NRL.com Wrap | Perfect start for Knights with victory in the Shire
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The Knights have made the perfect start to the 2026 NRLW premiership with an 18-4 win over the Sharks at Ocean Protect Stadium.
The two-time premiers had stars across the park but none better than Rugby convert Sidney Taylor, who had 16 runs for 183m and four tackle breaks, experienced leaders Kirra Dibb and Yasmin Meakes were inspirational.
Dibb's two conversions and a penalty goal took her career points tally past 200 as the Knights made it four wins in their last five Round 1 games.
Both sides lost a player to the sin bin with Cronulla's Annessa Biddle banished for a hip drop early in the match and Knights playmaker Georgia Roche binned on the stroke of half-time for making contact with Chantay Kiria-Ratu's leg as she kicked.
The Sharks are at home again in Round 2 as premiers Brisbane come to the Shire while the Knights head to Allianz Stadium to face the Roosters.
Follow all the action from Round 1 of the NRLW Telstra Premiership on NRL.com's live blog.
Sharks v Knights at Ocean Protect Stadium
Sharks v Knights - Round 1, 2026
Match: Sharks v Knights
Round 1 -
home Team
Sharks
away Team
Knights
Venue: Ocean Protect Stadium, Sydney
Press conferences
Sharks: Round 1
Knights: Round 1
Knight attack: The visitors produced four line breaks to two and 26 tackle breaks to 17, with Shanice Parker (6), Sidney Taylor (4) and Simone Karpani (4) leading the way in tackle breaks. The Knights also had 600 post-contact metres to the Sharks' 426.
From the field: Kirra Dibb
Full-time: The Knights have opened the season in style with a 14-point win as skipper Yasmin Meakes (16 runs for 178m) and fellow back-rower Fane Finau (16 runs for 153m) come up big on the edges for Ben Jeffries' team.
70 min: Madi Ashby tries to throw a long ball to the wing to get outside the Knights defence but the pass is wayward and rolls into touch.
Simone Karpani Try
67 min: Simone Karpani scores her first NRLW try with a fighting effort to get the ball down despite four defenders trying to hold her up. Kirra Dibb converts. Knights 18-4
66 min: Ellie Johnston is penalised for a crusher tackle on Yasmin Meakes and the Knights get a full set from 10m out.
64 min: The Sharks try to mount an attack on the right but Annessa Biddle puts the ball down and Chantay Kiria-Ratu picks it up in an offside position. Penalty Knights.
62 min: Kirra Dibb nails an easy penalty goal from in front to stretch the Knights' lead to eight after the Sharks were pinged for interference in the play the ball. Knights 12-4
60 min: Olivia Higgins grubbers into the in goal to earn the Knights a repeat set after China Polata is trapped in goal.
57 min: Simone Karpani surges onto a pass from 10m out and gets across the line but the Sharks do well to hold her up. The Knights are penalised for an obstruction that opened the gap for Karpani to get to the line.
55 min: An error in the play the ball by Manilita Takapautolo takes the Sharks' error tally to eight for the night.
54 min: A great dart out of dummy half by Olivia Higgins has the Knights hot on attack but Sidney Taylor is taken on the last and the Sharks come away with a piggyback penalty for offside.
48 min: Chantay Kiria-Ratu directs the kick-off towards the sideline and Fane Finau can't control it. Sharks scrum.
Fane Finau Try
46 min: Kirra Dibb puts in a sweet grubber and Fane Finau shows real hunger to get to the ball first ahead of two defenders and ground the ball for a try. Dibb converts. Knights 10-4
45 min: Georgia Ravics gets across in cover and shows great strength to bundle Mercedez Taulelei-Siala into touch. The Knights get a penalty however for a late tackle a couple of tackles earlier.
43 min: Tayla Predebon powers for the line and gets close before Jules Kirkpatrick jumps out of dummy half and is over the stripe but held up.
40 min: Fane Finau puts the ball down cold with the Knights on the attack but Caitlan Johnston-Green hands it straight back with a poor offload.
