The Roosters will have two teams come grand final, with John Strange’s NRLW side booking their October 4 spot less than 24 hours after Trent Robinson’s men did the same up in Brisbane.
The Tricolours prevailed 20-10 in a dramatic preliminary final against Canberra at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, that included hair pulls and bloodied faces.
It will be the Tricolours’ third consecutive NRLW grand final, after their 2024 premiership and 2025 heartbreak, where they will meet the winner on Sunday’s clash between the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
It took the 2026 minor premiers just two minutes to score their first try on Saturday, but they were in real jeopardy of losing their first game of the season until the final moments of the match, when halfback Tarryn Aiken sealed the deal, scoring with two minutes to spare.
“It was good, it’s what we needed,” Roosters coach John Strange said after the match.
“Haven’t played a game in 16 days, and the girls were definitely feeling that – the match fitness, sort of not having it. But that’s definitely what we needed going into the grand final next Sunday.”
Their narrow victory means the Roosters remain undefeated this year, with their only loss in the past two years coming in the 2025 grand final against Brisbane.
When Canberra’s Chante Temara put Hollie-Mae Dodd across in the second half, there were 10 minutes left in the match with just one converted try the difference, but an epic from Jess Sergis and Aiken’s late try quashed any concerns of an upset.
When Roosters winger Jayme Fressard scored in the second minute of the match, it was entirely possible for a finely-tuned Roosters side to deal some heavy damage ahead of the grand final.
But after teammate Rima Butler barged across in the 19th minute, the Raiders fought back while the Roosters attack fell to pieces.
Five-eighth Krystal Blackwell scored the Raiders’ opening try – an impressive feat given she was left bloodied enough by a head clash with Rima Butler that she had to change her jersey mid-way through the first half.
After the Raiders played a set a woman down, as Blackwell changed into the No.25 jersey, she returned to score a beauty that kept her team in the game.
Fressard was left banged up trying to make the tackle on Blackwell and did not return for the second half with a shoulder injury. It’s a worry for the Roosters on grand final day, with Fressard – a NSW representative – only just making her return from a hand injury.
“She’ll go for scans tomorrow on the shoulder,” Strange said. “Just had a quick chat to her there, she’s pretty positive, but we’ll see what it comes back with. Looks like an AC joint injury at the moment.”
Roosters captain Isabelle Kelly was on her way to a long-range try earlier in the half, before she was brought to ground by her hair by Canberra fullback Sheridan Gallagher.
Gallagher was lucky enough to avoid the sin bin despite it appearing to be an act of foul play.
“I don’t think it should have been a penalty try, I think it should have been 10 in the bin as a professional foul,” Strange said.
“I’ve got no idea what a professional foul is then, if that’s not one.”
Canberra’s Lili Boyle was controversially denied an equaliser with 24 minutes left in the match because Roosters winger Brydie Parker had her foot under the ball, which Canberra coach Darryn Borthwick said could have swung momentum in the Raiders’ favour had it been awarded.
“Every day of the week [that’s a try]. Our game is going crazy,” said Borthwick.
“We looked at it 10 times, and she got the ball down. I find that hard to believe it wasn’t awarded a try.”
Sergis gave the team some breathing room with a try from an impressive kick chase after Canberra winger Isabella Waterman let the ball bounce.
And, despite a quiet night from Aiken and halves partner Jocelyn Kelleher, the Roosters No.7 made it count when they needed her most, scoring to seal her team’s spot in the final.
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Billie Eder is a sports reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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