A Megan Shanahan try in the 12th minute, converted by Amanda Higgs, gave the Rhinos high hopes that they could win their fourth successive premiership.

They retained that lead until three minutes into the second period of play and from then on it was all Narromine to win 24-12.

Trethowan, who lives in Dubbo with some of the Rhinos girls but who teaches in Narromine, was named player of the grand final and deservedly so.

Her quick taps, surges with the ball and vision started to open up holes in the Rhinos defence just before half-time and she finished with two tries as a result.

She said afterwards having played with the Rhinos previously she and Pennell knew what was needed to get the club’s first premiership victory.

“Knowing how the Rhinos play and respecting the fact that they have won the grand final for the past three years I think we were a bit nervous in that first half,” Trethowan said.

“We had beaten them this season but they held us out in the major semi-final.

“We haven’t really used the replacement rule all year because we knew how fit our girls are but we tried a few different things today. Then once we got a roll on just before half-time we continued on with that after the break.”

Trethowan has had to play through the finals series with a bad ankle sustained during a busy representative season, one that included playing for Australia in a Test match in Samoa - and scoring three tries to help qualify the Wallaroos for the 2010 World Cup in England.

The Rhinos and Narromine have been the form sides in the Women’s Cup all season and Saturday’s grand final was even money at the start. But to their credit Trethowan and her girls made it count when it mattered - before and during the game.

“Training was a problem for us most of the year and we didn’t get a real lot there on a regular basis,” she said.

“But after the Rhinos beat us in the major semi we really got stuck into it for the past fortnight and it has paid off.

“The girls realised how important it was for everyone to be there.

“In that same period there have been a lot of the guys who we’ve been training against us and it’s been too good to have some opposition so to speak.”

With the scores level 7-all, the final 20 minutes was tough football with rugged defence and some really good hits.

A converted try by Ashley Bayliss on the back of some forward thrust by Pennell and others, lifted Narromine to 14-7.

Soon after Pennell was over and then Trethowan put on one of her own special individual tries that sunk the Rhinos.

Nic Martin scored a consolation try for the Rhinos and in the final minutes Trethowan was over for try number two after a quick tap caught out the Dubbo defence.

The ability of Narromine to shut down key Rhinos players Marisha Blanca and Stacey Hando was also a feature.