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Sydney Roosters stars Millie Elliott and Corban Baxter will retire at the end of the NRLW season after influential careers that helped shape the competition. The unbeaten Roosters are on track for another premiership before the pair farewell rugby league.
The NRL W will farewell two of its most influential figures after Sydney Roosters stars Millie Elliott and Corban Baxter announced their retirements. The pair confirmed on Wednesday that this season would be their last, leaving them on track to finish with another premiership at the Roosters.
The Tri-colours are unbeaten this year heading into the finals after completing what has been described as the most dominant regular season in NRLW history. Their only defeat in the past two seasons came in the 2025 decider against Brisbane, making the Roosters the team to beat in the finals. Elliott's decision to retire is a shock.
The front-rower is 28 and hopes to represent Australia at the end-of-year World Cup, but she wants to prioritise her growing family after having a child last year. Baxter, 32, made her decision after returning from last year's anterior cruciate ligament rupture. She has continued to star at fullback for the Roosters, but said her body was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with the demands of the game. Baxter made the emotional announcement on Thursday.
Both players have been stars of the NRLW since its second season in 2019, although Baxter missed the opening four-week competition because of a shoulder injury. Elliott was the first player to win premierships at three clubs. She won titles with Brisbane in 2019 and 2020, Newcastle in 2022 and the Roosters in 2024. She captained the Roosters to their 2021 premiership and helped establish the culture of a club that has since become a powerhouse of the competition.
Her career was interrupted at times by pregnancy and injury, but she remained one of the strongest voices in the growth and direction of the NRLW. Elliott played her first of seven Tests for Australia in 2016 and has also represented New South Wales in State of Origin. Records cited in the retirement coverage list her as having played seven Origins, while another account lists her with 12 State of Origin appearances.
She played four Tests for Australia in the other record and famously sat out the 2022 World Cup because of work commitments. Reflecting on the competition's development, Elliott said, 'In a little while we'll look back and realise how significant this time was and the inception of the NRLW.
' She added, 'When the competition came in, let's be honest no-one really cared. I'm not sugarcoating it. But the fact we're sitting here in a press conference room, we've got State of Origin where we have millions of people tune in.
' Elliott continued, 'We go to a footy game and people know who we are; that's just crazy. ' Her comments underlined the change in public interest since the women's competition began. Elliott has never been one to sugarcoat her views. She also warned against expanding the game too quickly, saying, 'I'd love to see the game get to be in its best spot possible and I'll talk underwater and whoever wants to listen can.
' She said retirement could allow her to continue contributing to the sport away from the field. 'Maybe now I've finished footy and if there's things that I can help with, whether it's through the media or at different clubs, I'd like to help in any way,' Elliott said. The mother of three said she was proud of the foundations built at the Roosters and confident the club would remain successful.
'The Roosters are going to be strong for a very long time because of that foundation that we've built and I'm proud of that,' she said. Elliott also praised the club's development pathways.
'What I love is seeing the ones in our systems really thriving from playing football from a young age and coming through and playing with us now,' she said. The retirement announcements come as the Roosters pursue another title and prepare for the finals. A premiership would give Elliott and Baxter a major final chapter with the club that has become central to their careers and to the continuing rise of the NRLW.
7NewsSydney 
brisbanetimes:‘It’s time to move on’: NRLW greats Elliott and Baxter call time on careers 
abcnews:NRLW greats Elliot, Baxter, announce retirement at end of finalsThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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Chooks secure Minor Premiership in NRLW | 02:49The Sydney Roosters have added motivation in their premiership push this season after stalwart NRLW players Corban Baxter and Millie Elliott announced they will retire from professional rugby league at the end of 2026. Watch every game of the 2026 NRLW Finals Series LIVE and ad-break free during play on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? The Roosters confirmed the news in a statement on Wednesday, with Baxter finishing up after six seasons with the Tricolours while Elliott joined the Roosters in 2023. Baxter captained the Roosters to their maiden NRLW premiership and will retire a highly decorated representative player, having suited up for New South Wales, the Australian Jillaroos and Māori All Stars. Elliott, meanwhile, arrived at the Roosters as an already established superstar in the game having won three premierships before adding a fourth in 2024 after making the move to the Eastern Suburbs. Like Baxter, Elliott's success at clubland also translated to the representative arena where she played for New South Wales and Australia. "Being a Rooster since the first NRLW season in 2018 is something I'm incredibly proud of. I've grown so much during my time here, both as a player and as a person, and this club and the people in it have become like family to me," said Baxter. "To have been here from the beginning and to see how much the women's game and our program have grown has been really special. There have been so many great moments along the way, and the friendships I've made mean so much to me. Captaining the club to its first NRLW premiership is something I'll always cherish. "I'm incredibly grateful to all of my coaches over the years, especially Strangey, who has helped me grow so much both on and off the field and supported me throughout my career, including my return to playing after having my son. I'd also like to thank Nick Politis for his support and the passion he has always shown for our women's program."
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