The 2025 NRL Women's season is the 8th season of semi-professional women's rugby league in Australia. The season consisted of 11 competition rounds, followed by a finals series contested by the top six teams on the competition ladder.
The Sydney Roosters finished first on the 2025 ladder with an undefeated record. The National Rugby League introduced a new award, Nellie Doherty Shield, for the NRLW minor premiership and the Roosters were the inaugural winners.[2] Receiving a bye in the first week of the finals series, the Roosters hosted the fifth-placed Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in a preliminary final at Polytec Stadium. The Roosters led 10–6 at half time and 16–6 after a converted try five minutes into the second stanza. Tries by Cronulla with 13 and nine minutes left on the game clock levelled the scores at 16-all. A field goal by Jocelyn Kelleher put the Roosters in front, 17–16, with three minutes remaining. The Roosters held on to advance to a consecutive grand final.[3]
The Brisbane Broncos entered the 2025 season having lost grand final qualifying semi-finals in the previous two seasons. The Broncos lost just one match during the 2025 regular season, their Round 3 clash with the Sydney Roosters.[4] Receiving a bye in the first week of the finals series, the Broncos hosted the third-placed Newcastle Knights in a preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium. The Broncos scored two tries in the first seven minutes, and a third and fourth try by the 25th minute. Whilst the Knights responded with a converted try in the 27th minute, the Broncos scored the only try of the second stanza to win, 30–6, and advance to the Grand Final.[5][6][7]
The Brisbane Broncos had won the first three NRLW Grand Finals, in 2018, 2019, and 2020 but had not appeared since. The Broncos' first and third Grand Finals wins were over the Sydney Roosters.[8][9] Following their Grand Final losses in 2018 and 2020, the Sydney Roosters appeared in and won the postponed 2021 season Grand Final in April 2022.[10] The Roosters won their second premiership in 2024.[11][12]
Going into 2025 Grand Final both the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters had won 40 NRLW matches across their eight seasons, the Broncos having the slightly better win percentage, 72.73% to 70.18%, as they had played two fewer matches (Broncos 55 to Roosters 57). The record between the teams favoured the Brisbane Broncos with six wins to five by the Sydney Roosters with an overall difference of 22 points (Broncos 212 to Roosters 190). The Broncos defeated the Roosters in their first five meetings (2018 Round 2 & Grand Final, 2919, 2020 Round 3 & Grand Final, 2021 Round 1). The Roosters have won the last five matches against the Broncos (2021 Semi-Final, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Round 3).
Belinda Sharpe was appointed as the referee for the NRLW Grand Final for the fourth time, having previously done so in the 2020 season, the postponed 2021 season and the 2023 season. Chris Butler was appointed as the video referee in the NRL Bunker. Ethan Klein and Rochelle Tamarua were appointed as the touch judges.[14]
Squads
Initial team lists of 22 players were announced on the Tuesday afternoon prior to match, 30 September 2025.[15] The Brisbane Broncos game day line-up was unchanged. For the Sydney Roosters, Amber Hall, was included in the 17 the day prior, but dropped out on game day. Taina Naividi was injured in training on the Saturday. Mia Wood came into the starting thirteen. Jayde Herdegen was added to the seventeen but did not take the field.
Tarryn Aiken, the winner of the Karyn Murphy Medal as player of the match in the 2024 NRLW Grand Final, was unavailable for the Sydney Roosters due to incurring an ACL injury in their Round 11 match.[16]
Taina Naividi incurred an injury during their Sydney Roosters "captain's run" training session on Saturday, 4 October, prior to the match on Sunday and was withdrawn. Mia Wood wasshifted from the interchange bench to the wing to replace Naividi.[17]
The Roosters had named Amber Hall in the reserves in the initial team list after she incurred a calf injury in their Round 11 match and played just 10 minutes in their Preliminary Final.[15] Hall passed a fitness test on the eve of the match and was named to fill the gap on the interchange bench created by Naividi's withdrawal and Wood's promotion into the starting 13.
Aliyah Nasio returned to the Roosters line up having missed the Preliminary Final due to serving a one match suspension. Taina Naividi moves back to the wing, and Mia Wood goes back to the bench. [15]
The Brisbane Broncos named a squad unchanged from their Preliminary Final, other than Bree Spreadborough replacing Tara McGrath-West in the reserves.
The top two point scorers in the 2025 season are named to play, with Romy Teitzel (Broncos) on 112 points (from four tries and 48 goals) leading Jocelyn Kelleher (Roosters) on 99 points (one try, 47 goals, one field goal).
Jocelyn Kelleher became the NRLW's all time leading point scorer during the 2025 season, passing former Roosters and current Raiders player, Zahara Temara. Going into the Grand Final, Kelleher had scored 261 points from seven tries, 116 goals and one field goal (kicked to win the preceding Preliminary Final) in 50 matches.
The goal-kicking conversion rates for the 2025 season:
Jocelyn Kelleher (Roosters) 64.38% having kicked 46 conversions and one penalty goal from 73 attempts.
Romy Teitzel (Broncos) 63.16% having kicked 48 conversions from 76 attempts.
Brianna Clark (Broncos) 71.43% having kicked four conversions and one penalty goal from seven attempts (whilst Teitzel was on the interchange bench).
Two of the top three try scorers in the 2025 season are named to play, with Tamika Upton (Broncos) on 19 tries leadng third-placed Taina Naividi (Roosters) on 11 tries.
Tamika Upton became the NRLW's all time leading try scorer during the 2025 season, passing Teagan Berry (Dragons). Going into the Grand Final, Upton had scored 45 tries from 49 matches and was seventh on the all time point scorers list on her try scoring alone, not having kicked a goal or field goal.
Payton Takimoana (Warriors) was the second-placed try scorer in the 2025 season, with 15 tries from 11 matches.
Two of the players named are amongst five who have played in four NRLW Grand Finals
Tamika Upton (Broncos) has won all four Grand Finals in which she has played, for the Broncos (2019,2020) and (Knights 2022, 2023).
Brydie Parker (Roosters) has appeared in all four Grand Finals for the Sydney Roosters, losing two (2018, 2020) and winning two (2021, 2024).
Jasmin Strange played in and won the previous two Grand Finals (2023 Knights, 2024 Roosters).
Four players have previously played for the opposing club
Current Roosters previously Broncos: Jayme Fressard (2020 Premiers), Amber Hall (2019 Premiers, 2020 Premiers, 2021, 2022).
↑ Whaley, Pamela (21 July 2025). "Roosters given real scare by fast-finishing Broncos but premiers supremely confident of going back-to-back". Daily Telegraph. p.44.
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