Brisbane is back in the NRLW grand final for the first time in five years, setting up the long-awaited clash with the Sydney Roosters after a 30-6 win over Newcastle.
The last three teams standing this season are the only teams to have won the NRLW premiership, but the Broncos proved once again a class above as they took down the 2022 and 23 premiers in hot conditions at Lang Park.
Brisbane’s victory sent the team into its first decider since winning its third straight grand final in 2020, when the competition included just four teams.
On that day, the Broncos defeated the Roosters, and the NRLW’s glamour sides will once again meet in this year’s grand final, after the Tricolours’ thrilling 17-16 win over the Sharks on Saturday night.
The Roosters will enter the October 5 clash as defending premiers and trying to complete a perfect season with a 13th win from 13 games, but may be underdogs against the Broncos after losing superstar playmaker Tarryn Aiken in the last game of the regular season.
But Brisbane’s performance in their preliminary final, despite the lopsided scoreline, was far from their best of the year, as they struggled to complete sets consistently in the second half.
Most of the work, however, had already been done before half-time.
Jada Ferguson crashed over from dummy half in the fifth minute, and Kerri Johnson, Tamika Upton and Lauren Dam piled on the first-half points.
Newcastle hit back from dummy half through Jules Kirkpatrick as the Broncos started to lose their way in the heat, and threatened to mount a comeback early in the second half.
It was highlighted by a 60-metre line break by winger Keighley Simpson, but after shutting that down, the Broncos spun it left and Johnson went 90 metres for her second of the day to end the contest and book their ticket to the grand final for the fourth time.