jemma Gallagher crossed in quick succession - to make it 18-nil at the break, thanks to three conversions by Olivia Vale.
Speedster Teagan Berry (Stingrays) scored her fourth try of the season just after the resumption before Chantel Tugaga iced the game with a four-pointer in the 41st minute.
Vale's perfect day with the boot made it an easy 30-point win for Lacey's reigning premiers, against last year's grand finalists.
Other Group Seven products in Lacey's squad on Saturday included Stingrays' Madi Singleton, Teagan Williams Alex Wallace and Rhiannon Tungai, Milton-Ulladulla's Keele Browne and Bomaderry's Jordyn Preston.
The only other Steelers team to play on Saturday, as Ben Linde's undefeated SG Ball side had the bye, was Jono Dallas' Harold Matthews team.
Despite tries from Bryden Rutledge and Noah Guyatt, as well as a kick from Taj Ford, the Steelers went down 34-10 to the Knights - seeing them drop to 0-2 on the year.
Gerringong's Ashton Ward, Hamish Stewart, Jack Quine, Dylan Egan, Ford and Kane Graham, Stingrays' Noah Guyatt, Shellharbour's James Walsh and Milton-Ulladulla's Sam Colgate were all Group Seven juniors on show for Dallas side.
All three Steelers teams will be on the road in round four, with Dallas' side battling the Western Suburbs Magpies from 11am Saturday at Campbelltown Stadium - with Linde's team following straight after at 12.30pm.
While Lacey's Steelers will take on local rivals St George at Mascot Oval from 10am Saturday.