Skipper not ruling out repeat of ugly scenes in grand final rematch
Isabelle Kelly will not be telling her teammates to tone down their aggression in the grand final and hinted tensions may boil over in the much-anticipated NRLW grand final rematch between the Roosters and Broncos.
The Roosters captain is looking to lead her team to its third premiership in six years, with the Broncos looking to spoil the party and defend their title.
Last year’s grand final did not end on pleasant terms for either side. Getty
The 2025 premiership match ended in ugly scenes for both teams, with Roosters gun Aliyah Nasio hit with the biggest ban in the NRLW’s history after she punched Broncos centre Julia Robinson in the face as the full-time siren sounded.
At the time, Nasio argued to the judiciary that her actions were prompted out of fear as she had been caught in a scuffle with seven Broncos players.
But with Robinson’s nose breaking as a result of the incident, Nasio was whacked with a four-game ban.
While there is no doubting that tensions will again be high when the two teams meet at Accor Stadium on Sunday, Kelly has no intention to deliver a captain’s address about how to walk the fine line between passion and aggression.
“We have a lot of girls here that I feel like their aggression in the game is what helps us, to be honest,” Kelly told reporters in Sydney.
“That was a thing that happened, has been spoken about and everyone apologised for it. It doesn’t take away from the fact that we have a lot of great players who step up and that is their role in our team.
“It is a grand final, you want grand finals to be tough, you want them to be aggressive and you want them to be the best game of the year.
“I would never take anything away from any of my players who are really shining on that big stage.”
The hurt of losing the 2025 grand final due to a controversial try scored by Mele Hufanga has not rattled the confidence of the Tricolours – rather it has done the opposite.
“The confidence is really high,” Kelly said.
“(Hufanga’s try) was one of those things that didn’t go our way, and that’s sport. Things like that happen all the time. It was devastating, to be honest.
The Roosters, like last season, enter the grand final undefeated. Getty Images
“To go down in that way was really disappointing ... but I don’t think that takes away anything from how we play or who we are as the Roosters.
“We still had girls turning up who were shattered but they were still playing their best footy.”
The lead up to the grand final also comes with a number of challenges off the field, with Kelly admitting that sometimes switching off social media can help an athlete block out the external noise and focus on the job that is at hand.
But while the external noise can become a distraction for some, the Roosters skipper hopes that all competing in the premiership match do “enjoy the week”.
“The last few times (we played in the grand final), you are just so focused on the game that you forget to sit there with your mates and soak it all in,” she said.
“There are a few little things you can go off, but the thing I love the most this year is that we’ve really stayed tight – you just get to be with your mates 24/7.”
The grand final will be the last time Millie Elliott and Corban Baxter play in the NRLW, with both announcing their retirements last week.
Ali Brigginshaw will hang up the footy boots on Sunday after the game. Getty
Kelly admitted it has been tough to speak about the pair’s retirements without getting emotional, given how influential they have been on her career but also the women’s game as a whole.
But while the Roosters have had a week to reset and refocus from their teammates’ announcement, Kelly is cautious the Broncos will also be out to send off one of the game’s greatest players, being Ali Brigginshaw, too.
“We have to be very wary (of Brigginshaw’s farewell),” she said.
“Ali is a pioneer of our game. She has been such a light in the NRLW for such a long time now, so we have so much respect for her and also the Broncos team.
“What better teams to have in (the grand final). There are so many reasons why both want to perform and win ... it is going to make it an even better game.
“Everyone is out to spoil everyone’s (farewell) party.”
The NRLW grand final is scheduled to kick off at 4pm AEST on Sunday.
