Broncos complete clean sweep to flag
Brisbane’s 28-point first half puts inaugural final out of Sydney’s reach
THEY dominated the three rounds of NRLW and then they dominated the grand final, making the Brisbane Broncos the inaugural premiers.
In a bruising game, the Broncos were as silky as they had been all season as they claimed a convincing 34-12 victory in front of 16,214 fans at ANZ Stadium.
The Sydney Roosters knew they would need put in a full 60-minute performance, but in faded after 15 minutes.
Five-eighth Kimiora Nati crossed for a hat-trick, her first awarded because Taleena Simon used her foot to dislodge the ball as the number six tried to touch down.
Nati won the Karyn Murphy Medal as player of the match.
It was the 28 first-half points that put Brisbane in an unassailable position at the break and it proved too much for the Roosters to run down.
Retiring forward Heather Ballinger, along with Steph Hancock and Ngatokotoru Arakua laid a platform for the Brisbane playmakers in Brittany Breayley, Ali Brigginshaw and Nati to go to work. All of them caused damage as the Roosters’ defence struggled to contain them.
The Broncos made eight line-breaks and 45 tacklebreaks to the Roosters’ one and 24 and that dominance was turned into points on the scoreboard. The Roosters were on the back foot and had little left in the tank when it came time to attack.
They were confronted with a bruising Broncos defence that offered few ways through. Star players like Isabelle Kelly, Taleena Simon, Zahara Temara were all kept quiet.
The Roosters had opened the scoring with a penalty kick and levelled at 6-6 through a try to Tazmin Gray in the 11th minute. A that point they were going with their more favoured opponents.
A few minutes later the momentum started to turn.
Ballinger crashed over in the 15th minute and Nati’s penalty try was awarded minutes later.
Two more before half-time sounded – to Arakua and Lavinia Gould – meant the game was almost decided with 30 minutes still to play. Each side would cross just once more in the second half.
Roosters five-eighth Lavina O’Mealey went under the posts with 16 minutes left.
Nati added the Broncos’ extra in the 46th.