Stewart collected her second double of the season, to go with a round-one hat-trick against the Brumbies, to lead the Waratahs to a 38-17 thumping of the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.

The prolific winger's seventh try of the season - from just three games - helped the Waratahs to a third successive bonus-point triumph and confirmed their status as the team to beat in 2024.

Already, Michael Ruthven's side have amassed 145 points and conceded only 48 in pursuit of redemption for a shattering first-time semi-final defeat last year to the Fijian Drua.

The four-time champions backed up last week's 62-21 thrashing of the defending champions with another clinical display at Allianz Stadium.

They took the lead with Stewart's first try in the eighth minute and were never headed.

Stewart wasn't the only star for the Waratahs.

Fellow winger Desiree Miller also bagged a double, including finishing off one of the tries of the season featuring eight sets of hands.

Classy centre Georgina Friedrichs crossed too, while 17-year-old fullback Caitlyn Halse notched a lovely 50-20 to keep the pressure on in the second half.

As ever, workaholic No.8 Piper Duck led the NSW forward pack with another dominant display while prop Emily Robinson was rewarded for her tireless toil with the last try of the match.

The victory sets the scene for an enticing top-of-the-table clash next weekend against the undefeated Western Force.

The Rebels, on the other hand, remain winless this campaign.

But with two second-half tries, they at least posted their highest amount of points in a single game against the Waratahs after averaging 45-point defeats in their previous five meetings.

Australian Associated Press