Sydney Roosters reach NRLW semi-finals unbeaten
In Australia, the Sydney Roosters reached the semi-finals of the National Rugby League Women's (NRLW) without suffering a single defeat in the regular season. The team won the regular-season premiership and set an NRLW record for the most points scored in a season, ABC News Australia reports.
The Roosters also share second place for the lowest average number of points conceded. In their final five regular-season matches, the team won by an aggregate score of 200:34. Jess Sergis, Jayme Fressard and Brydie Parker scored more than 10 tries each, while Sergis has 16 tries — the second-best tally in NRLW single-season history.
Taryn Aiken and Jocelyn Kelleher surpassed the league's previous record for the number of try assists in a season. Aiken recorded 17 try assists in only nine matches.
Experience from previous finals
Roosters captain Isabelle Kelly said the team had barely discussed either its unbeaten season or winning the regular-season premiership. According to her, playoff matches differ from the regular season because every team raises its level of play in the finals series.
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During the 2025 regular season, the Roosters also did not lose a single match, but several key players suffered injuries at the end of the year and the team lost to Brisbane in the grand final. Kelly noted that the Roosters analyse matches in which they did not meet their own standards, including games against Canterbury and Canberra.
Playoff opponents
Newcastle, which finished sixth, came closest to beating the Roosters: in the second round, it lost 10:12. It is the only team this season that did not allow the Roosters to score at least 20 points. Newcastle could face the Sydney team if it defeats third-placed Brisbane on Saturday.
Canberra lost to the Roosters 18:22, despite leading 14:4 early in the second half and 18:16 less than 10 minutes before the end of the match. Canberra halfback Zahara Temara linked the opponents' victory to their composure and experience in decisive moments.
ABC News Australia names the Gold Coast Titans as the Roosters' most likely rival. After losing 10:34 to the Sydney team in the first round, the Titans won 10 matches in a row. Two weeks ago, they thrashed the Wests Tigers 58:0, and before the playoffs they consecutively defeated four semi-final participants.
