Unbeaten Roosters chase revenge as Broncos bid farewell to Brigginshaw in NRLW Grand Final
The unbeaten Sydney Roosters face the Brisbane Broncos in the 2026 NRLW Grand Final on Sunday, one year after Brisbane broke their perfect season.
Kick-off is at 4.00pm AEDT at Accor Stadium in Sydney, where the same two teams met in the 2025 decider. Then, Brisbane won 22-18 to lift the trophy, according to The Guardian. Sydney go in chasing revenge.
The Roosters have dominated this year. They won all 11 matches in the home-and-away season to finish top of the table, while Brisbane finished third, according to ABC. The NRLW is Australia’s top-flight women’s rugby league competition, the female counterpart to the men’s NRL.
Sunday’s game will be a farewell for one of the sport’s greats. Brisbane playmaker Ali Brigginshaw will retire after the final. She is listed at No. 6, the five-eighth spot — the central playmaker role that steers the attack — for the decider, according to the NRL.
Brigginshaw bows out with 66 NRLW games and 29 matches for Australia behind her. Broncos coach Scott Prince said he hopes a rugby league award is named after her.
She will not walk off alone. Sydney will also say goodbye to two senior players. Forward Millie Elliott, who missed the 2025 season on maternity leave, and fullback Corban Baxter — the last line of defence behind the main line — both retire after the match.
There is good news for the Roosters. Playmaker Tarryn Aiken is fit for the final. Her kicking and passing give Sydney another threat alongside a pack that has powered through all comers.
Brisbane arrive in form and with confidence from last year. Centre Mele Hufanga scored the late try that sealed the 22-18 win in the 2025 final and claimed the Karyn Murphy Medal, the award for player of the match in the grand final.
They also have the competition’s in-form star. Fullback Tamika Upton won the Dally M women’s player of the year award, league’s top individual honour, in the week before the final.
What makes this stand out is the symmetry. Unbeaten. Same opponent. Same stadium. Sydney could not have asked for a cleaner shot at putting last year right. Brisbane, with Brigginshaw playing her last game, could not have asked for a louder reason to spoil it.
