Broncos grand final ban as history proves NRLW is 'not a two-horse race'

Broncos coach Scott Prince has banned his players from discussing the grand final or minor premiers Sydney Roosters as the NRLW heavyweights aim to qualify for their first decider in five years.

While there have been claims that the NRLW is a two-horse race between the Roosters and Brisbane, whose only loss this season was against the 2024 premiers, the Broncos had been in a similar position in recent years but fallen short of the grand final.

“People said that last year and the Sharks knocked us off, so we missed the boat,” Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw said.

“We have seen other teams knock the so-called big teams off. Parra did it a couple of years ago [in 2022 against the Roosters] and there are teams that can do it.

“You never write anyone off in a final, there are so many big players in each team that can pull off some amazing games.”

The Broncos were minor premiers in 2021 and 2024 but failed to make the grand final in either year, while the Roosters won the minor premiership in 2022 and also missed the decider after losing to the Eels.

“We don’t need reminding, Princey is well on our tails,” Brigginshaw. “Do not even think about the grand final, do not think about the Roosters. We don’t talk about it, we don’t see it ... don’t book flights, don’t do anything. It’s a big no.

“I definitely do not have focus on the Roosters in the grand final, there is way more to play before we get there.”

The Roosters and the Broncos will have this weekend off while the third-placed Knights take on the Titans and the fourth-placed Cowboys host the Sharks in elimination semi-finals.

Newcastle won back-to-back premierships in 2022 and 2023, while the Titans (2023) and Sharks (2024) have played in recent grand finals.

“The Broncos and Roosters are stacked, they have got star studded line-ups and it is great to compete with them but looking at our competition, on any given day any team can win,” Cronulla captain Tiana Penitani Gray said.

“I just think come finals time it is sudden-death footy, and anything can happen. The boys speak about it year-in and year-out that finals footy is a new competition and it is the same for us. If you are on your game there is no reason why any team can’t win this year.”

It is the first time in three seasons that North Queensland have reached the finals and Cowboys captain Kirra Dibb said that they were aiming to go all the way.

The winner of the Cowboys-Sharks clash in Townsville will face the Roosters in a grand final qualifier in Gosford, while the Knights-Titans victor will take on the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.  

“We are definitely an underdog in that regard but I think our girls are tough, resilient, relentless, and I think with the amount of talent and skill we have across the board that we are absolutely a team that can compete with the best,” Dibb said.

“Unfortunately, through the season we haven’t quite been able to show that as much as we would have liked to, but finals footy is a different ball game, so our girls are more than ready to take that challenge and prove to some outsiders that it is not quite a two-horse race like they thought."

The greatest strength of the Roosters and Broncos is the experience and depth of their rosters compared to most of the other 10 clubs.

The Roosters lost 2024 IRL Golden Boot winner Tarryn Aiken with an ACL injury but while rival clubs have battled heavy injury tolls, the top two teams have been stable, with the Broncos fielding the same side most weeks.  

The Roosters squad is mostly home grown, with Isabelle Kelly, Jess Sergis, Olivia Kernick, Jocelyn Kellaher, Jayme Fressard, Jasmin Strange, Taina Naividi, Aliyah Nasio and Eliza Lopamaua all being products of the pathways, while Brydie Parker and Otesa Pule began their NRLW careers with the club.