Brisbane veteran Brigginshaw seeks fifth NRLW title in final match

Brisbane Broncos veteran Ali Brigginshaw will play the final match of her NRLW career when the club faces the Sydney Roosters in Sunday’s grand final. The 38-year-old five-eighth has won the first four NRLW titles contested by Brisbane and is seeking a fifth. She, Julia Robinson and Chelsea Lenarduzzi are the three original Broncos who have remained with the club since the competition began in 2018.

Brigginshaw said she had considered retiring after last year’s premiership, but believed the team could reach another final. She said the most difficult part was qualifying and that the side now had an opportunity to compete for another championship. Brisbane reached the decider after defeating Gold Coast 20-8 in the preliminary final.

Brigginshaw said she had taken personal responsibility for limiting the influence of Gold Coast player Teagan Levi, who wore the number six jersey. The Broncos lost eight players from last year’s grand-final team, but Brigginshaw said the new group had embraced the club’s systems and culture. She described the return to the final as evidence that the team had the right people and structure to challenge again.

Brigginshaw said the season had been filled with “last” occasions, including her final home match and preliminary final. She said she was excited to play one more game and would approach it with the same competitive commitment as before.