Warriors women lose

The New Zealand Warriors’ hopes of playing in the inaugural NRL Women’s premiership grand final have been extinguished by the Brisbane Broncos.

The Warriors lost 32-10 to the Brisbane Broncos in Melbourne last night, following a 16-0 shut-out in the second half.

The heavy defeat trashed the Warriors’ points differential, while the Dragons and Roosters square off today in what is effectively a grand final qualifier in Sydney.

The Broncos will be sweating on the fitness of New Zealand international Maitua Feterika after the impressive back-rower was carried from the field in distress with a knee injury. She was cleared of ligament damage before fulltime.

It was the Warriors who opened the scoring, Broncos custodian Chelsea Baker spilling an early grubber straight into the bread basket of opposing prop Aieshaleigh Smalley.

Despite a crunching try-saver on her goal line from Apii Nicholls, Brisbane hit back in quick time as Rona Peters crashed over from the very next tackle.

The tit for tat continued though when Warriors No 7 Georgia Hale crossed in the corner, an attempted intercept from Karley Te Kawa only putting it on a platter for the Kiwi side to level up.

Te Kawa made amends soon enough when she was on the end of a Broncos overlap, with Brittany Breayley doubling down by streaking out of dummy-half for a 50-metre try straight after the break.

On the other side of an Ali Brigginshaw try-saver on her own line, the Broncos then put it beyond doubt with a Kody House try beyond belief – the Jillaroos speedster somehow getting a hand to a speculative crossfield punt inches inside the dead-ball line.