THE 2021 rugby league season has been a historic one for the Helensburgh Tiger Lillies.
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In their maiden season the NSW Women's Premiership, the Ryan Powell-coached side booked their first-ever finals berth in the Sydney-based competition on Saturday by downing Cronulla-Sutherland 16-14 at a muddy Rex Jackson Oval.
A bit part of the Tiger Lillies' success this year has been the play of Milton-Ulladulla's Olivia Patterson, Keele Browne and Meg Buchanan, Stingrays' Riley Scott and Teagan Berry, Albion Park-Oak Flats' Brittany Constable and Berry-Shoalhaven Heads' Josie Strong - who is the club skipper.
Patterson and Strong's play hasn't gone unnoticed either, with both of them being named in the most recent women's rugby league team of the week.
After a weekend off, as Helensbugh quartet Kezie Apps, Jess Sergis (open women's), Berry and Browne (under 19s) are representing NSW in this year's State of Origin fixtures, the fourth-placed Tiger Lillies, who have won their past five matches, will take on fifth-placed St Marys in July 3's elimination final at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
The other elimination final that day will pit the Sharks, headlined by Park's Kaarla Cowan and Milton's Lily Murdoch, will take on the Wests Tigers - with both the Central Coast Roosters and Mounties earning the week off with their top-two finish.
Differently to the women's women's premiership, other lower grade competitions such as the NSW Cup, Jersey Flegg and Queensland Cup will play round two catch-up games, as these corresponding fixtures were washed out on March 19, 20 and 21.