The Battle for Broome Street will be fought this weekend at Allen Park, with Associates going head-to-head with Cottesloe as the Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade entering Round 4, with the Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade kicking off for Round 1.
The Battle of Broome Street will kick off this weekend with Cottesloe and Associates fighting not just for a place at the top of the table, but also for the title of the Best of Broome Street.
On a three-game winning streak, Cottesloe is aiming high for the 2024 season. Following their Round 1 13-30 win over Kalamunda and Round 2 20-13 win over Wests Scarborough, Cottesloe saw a comfortable win over Wanneroo last weekend, finishing the game 11-41.
"The boys are happy we came away with the win, especially our second half performance against a much-improved Wanneroo team. It was a good defensive display by the group not allowing them to score after halftime,” Cottesloe Head Coach, Ryan Westway said.
“We are obviously happy we have won the first 3 games but as a squad we are trying to improve our performances week to week.”
In Round 3, Cottesloe’s tries were scored by Jack McConnell (2’, 42’), Miles Letchford (17’), Mayson Hill (20’, 80’), Charles Hancock (68’) and Titi Nofoagataoa (72’), with conversions completed by Alwyn Prinsloo (21’, 69’, 74’). For Wanneroo, a try was scored by Oliver Callan, and penalties scored by Hayden Whitmee-Lloyd.
In Round 4, Cottesloe will meet their fellow Broome Street occupants, Associates, at Allen Park, in the Battle of Broome Street.
In Associates’ game against Joondalup Brothers in Round 3, Associates took the win 26-52 over the home team. The match saw Cristiano Tizzano as the top try scorer with three tries, with additional tries from Justin Landman, Keelan Murrell, Ethan Stratton, Dean Taylor-Menzies and HD Stemmet. Ian Prior completed six conversions in the match, to give Associates the win. From Joondalup, tries were scored by Oskar White (55’, 66’), D’Montae Noble (46) and Jacob Mounsey (36’). Conversions were completed by Chris Bell (48’, 56’) and Taane-nui Phillips (67’).
The last time the two teams met was in June 2024, where, in a tight game, Associates took the win 29-36. This time, Cottesloe is eying the title of the Best of Broome Street.
“The Battle of Broome Street is always a game both clubs mark in the calendar,” Westway commented.
“It is really important the boys prepare just like any other game and don’t overthink things too much. We need to remain process focused rather than outcome driven.”
Heading into the round, Cottesloe is looking to hold their defensive momentum from last week and keep building as they move forward.
“A disciplined defensive shift for the entire game will give us a good opportunity to get the desired result. Our defense has really improved the last two weeks and will need to be at its best against a strong Soaks team that can attack from anywhere.”
“It sounds simple but from an attack perspective we need to look after the ball when we have it, build phrases and make them defend for long periods. Whoever gets dominance at set pieces will also go a long way to winning the game and giving the backs front foot ball.”
The Battle for Broome Street will kick off at 3:30PM at Allen Park this Saturday, and will be streamed live on Stan.
As the Battle of Broome Street rages at Allen Park, Cottesloe’s Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade team will find a battle of their own, as they face off against last season’s Premiers, Kalamunda, in Round 1 of the Women’s competition. Kalamunda v. Cottesloe will kick off at 2PM at Hartfield Reserve and will be streamed live on Rugby Xplorer.
With the women’s competition set to see three new teams added to its ranks, in addition to the Community X’s competition, over 400 senior women’s players are set to take the field this weekend.
““The growth in recent years has been phenomenal. The growth in player numbers and teams competing has been great to see, and this has largely been driven by the clubs understanding and appreciating the value female and non-binary players can add to club environment.” UWA Head Coach, Marty Lynn said.
Wanneroo Head Coach, Des Taurima, shared the sentiment. “Having this many teams, with a bunch of new players and a mix of established players, spread amongst the clubs, means coaches must work hard to prepare their players and teams well. Each team will be at different levels in terms of their ability and maturity, and that adds an unknown aspect to the grade.”
Both the Fortescue Women's Premier Grade competition and Community X's are set to kick off this weekend.
As the Western Force enter their twelfth round this Saturday, Bunbury Barbarians will face off against Mandurah Pirates as the Culture Round Curtain Raiser.
Taking to the field at HBF Park before the Western Force meet Fijian Drua, last year’s Championship Grade 1st and 2nd ladder placeholders will meet for the first time this season. The last time the two teams saw one another was in July 2023, a tight game saw Mandurah scrape past the season’s Premiers by a penalty goal, finishing 27-24 in a thrilling performance.
Bunbury Barbarians v. Mandurah Pirates is set to kick off at 5:25PM at HBF Park.
Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade Round 4 Fixtures
UWA v. Wanneroo @ McGillivray Oval
Nedlands v. Southern Lions @ Sir Charles Court Reserve
Perth Bayswater v. Palmyra @ Pat O’Hara Reserve
Associates c. Cottesloe @ Allen Park *Streaming live on Stan
Joondalup Brothers v. Kalamunda @ HBF Arena
Wests Scarborough – BYE
Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade Round 1 Fixtures
UWA v. Wanneroo @ McGillivray Oval
Kalamunda v. Cottesloe @ Hartfield Reserve *Streaming live on Rugby Xplorer
Wests Warriors v. Palmyra @ Bennett Park
