SYDNEY ROOSTERS 18 BRISBANE BRONCOS 22
TOM SMITH, Accor Stadium, Sydney, Sunday

MELE HUFANGA’S late try clinched the Broncos’ fightback over the Roosters in a classic NRLW decider.

Hufanga’s destructive runs laid the foundation as Brisbane established a 12-0 lead at the break.

But the Roosters rallied and looked like they were going to complete an unbeaten season – and collect their second straight premiership – when they led by six with 10 minutes remaining.

However, 18-year-old Rookie of the Year Shalom Sauaso shifted the momentum, then Hufanga crashed over with four minutes left to clinch the silverware for her side and the Karyn Murphy Medal for player of the match.

This was a meeting of the two clubs who have dominated the NRLW competition since its 2018 foundation – Brisbane claiming the first three Grand Finals (including two over the Roosters), the Tricolours taking out 2021 and 2024.

And this decider lived up to expectations, with the ascendancy see-sawing back and forth throughout a sweltering war of attrition.

The Chooks copped a huge late blow when Taina Naividi ruptured her ACL at training, replaced by Mia Wood in John Strange’s starting line-up.

Kiwi Ferns enforcer and ex-Bronco Amber Hall failed to overcome her calf issue, opening the door for Jayde Herdegen to make her NRLW debut, although she wasn’t used off the bench.

Broncos boss Scott Prince, on the other hand, had the luxury of naming the same 17 that swept aside the Knights in the preliminary final.

The Roosters’ brilliant scrambling defence denied Lauren Dam the opener, then the Bunker chalked off Hayley Maddick’s apparent four-pointer for a double knock-on the build-up.

The Broncos eventually found the whitewash through Tamika Upton, dummying her way between Jocelyn Kelleher and Jessica Sergis from a midfield scrum.

Prince swung a late change by asking hooker Destiny Brill to start before injecting fast-footed Jada Ferguson off the bench – and that looked like a masterstroke when the speedy sub spun over from dummy-half six minutes before the break.

The momentum shifted when Jessica Sergis burned Hufanga for pace, and while that chance went to ground, Brydie Parker raced past Hufanga again to notch the Tricolours’ first points.

Then with the Roosters marching forward on the end of an Olivia Kernick charge, Eliza Lopamaua juggled the ball over the line.

Kelleher’s cool-headed conversion levelled the scores – and two tries quickly became three, once Sergis drew a swarm of defenders to released Wood into the right corner.

But there were more twists left in the tale.

Julia Robinson galloped 60 metres for what looked like the Broncos’ reply until the officials spotted an error.

Then with the clock ticking down into the final 10 minutes, the teenaged Sauaso continued to make a name for herself, crashing over for a vital try.

Romy Teitzel sprayed a conversion attempt she would’ve expected to nail, leaving the Queenslanders adrift by two points.

But that didn’t matter when Hufanga stepped up to become the hero, shrugging off a clutch of red-white-and-blue jerseys then finding the turf despite Jasmin Strange’s efforts.

An all-in scuffle at full-time added a little extra spice to a memorable decider.

GAMESTAR: Wrecking ball centre Mele Hufanga took out the Karyn Murphy Medal for her string of rampaging runs.

GAMEBREAKER: Hufanga secured the silverware for the Broncos with her signature 66th-minute barge-over.

MATCHFACTS
ROOSTERS
1 Brydie Parker
5 Jayme Fressard
3 Jessica Sergis
4 Isabelle Kelly
16 Mia Wood
6 Corban Baxter
7 Jocelyn Kelleher
8 Otesa Pule
9 Keeley Davis
10 Rima Butler
11 Aliyah Nasio
12 Jasmin Strange
13 Olivia Kernick
Subs
14 Shawden Burton
15 Macie Carlile
17 Eliza Lopamaua
18 Jayde Herdegen (not used)

Tries: Parker (46), Lopamaua (51), Wood (54)
Goals: Kelleher 3/3

BRONCOS
1 Tamika Upton
2 Kerri Johnson
3 Mele Hufanga
4 Julia Robinson
5 Hayley Maddick
6 Gayle Broughton
7 Ali Brigginshaw
8 Annetta-Claudia Nu’uausala
14 Destiny Brill
10 Brianna Clark
11 Lauren Dam
12 Romy Teitzel
13 Keilee Joseph
Subs (all used)
9 Jada Ferguson
15 Chelsea Lenarduzzi
16 Shenae Ciesiolka
17 Shalom Sauaso

Tries: Upton (18), Ferguson (29), Sauaso (61), Hufanga (66)
Goals: Teitzel 2/3, Clark 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12; 6-12, 12-12, 18-12, 18-16, 18-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Roosters: Olivia Kernick; Broncos: Mele Hufanga

Penalty count: 3-2
Half-time: 0-12
Referee: Belinda Sharpe
Attendance: 46,288