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With two rounds down and one remaining, the Brisbane Broncos are clearly the pacesetter in the inaugural NRL Women's Premiership.
Impressive wins over the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters have installed the Broncos as favourites to lift the silverware but is it premature to suggest they cannot be stopped?
As the Women's Premiership gears up for its final round, we take a look at how the Broncos, Roosters, Dragons and Warriors are faring with the grand final just around the corner.
NRL Women's Premiership Ladder
| Team | Points | Played | Wins | Losses | Points difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +36 |
| Warriors | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -6 |
| Dragons | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -14 |
| Roosters | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -16 |
Unbeaten Broncos leading the pack
The Broncos are the only undefeated side in the NRL Women's Premiership and it is not hard to see why in light of their performances on both sides of the ball.
Their attack was on song in their 30-4 thrashing of the Dragons in round one with a five-try display at Lang Park and they post three-four pointers in the 14-4 defeat of the Roosters in Sydney last Friday night.
But it is their stingy defence under coach Paul Dyer that has been most impressive, with the Broncos conceding just two tries in as many matches.
Captain and half-back Ali Brigginshaw, who has scored tries in both of the Broncos' wins, credits her side's attitude for the defensive performance that has underpinned their unbeaten record.
"You just look at everyone and they just want to work for each other," Brigginshaw told Grandstand.
"You say 'Can you do another hit-up? Can you do another tackle?', and they say 'Yeah, I'll do it for you'. We know what we want."
The Broncos meet the Warriors in Melbourne this Friday night and are all but assured of a spot in the grand final at Sydney's Olympic stadium on September 30.
Roosters struggling after preseason hype
The Roosters were regarded as a premiership favourite in the preseason but not much has gone right for Adam Hartigan's charges, with a 0-2 win-loss return from the opening rounds.
They lost to the Warriors 10-4 in week one and the defeat to the Broncos means they are essentially playing for pride when they host the Dragons at the Sydney Football Stadium next Saturday.
Star prop and Jillaroos great Ruan Sims was left frustrated following the Broncos encounter, knowing the Roosters' hopes of qualifying for the grand final were on the line.
"Obviously this was do-or-die for us," Sims said.
"So we are bitterly disappointed but we have another game next week against the Dragons, so we will be getting up for that."
Adding to Sims's disappointment is the fact she sustained a thumb injury against the Broncos, having earlier missed the Warriors clash due to being sidelined with a hamstring complaint.
Dragons in the running for grand final spot
Dragons supporters still have a chance of celebrating on grand final day, with their Women's Premiership squad reviving their chances of taking part in the season decider.
A classy 22-10 triumph over the Warriors on Saturday night, in the curtain raiser to the NRL semi-final that the Dragons lost to the Rabbitohs, has the Red Vee sitting in third place on the ladder ahead of the final round.
The win followed the opening-round loss to the ladder-leading Broncos, but the Dragons only sit behind the second-placed Warriors courtesy of an inferior points difference (-6 to -14), with both teams on two points.
Full-back Honey Hireme, who scored a superb long-range try against the Warriors, feels the Dragons actually benefited from the loss to the Broncos in round one, as it made them answer some harsh questions about themselves.
"I think it just comes down to our training. We went away and did our homework," Hireme said.
"I think our game last week was more about just settling our nerves, our first run together, our combinations … thankfully we put it out there today."
Warriors needing to rebound after maiden loss
It is a case of going back to the drawing board for the Warriors following the loss to the Dragons, as they look to book a berth in the grand final when they meet the Broncos.
The Warriors' defence was found wanting against the Dragons, as they leaked four tries, but their completion rate in attack was just as worrying.
They completed 19 from 30 sets at 63 per cent, an unacceptable statistic for the Luisa Avaiki-coached side.
Full-back Apii Nicholls outlined holding onto possession will be crucial against the Broncos, who will not need an invitation to make the most of their time with the ball next Friday night.
"I think for each individual, just to try and complete our sets, making sure we stick to what we've planned and just working hard," Nicholls said.
A loss to the Broncos will not necessarily end the Warriors' season, although they will need to rely on the result of the Roosters versus Dragons fixture should they drop the match.
Topics: sport, rugby-league, nrl, brisbane-4000, bondi-junction-2022, sydney-2000, kogarah-2217, wollongong-2500, new-zealand
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