Rhiannon Byers Try
37 min: Georgia Hannaway delivers a perfectly timed pass to put Rhiannon Byers into a hole and she powers 40m to score the Sharks' first try. Chanya Kiria-Ratu can't convert from wide out. 4-4
36 min: Jules Kirkpatrick makes a mess of the play the ball and the Sharks get a shot at early points.
Hard to handle: Knights winger Shanice Parker came up with five tackle breaks and a line break to go with 72 run metres.
Taylor made for league: Rugby Sevens international Sidney Taylor only signed with the Knights in May but looks a natural after setting up a try and running for 139 metres in her first 35 minutes in the NRLW.
35 min: Georgia Roche is sent to the sin bin after trying to put kick pressure on Chantay Kiria-Ratu but making contact with the kicker's leg. The Knights will play the first 10 minutes of the second half with 12 players.
35 min: A crash play for Tayla Predebon on the last tackle but the Sharks defence stands firm and they will go to the break trailing by just four points despite playing 10 minutes of the half a player down.
33 min: A high tackle against Quincy Dodd gives the Knights a chance to build on their lead.
32 min: Georgia Hannaway loses her way on the last play and is dragged to ground and fails to get a kick away.
29 min: Georgia Roche is too heavy with her kick from close range and the Sharks again are let off the hook.
22 min: Sienna Yeo comes up with an error 40m out from her own line to hand the Sharks a shot at points.
19 min: The Knights create space on the left edge but the last pass from Lilly-Ann White to Mercedez Taulelei-Siala floats forward.
16 min: The Knights are hot on the attack again but Tayla Predebon makes a mess of the play the ball and the opportunity is lost.
15 min: Sharks forward Steph Faulkner leaves the field in some discomfort with an ankle issue. She is ruled out for the rest of the night.
15 min: A poor offload by Chantay Kiria-Ratu is picked off by Tanika Willison and the Knights are out of trouble.
13 min: Kirra Dibb grubbers on the last play but it's just too strong and goes dead to hand the Sharks a seven-tackle set.
Shanice Parker Try
10 min: The Knights strike immediately on the right edge as Rugby convert Sidney Taylor delivers the final pass for Shanice Parker to cross in the corner. That's 12 career tries for Parker in 47 career games. Kirra Dibb fails to convert. Knights 4-0
9 min: Lilly-Ann White brings the ball back and Annessa Biddle drags her down in a hip drop tackle that leaves the Knights No.1 in pain. Biddle is placed on report and is sent to the sin bin. The Sharks go down to 12 players.
8 min: Kirra Dibb takes the ball to the line on the last and is well wrapped up by Rhiannon Byers.
7 min: Quincy Dodd goes to the grubber on last play but the Knights watch it roll dead and come away after a strong defensive set.
5 min: Chantay Kiria-Ratu goes to the air and Lilly-Ann White comes up with an error to invite the Sharks into the red zone.
Late Mail
Sharks: No late changes for the Sharks. Quincy Dodd will captain the side with centre Tiana Penitani Gray unavailable as she recovers from a knee injury suffered during the Origin series. Rhiannon Byers will line up in the centres in her place, with Annessa Biddle the other centre. Former Rugby Sevens star Madison Ashby will make her NRLW debut off the interchange. Anne-Marie Kiria-Ratu is the 18th player.
Knights: The Knights are 1-17 with no late changes. New recruit Kirra Dibb will line up at five-eighth in her return to Newcastle after three years at the Cowboys. Coach Ben Jeffries has opted for young gun Lilly-Ann White in the No.1 jumper over Bo Vette-Welsh. The 18th player is Cheyelle Robins-Reti.
Numbers Game
- The Sharks have won their last two games against the Knights.
- The Knights have won three of their last four Round 1 games.
- Sharks winger Georgia Ravics has scored four tries in three games against the Knights.
- Knights five-eighth Kirra Dibb requires four points for 200 NRLW points.
