Brisbane have claimed a record fifth NRLW minor premiership as the Sydney Roosters fell agonisingly short in a dramatic season-ending win over Parramatta at Commbank Stadium.
A double to fullback Sam Bremner was not enough to overturn the Broncos’ lead at the head of the table on points difference, with the Roosters’ 32-18 victory short of the 20-point win needed to claim the title.
In Sunday’s other fixture, Canberra prevailed 16-12 over Gold Coast to end a disappointing season on a high note.
Despite missing out on the minor premiership, the win earns the Roosters a home preliminary final against two-time reigning premiers Newcastle next weekend.
But concerningly for coach John Strange, they could be without influential skipper Isabelle Kelly, who was taken from the field in agony after an apparent elbow injury.
The centre had been rampant for the Tri-colours, amassing 113 running metres in the opening 35 minutes.
Knowing they needed a big win, the Roosters got off to a perfect start, with Bremner on the spot to pick up the scraps after Eels winger Zali Fay spilled a Jocelyn Kelleher bomb on her tryline in the opening set.
After tries to Mia Wood and Olivia Kernick, the Eels hit back through Mahalia Murphy to cut the visitors’ lead to 12 points at the break.
The Roosters were briefly in top spot on the live ladder, with second-half tries to Bremner, Amber Hall and Jayme Fressard extending their lead to 20.
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But Fay leaped high over Wood to score a spectacular aerial try for the Eels, before Rosemarie Beckett went over late to reduce the margin to 14.
Despite a slim chance of making finals, needing to win by a margin of 34 points to leapfrog Cronulla into fourth, Parramatta never looked likely to defeat the slick Roosters.
In the earlier match of the double-header, Zahara Temara’s kicking game proved the difference as the Raiders prevailed over Gold Coast in a scratchy battle for seventh.
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Both sides scored three tries apiece, but the Titans clearly missed the services of regular goalkicker Lauren Brown, with stand-ins Sienna Lofipo and Lailani Montgomery unable to register a conversion in her absence.
The error-prone Titans completed just a third of their sets in the first half-hour, but the Raiders were also wasteful in attack.
After blowing out to an early lead through Monalisa Soliola and Apii Nicholls, incredibly the veteran fullback’s maiden NRLW try in five seasons, Canberra went into halftime with just a six-point advantage following a late try to Gold Coast centre Sarina Masaga.
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