Woodbridge Cup star Taylor Keppie has shone bright throughout the 2019 Western Women's Rugby League under 15s season and on Saturday she proved her class again.
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The young Woodies half was brilliant in her side's thumping grand final victory over the Wiradjuri Goannas, scoring two tries and kicking four goals in the 46-22 victory at Wellington.
Keppie performed on another level to the rest of the players on show at Kennard Park, as she'd done all season, so it didn't shock anyone when the Woodbridge gun accepted both player of the grand final and player of the year awards at the post-game presentation.
Coach Garry Hewen believes Keppie and a handful of his premiership-winning outfit are more than capable of kicking on and making a good fist of women's rugby league.
"Taylor, the player of the final, she'd love to go on with her footy. There's two or three I think that certainly can it's just up to them and their parents," Hewen said.
"In all I reckon the competition was brilliant. It's good for the girls. if they're prepared to put in the work then they'll get the rewards."
That reward came on Saturday, with Libby Peschka and Lily Holmes also scoring doubles alongside the effort of Keppie in the impressive decider win.
For the Goannas, Shakoda Edwards bagged a brace to keep her side in the contest and at 16-6 down at the break the Wiradjuri girls certainly weren't out of the grand final.
But the eventual premiers' defence limited any attacking opportunity the hosts had in the big dance.
"And it made the difference. We did a lot of work on our defence, which wins games. And that's what won us the competition," Hewen added.
"Not being smart, we were just a better defensive side. That's just the way it was."
Vipers and Goannas will do battle in the under 18s grand final as one of the lead-up games to Saturday's NRL clash at Bathurst after both won through their semi-final contests with relative ease.
Played before the under 15s and open's grand finals, the Vipers beat Mudgee 52-16 while the Goannas defeated an undermanned Woodbridge Cup 30-6.
UNDER 15s grand final:
- WOODBRIDGE CUP 46 (Taylor Keppie 2, Libby Peschka 2, Lily Holmes 2, Talieka Burns, Clare Flick, Maddy Hogan tries; Taylor Keppie 4, Libby Peschka goals) def WIRADJURI GOANNAS 22 (Shakoda Edwards 2, Georgia Stiff, Jorga Simpson tries; Jorga Simpson 3 goals)
UNDER 18s semi finals:
- VIPERS 52 (Libby Smith 2, Kiara Sullivan 2, Oni Tuinakauvadra 2, Ella Barrett, Taneisha Burns, Lilly Freeman, Tabua Tuinakauvadra tries; Kiara Sullivan 4, Ella Barrett 2 goals) def MUDGEE DRAGONS 16 (Alex Knihincki 2, Grace Quinn tries; Georgia Ward 2 goals)
- WIRADJURI GOANNAS 30 (Daisy Burns 2, Taneka Todhunter 2, Jamara Elemes tries; Emma Teale 5 goals) def WOODBRIDGE CUP 6 (Molly Hoswell try; Molly Hoswell goal).
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