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The Sydney Roosters meet Scott Prince's Brisbane Broncos in Sunday's NRLW grand final, with Jayme Fressard a 50-50 chance as three veteran players prepare to retire.
The Sydney Roosters will face Scott Prince's Brisbane Broncos in Sunday's NRLW grand final, with the Tricolours again undefeated this season and favourites to lift the trophy.
Roosters and Broncos Set NRLW Showdown
The Broncos remain one of the most dangerous sides in the NRLW and are capable of beating anyone on their day when their big guns are firing, led by three-time Dally M medal-winning fullback Tamika Upton. But the Roosters also boast numerous Dally M positional award winners, including lock Olivia Kernick, widely regarded as one of the best players in the game, centre pairing Isabelle Kelly and Jess Sergis, and Jillaroos No.7 Tarryn Aiken.
These two teams 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. The duopoly has led to criticism the NRLW is becoming too predictable, but Prince says he relishes the battle against Roosters coach John Strange.
"I enjoy the challenge," Prince said. "You want to play against the best, and I'm sure John would say the same. It's about preparing your team as best as you can in a game.
" "There's going to be moments where sometimes you win, sometimes you lose those little moments," he said. "But ultimately, at the end of the day, it's about your team performing at its best. If we're able to walk away from that knowing we've given it our all, you've got to be happy with it.
Strange Emphasises Preparation Over 2025 Defeat
" For Strange, the Roosters' agonising defeat in the 2025 decider is in the past. "I know it's a grand final, but for us it's another game," he said. "And we want to keep on improving from our last game, so no nightmares this week of what happened last year. I've had plenty of them over the playing career and coaching career, not to worry about that one incident.
" Jayme Fressard is a 50-50 chance to play in Sunday's grand final as she continues to recover from a shoulder injury, and was optimistic she would get through captain's run on Saturday. "Obviously, I don't want to let anyone down on the team, so I'll do whatever it takes," Fressard said. "For me, I've been around the game a long time, so I know my body and I know myself.
" "But I just want to prepare the best I can and be the best teammate when I get on that field as well," she said. Three of the NRLW's longest-serving players will retire after Sunday's decider, including Broncos veteran Ali Brigginshaw, meaning a fairytale ending for some and a heartbreaking loss for others. At least one of them will be left disappointed on Sunday, but Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly said all three had left their mark on the competition.
Kelly Praises Retiring NRLW Trailblazers
"Ali has been a pioneer of our game for a very long time now, and I've been really lucky to know Ali for a number of years, and play with her and experience her as a leader as well," Kelly said. "Millie is, and we call her, part machine at the Roosters. She never stops. She's always putting her best foot forward.
She promotes the game in such a positive and respectful light.
" "And Corby, I don't think I've heard someone say something bad about Corby. She's the most humble, beautiful human. So for these three, no matter what happens on Sunday, I just know they are held in such high regard throughout this competition.
Grand Final Decides Another Championship Race
" The Broncos booked their place in the decider and will carry extra incentive to send their trailblazers out on a high, while the Roosters reached the grand final on the back of their preliminary final victory against the Raiders. The match caps another season in which the Roosters and Broncos have set the standard, and both camps know the fine margins of a grand final will decide who lifts the trophy.
brisbanetimes
smh:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Sydney Roosters Brisbane Broncos Jayme Fressard Injury Ali Brigginshaw Retirement
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