2021 NRL Women's Grand Final
| 2021 NRL Women's Premiership Grand Final | |||||||||||||
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| Date | 10 April 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Moreton Daily Stadium | ||||||||||||
| Location | Redcliffe, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Karyn Murphy Medal | Sarah Togatuki | ||||||||||||
| Referee | Belinda Sharpe | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 7,855 | ||||||||||||
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The 2021 NRL Women's Premiership Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the postponed 2021 National Rugby League Women's season in Australia. It was contested between the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters on 10 April 2022 at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe a seaside suburb of Brisbane, Queensland.
The match was preceded by an Under 19 women’s match. The match was broadcast live throughout Australia by the Nine Network.
Background
The 2021 NRL Women's season was the 4th season of semi-professional women's rugby league in Australia. The season was planned to start in August 2021, postponed to October 2021 and further postponed to 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The season commenced in late February 2022 and consisted of five competition rounds, followed by semi-finals contested by the top four teams on the competition ladder.
The two semi-finals were scheduled as a double-header at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney.
The St. George Illawarra Dragons finished second on the 2021 ladder with a record of four wins and one loss. This matched the record of the Brisbane Broncos but the Dragons’ point difference of 55 was inferior to the Broncos’ 70.[2] The Dragons played the Gold Coast Titans, who had finished third in their inaugural season with a record of three wins and two losses.
| Team | Regular Season | Semi-Finals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| St. George Illawarra Dragons | 20–12 | 10–0 | 18–22 | 40–4 | 16–10 | 24–18 |
| N | H | N | A | H | N | |
| Sydney Roosters | 4–20 | 16–26 | 28–12 | 19–18 | 10–16 | 22–16 |
| N | N | H | N | A | N | |
| Key: H = Home venue; A = Away venue; N = Neutral venue | ||||||
Pre-match
Broadcasting
The match was broadcast live on the Nine Network in Australia and 9Now and on Sky Sport in New Zealand. Radio broadcasters included ABC, Triple M, 2GB, 4BC and NRL Nation.
Officiating
Belinda Sharpe was appointed as the referee for the NRLW Grand Final for the second time. Sharpe had refereed the previous, 2020 NRLW Grand Final. Matt Noyen was appointed as the video referee in the NRL Bunker. Kasey Badger and Karra-Lee Nolan were appointed as the touch judges. [3]
Squads
Initial team lists of 24 players were announced on the Tuesday afternoon prior to match, 5 April 2022. [4][5]
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Notes:
- The tally of matches played in the above tables are prior to the Grand Final.
- Age is as at the date of the Grand Final, 10 April 2022.
- Going into the Grand Final, Rachael Pearson (Dragons) was second in the 2021 top point scorer list with 28 points from one try and 12 goals.
- Madison Bartlett (Dragons) was third on the list with 20 points from five tries.
- Zahara Temara (Roosters) was fifth on the list with 17 points from eight goals and one field goal.
- The two goals by Temara in the Grand Final saw her into fourth place on 21 points. The try to Bartlett lifted her points tally to 28 but she remained in second place behind Lauren Brown (Broncos) who had scored 32 points from 16 goals.
- The goal-kicking conversion rates for the 2021 season prior to the match were:
- Rachael Pearson (Dragons) 66.67% having kicked nine conversions and three penalty goals from 18 attempts.
- Holli Wheeler (Dragons) 40.00% having kicked one conversion and one penalty goal from five attempts.
- Dragons players Keeley Davis (4) and Alexandra Sulusi (2) missed conversion attempts during the season.
- Zahara Temara (Roosters) 72.73% having kicked eight conversions from nine attempts.
- Hannah Southwell (Roosters) 37.50% having kicked three conversions from eight attempts.
- Jocelyn Kelleher (Roosters) missed one conversion attempt.
- Going into the match, the Grand Final participants placed highest in the 2021 top try scorer list were Dragons players Madison Bartlett in first place with five tries, and Teagan Berry and Emma Tonegato in equal second place with four tries.
- Four Roosters players had score three tries: Isabelle Kelly, Olivia Kernick, Brydie Parker, and Sarah Togatuki.
- The try by Bartlett in the Grand Final ensured her to outright first place in the 2022 top try scorers list, whilst the try by Kelly elevated her into equal second place with four tries.
Match summary
The Roosters won their first premiership in their third Grand Final and fifth season.[6][7]
| St. George Illawarra Dragons | 4—16 | Sydney Roosters |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: 1 Madison Bartlett (1') Goals: nil Rachael Pearson 0/1 Sin bin: Taliah Fuimaono (19') |
1st: 4–0 2nd: 0–16 |
Tries: 3 Yasmin Meakes (44') Isabelle Kelly (54') Olivia Higgins (66') Goals: 2 Zahara Temara 2/2 (56', 67') |
Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe, Brisbane
Attendance: 7,855 Referee: Belinda Sharpe Video referee: Matt Noyen Touch judges: Kasey Badger, Karra-Lee Nolan Karyn Murphy Medal: Sarah Togatuki Official NRL Website: Match Centre Highlights: YouTube by NRL on Nine |
Post-match
The following 2021 Grand Finalists were selected to play in the 2022 Women's State of Origin match on 24 June 2022 or the New Zealand versus Tonga international match on 25 June 2022.
- New South Wales — Dragons: Kezie Apps, Shaylee Bent, Keeley Davis, Quincy Dodd, Rachael Pearson (debut), Emma Tonegato; Roosters: Isabelle Kelly, Olivia Kernick, Yasmin Meakes, Jessica Sergis, Hannah Southwell, Sarah Togatuki.[8]
- Queensland — nil.[9]
- New Zealand — Dragons: Madison Bartlett, Page McGregor (debut); Roosters: Mya Hill-Moana, Raecene McGregor.[10]
- Tonga — Dragons: Tegan Dymock; Roosters: Kalosipani Hopoate.[11]
References
- ^ "NRLW season postponed until early 2022 due to pandemic". 2 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021.
- ^ "Ladder - Telstra Women's Premiership - 2021". NRL. 27 March 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "NRL Telstra Women's Premiership Grand Finals Match Officials". NRL. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ Mee, Cameron (6 April 2022). "Illawarra talent leading Dragons NRLW grand final charge". Illawarra Mercury. p. 40.
- ^ Phillips, Sam (9 April 2022). "Kelly gang: Team goal the driving force for Roosters star who shines above all". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 47.
- ^ Lenehan, Martin (10 April 2022). "Third time lucky as Roosters down Dragons in epic NRLW decider". NRL. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ Lucantonio, AJ (10 April 2022). "Roosters queens of the Coop with their first NRLW Premiership". League Unlimited. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ Newton, Alicia (20 June 2022). "Dibb recalled as Hilder finalises NSW team". NRL. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- ^ "Pelite, Hancock, Breayley-Nati named in strong Maroons squad". NRL. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "Kiwi Ferns Name Wider Squad for June Clash Against Tonga". New Zealand Rugby League. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ Newton, Alicia (17 June 2022). "NRLW young guns named for Mate Ma'a Tonga". NRL. Retrieved 17 June 2022.