Just like the Penrith Panthers NRL team last year, the Kiama Knights Under-18s girls team is chasing a fourth consecutive grand final victory this weekend when they take on the Liverpool Catholic Club Raiders.

The Knights had a shaky start to the season, losing two of their first three games. But coach Geoffrey Greatz said the team’s Round 12 win over Engadine marked a crucial turning point.

“We had a few injuries at the start of the year, plus some players were called up to play elsewhere, and a couple pulled out,” Greatz said.

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“But we turned the tables when we played with just 11 players at Engadine - and actually won. That turned our season around.”

Kiama finished third on the ladder, meaning they’ve had to win every game in the finals series to keep their title hopes alive.

“We played Engadine in the first semi-final and won that at Kiama, 32-18. Then we faced Corrimal last week and just scraped through with a 26-20 win,” said Greatz.

Corrimal have been Kiama’s grand final opponents for the past three years - but this time, the Knights knocked them out in the semis.

As a result, Kiama will face Liverpool Catholic Club in the decider. Due to wet weather washouts and the structure of the draw, it will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.

“We haven't actually played Liverpool because of the washout rounds and the way the draw worked - so we don’t know much about them. But they’ve always been a top team,” Greatz said.

Having coached the team for the past four years, Greatz says the girls’ tackle competition has gone from strength to strength.

“It’s getting more and more competitive, especially in the Southern Corridor competition. We're also seeing more teams enter,” he said.

“There are a lot of juniors coming through now - Kiama has Under-14s and Under-16s. Because they’re starting younger, the quality of play is just getting better.”

Greatz credits his team’s success to their work ethic, tight bond, and experience playing together.

“They want to learn, they’re very skillful, and they’ve played together for a long time. They know each other’s game and they’ve got each other’s backs.”

The Kiama Knights U18 Girls will play Liverpool at 3pm on Saturday (30 August) at Hillier Oval, Liverpool.