Tamika Upton has another premiership in a Dally M season, with Scott Prince taking home his maiden NRLW trophy as coach after the Broncos staged a late comeback on Sunday afternoon.
Brisbane became premiers of the women's competition for a fourth time in eight seasons after denying the Sydney Roosters a perfect year 22-18 after a frantic second half at Accor Stadium.
The Roosters went 11 and zip through the home and away season before a getting over Cronulla by a point last week.
On Sunday, the Broncos went into the break leading 12-nil after Upton drew first blood.
After taking home her second Dally M Medal during the week, the Barada woman and Broncos co-captain put her foot down to beat a couple of Roosters with raw pace at the line for first points on the board 17 minutes in.
Tamika Upton burns them inside the Westpac Red Zone! ðŸ"¥ pic.twitter.com/egrAfSgzVy
— NRLW (@NRLWomens) October 5, 2025
The Roosters had other ideas coming out of the break. Olivia Kernick was instrumental in getting her side into scoring position through the middle and setting up their second to tie things up with an off-load ending with Eliza Lopamaua.
Kernick, a duel Māori and Indigenous All Star and 2024 Dally M Medallist, had earlier kept them in it with a try-saving tackle at the other end to stop Brisbane putting one hand of the trophy.
The Roosters suddenly led when Mia Wood had their third in the 54th minute.
However Brisbane weren't done.
Shalom Sauason had the Broncos back within two points with 10 to go before Mele Hufanga sealed the premiership by beating five within metres of the try line to crash over.
"We got a bit comfortable at halftime there. The Roosters came back like the champion team they are, but so proud of the girls, particularly our young ones, stepping up," Upton said after the final siren.
"We knew they were coming. They're not minor premiers for no reason…they came out the blocks there in the second half and put it to us. Really, really proud of the girls from crawling back."
It's Upton's fifth NRLW premiership after a pair each at the Roosters and during her stint with Newcastle - incl 2023 when she won a first medal as the competition's best player.
She finished with 170 metres running with the ball (59 kick return), five tackle breaks and a line break.
Indigenous All Stars teammate Keilee Joseph lead the Broncos for tackles with 35 made, bested only by Kernick who had 44 in a strong performance in a losing effort.
In his third year as Broncos coach, Kalkadoon man Scott Prince is a premiership coach 20 years on from his Clive Churchill Medal in the Wests Tigers NRL grand final win.
Brisbane completed a clean sweep of rugby league with the men's side beating the Melbourne Storm 26-22 in the NRL grand final on Sunday night.
