Aiken playing to cues
I’ve spent the first three rounds of the 2023 NRLW season talking about Tarryn Aiken so I’ll give it a rest after this one.
Still, the variety and control Aiken played with in NRLW Round 3 demands recognition this week as she prepares to face the Cronulla Sharks on Sunday afternoon.
At the Broncos last year, Aiken played a bit-part role in the halves alongside veteran half Ali Brigginshaw.
Aiken controlled their left edge but was often a running foil for Brigginshaw in attack. She showed glimpses of a clever passing game but wasn’t really given the opportunity to control their attack.
That’s all changed for Aiken at the Sydney Roosters in 2023.
She’s now the lead playmaker and primary creative attacking player in good-ball sets. She’s added a clever short kicking game to her arsenal and has always been a strong ball runner, but it’s Aiken’s ballplaying that has the Roosters playing with the second-best attack in the NRLW, three games in.
Aiken and the Roosters left edge fell into a similar shape a few times last week. She dropped a backrower underneath before straightening up with Isabelle Kelly off her hip, Corban Baxter sweeping out the back and Brydie Parker pushing up on the wing.
On each occasion, Aiken looked for cues in the defensive line to indicate which option to take in that shape.
Aiken’s first try involvement punished Teagan Berry for getting her numbers wrong out the back.
A settler through Teuila Fotu-Moala splits St George’s defensive line right down the middle here:
As a Dragons defender peels late from the tackle, you can see Berry point her to the left, leaving five defenders on each side of the ruck.
If Berry had looked up though, she would’ve seen Aiken and Jocellyn Kelleher both swing over to the Roosters left edge – a good indication of where the ball is going.
Presented with a six-on-five situation, Aiken plays things perfectly here.
Using her speed to get at the outside shoulder of the four-in defender, Aiken engages Raecene McGregor in the line. McGregor and centre Keele Brown both start backpedalling to buy themselves time, but they’re disconnected from winger Cortez Te Pou who stays up in the line.
With a centre retreating and a winger pushing up, Aiken recognises the cue and plays short to Kelly who runs a lovely slip-line into the space created.
Try time.
The next time Sydney fell into the same shape, Aiken spotted something different in the defensive line.
A bustling run from Keilee Joseph in the lead up scatters the Dragons defence here and importantly leaves Sophie Clancy (14) in the dirt.
Clancy is late into the line as Grace Hamilton plays the ball; another cue for Aiken to target her on the following tackle.
With Kelly and Parker in that familiar shape to her otuside, Aiken heads towards the corner post before suddenly dropping Amelia Pasikala back underneath – right at Clancy.
Under fatigue and giving away a few kilos in the tackle, Clancy is steamrolled by Pasikala who very nearly scores one of the tries of the season.
And so Aiken went back to the well.
From a set start, the Roosters send Joseph towards the left posts, inviting backrower Sara Sautia into the tackle:
With Sautia caught up at marker, the Dragons fill up down the short side with two middles – another cue for Aiken to play for on the next tackle.
With two Roosters forwards in tight formation beside the ruck, those two Dragons middles on the short side are prevented from sliding out quickly when Joseph plays the ball:
Without any inside pressure, Aiken has time to skip across-field, create the overlap and throw a bullet to Parker on the wing before the Dragons right edge can recover.
Aiken was just playing with them at this point.
Saving the best for last, Aiken’s work in the lead up to Otesa Pule’s runaway try is the best example of her ability to identify cues in the defence and play toward it.
Take note of the three Dragons defenders Sydney target in this yardage set:
Roxy Murdoch (10), Tara McGrath West (16) and Kaarla Cowan (9) are all involved in both tackles here as the Roosters roll downfield.
On the second tackle, Murdoch peels late and fills in down the short side while Cowan and McGrath-West catch a breath at marker.
All three are under fatigue at this stage – another cue for Aiken who identifies the opportunity and plays for it.
There’s Kelly, Baxter and Parker in that familiar shape to the outside while the backrower drops underneath – straight at Murdoch:
Under fatigue and defending in an unfamiliar position, Murdoch gets caught on her inside while the markers – Cowan and McGrath-West – are too slow to cover the space.
Pule powers through that space and beats the fullback to cap off a masterful ballplaying performance from Tarryn Aiken in NRLW Round 3.
I haven’t even mentioned the try Aiken scored herself – swinging over to the right edge with that same shape outside her, only to bang back infield and punish some lazy ruck defenders to score.
This ballplaying from Aiken is as good as anything we saw across the NRL or NRLW last weekend, and it should have the Cronulla Sharks right edge on high-alert this weekend.
Head Noise – What’s living rent free in my head this week?
Chloe Jackson (Parramatta Eels)
I picked her out in the U19s State of Origin game a few weeks ago and she might get the chance to make her NRLW debut for the Eels this week.
Kennedy Cherrington will observe a four-game suspension starting this weekend, opening the door for Jackson to come in at lock-forward.
She’s only small and isn’t the most powerful runner, but she’s a defensive workhorse who reminded me of Jake Trbojevic when watching her play for New South Wales.
One to keep an eye on.
Rachael Pearson & Elsie Albert (Parramatta Eels)
The Eels two marquee signings for the 2023 NRLW season will make their club debuts this weekend after missing the first three games through injury.
Pearson is an old school halfback. She kicks well, points a team around the park and straightens the attack smartly in good-ball. The Eels have desperately missed her control and leadership to begin the year, particularly in attack.
As for Albert; even the most casual NRLW fans will recognise her when she takes the field on Saturday. The PNG international is one of the most destructive ball carriers in the competition and can immediately improve Parramatta’s 10th-ranked yardage game.
Olivia Kernick (Sydney Roosters)
One of the best backrowers in the game, Kernick is yet to cross the stripe in three games for the Roosters this year.
She does have a number of try involvements to her name though, including this lovely tip on for Jayme Fressard last week.
Handy in yardage and a great defender, Kernick appears to have added a pass to her game this season.
She’s helped the Roosters score 33% of their tries down the right edge this year, instead of the left-heavy attack we expected before a ball was kicked in 2023.
It bodes well for strike centre Jess Sergis who has scored two tries in two games to begin the year.
Pauline Piliae-Rasabale & Losana Lutu (Wests Tigers)
With fullback Botille Vette-Welsh sidelined this weekend due to a failed HIA, Piliae-Rasabale will move from five-eighth to fullback with Lutu coming into the No.6 jumper.
Regular readers will know I’m a big Lutu guy.
The tempo she plays with is a rare commodity in the NRLW and she manages a game better than any 19-year old I’ve seen.
Vette-Welsh is a huge loss but I think the inclusion of Lutu in a big minute role might be enough to offset her absence.
RLW Percentage Play – NRL Round 24
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Brisbane Broncos v Parramatta Eels (Friday)