Sydney Roosters have won the 2022 NRLW premiership, vanquishing the demons of NRLW grand final losses in 2018 and 2020, to come from behind and defeat St George Illawarra 16-4 at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe.
The Dragons opened the scoring the first time they took possession in the second minute. Emma Tonegato’s fast catch-and-pass found winger Madison Bartlett on the fly. The Kiwi national, who was suspended in March on a biting charge, crossed in the corner to give the Red V an early 4-0 lead. Bartlett’s eighth four-pointer of the season extended her lead as the record try-scorer in NRLW history.
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The Jamie Soward-coached St George-Illawarra side had gone into the decider as firm favourites, their fine form all season capped off on Thursday when Dragons No 1, fullback Emma Tonegato, was awarded the Dally M Medal, a prize she shared with Broncos prop Millie Boyle.
Things got worse for the Roosters in the 20th minute when winger Brydie Parker went down with a knee injury. To salt the wound, Parker copped a shoulder to the head as she fell, resulting in Dragons five-eighth Taliah Fuimaono being sent to the sin bin.
In the shadows of half time, Dragons hooker Keeley Davis looked to have scored a freak try from a deflection from a kick, but the bunker ruled a knock-on in the lead-up to deny the four-pointer. The Dragons’ scramble defence came to the fore again six minutes later when Page McGregor denied Leianne Tufuga in the right hand corner.
It left the Dragons with a slender 4-0 lead at the break.
The underdog Roosters had only scraped into the semi-finals in fourth on points difference. But their huge upset victory in the semi, storming back from
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