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Broncos and Roosters set for NRLW grand final rematch

Undefeated Roosters enter Sunday's decider as favourites, 12 months after Brisbane's stunning grand final victory

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources2 outlets
The Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters will meet in the NRLW grand final on Sunday, a rematch of last year's decider in which Brisbane stunned the Roosters to claim the premiership.

The Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters will contest the NRLW grand final on Sunday, a rematch of the 2025 decider in which Brisbane stunned the Roosters.

The narrative is eerily similar to last year: the Roosters have again gone through the season undefeated and enter as favourites. But coach Scott Prince's Broncos remain one of the most dangerous sides in the NRLW, capable of beating anyone on their day when their big guns are firing.

Brisbane's strike power runs from three-time Dally M medal-winning fullback Tamika Upton to halfback Jesse Southwell, giving the side what players describe as "strike all across the park". The Roosters counter with numerous Dally M positional award winners, including lock Olivia Kernick, the centre pairing of Isabelle Kelly and Jess Sergis, and Jillaroos No.7 Tarryn Aiken.

The two clubs have been the best in the league for several years and are the main suppliers of players to the NSW and Queensland squads at Origin time. That duopoly has drawn criticism that the NRLW is becoming too predictable, but Prince relishes the rivalry.

"I enjoy the challenge," Prince said. "You want to play against the best, and I'm sure [Roosters coach] John [Strange] would say the same."

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Sunday's decider pits the NRLW's two dominant clubs against each other for the second consecutive year, with the Roosters chasing a premiership on the back of an undefeated season.
  • A Broncos win would mark the second straight year they have ended a Roosters unbeaten run in the grand final.
  • The match has State of Origin significance, with both clubs the primary suppliers of players to the NSW and Queensland squads.

Background

The Broncos and Roosters have established themselves as the NRLW's benchmark teams over several seasons, and last year's grand final saw Brisbane end the Roosters' unbeaten run in a stunning victory. This season the Roosters have again gone undefeated, setting up an eerily similar narrative as the two sides meet once more in the decider.

Key Perspectives

Broncos coach Scott Prince: Relishes the challenge of facing the best side in the competition and believes his team is dangerous enough to beat anyone on their day.

Roosters: Enter the decider as favourites with an undefeated season behind them, and a roster packed with Dally M positional award winners across the spine and centres.

Critics: Have questioned whether the NRLW has become too predictable given the two-club duopoly at the top of the competition.

What to Watch

  • Whether the Broncos' attacking strike can break down a Roosters side that has not lost a match this season.
  • The performances of the marquee players on both sides, including Upton, Southwell, Kernick, Kelly, Sergis and Aiken.
  • How both teams handle the occasion in a grand final that carries the weight of a growing rivalry.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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