NRLW 2022: Brisbane Broncos reset for shot at fourth title
The Broncos have been the dominant force in NRLW since its inception but the revamped competition provides a new challenge for the star-studded team.
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The Broncos are eyeing off a fourth consecutive NRLW premiership, but if you ask anyone at the club, they’re starting from square one.
“We try not to think about the three-in-a-row,” star fullback Tamika Upton said this year. “It’s pretty easy to forget about it when it was a year-and-a-half ago now.”
The “reset” mentality has been adopted by the Broncos ahead of their season-opening clash against 2020 grand final rivals, the Sydney Roosters, on Sunday.
It’s a relevant ploy considering the NRLW has undergone a revamp, with three clubs – the Titans, Knights and Eels – entering the fray, along with a plethora of new talent.
It’s also a new-look Brisbane squad which will run out at McDonald Jones Stadium, with six players – Emily Bass, Nakita Sao, Jada Ferguson, Kaitlyn Phillips, Roxy Murdoch and Sara Sautia – named to make their Broncos debut.
Coach Kelvin Wright, who has been at the helm for two of the three premierships, played down talk of a fourth straight trophy, admitting the squad was starting from scratch.
“It’s not new, it’s something we do every year,” Wright said.
“There’s often a big turnover with squads.
“You’ve got to keep all the attributes and the culture that’s been built but, at the same time, it’s a new team. It’s been such a long time between seasons as well, so it’s really just about starting again and looking towards Round 1.”
This year’s competition has also expanded to five regular season games and a semi-finals clash before a historic stand-alone grand final to be played at Moreton Daily Stadium on April 10. The game has also seen some slight changes, with each half to increase to 35 minutes from the half hour in previous seasons.
Wright said it was yet to be seen what impact the longer game time would have, but admitted it could benefit attacking teams.
“That’s probably one of the unknowns,” he said. “Physically, I think all the players are prepared for that, but it might just take some slight adjustments when we play.
“It might take a week or two for some players to adapt.
“Hopefully it does put more players under fatigue throughout the competition because that creates opportunities for the attacking players.”
For all of the changes, the Broncos have retained a core group of premiership winners including star playmaker Ali Brigginshaw, Upton and five-eighth Tarryn Aiken.
Brigginshaw said the playing group was just itching to get back on to the footy field.
“We’ve seen girls get even fitter again this pre-season,” she said.
“We’re all coming together but we’re done with training, we just want to get back into playing footy.”
PLAN TO STOP BRONCOS GOAT
By Nick Walshaw
Kezie Apps was standing by a Newcastle beachfront this week, waiting for the NRLW season launch to get underway, when a wonderful thought struck.
“Maybe I just take her out now,” the St George Illawarra favourite laughed, motioning across towards Brisbane superstar Ali Brigginshaw, also stood waiting nearby
“It’s actually something we speak about all the time.
“Control Ali, and you can control her team.
“So maybe I should do it now.”
With the NRLW season finally arriving at McDonald Jones Stadium this Sunday afternoon, the biggest question facing Sydney’s three competing clubs is simple: How the bloody hell do you beat Brisbane?
In three years of the women’s game, the Broncos have won as many titles.
With bookies already favouring them again for not one, but two premierships in 2022.
So to stop that happening?
You have to stop the GOAT.
Aka Brigginshaw.
That Jillaroos and Queensland Origin skipper who has been dominating in the No. 7 jersey since 2009.
“Oh, Ali is the GOAT,” Parramatta skipper Simaima Taufa said. “She’s the mastermind.
“I’ve played with her, played against her, and the way she steers her teams around is phenomenal.”
Apps agreed, suggesting there was no easy way to lessen the impact of Brigginshaw.
“Because she’s an unbelievable athlete, Brisbane look to her a lot,” Apps said.
“So you need to try and take away their time.
“Slow them down.
“Because whenever the Broncos get a quick play the ball, Ali jumps on the back of that. Then you’ve got Tamika Upton and all those other quick players getting involved too.
“It becomes a real roll on.
“So we have to slow them down.”
Asked the secret to Brigginshaw and Apps spoke of that same quality owned by the likes of Cameron Smith, Andrew Johns and Johnathan Thurston.
“Time,” she said.
“Like all the great ones, Ali always has time.
“She just knows the game so well.
“And the way she can hold back and read the play, read the opposition and what they’re doing, how they work … then she just picks and chooses where she goes.
“And obviously I love playing with her.
“But I hate playing against her.
“So to beat Brisbane you have to control Ali … somehow.”
Roosters skipper Corban Baxter suggested the Broncos deserved to start favourites again in 2022.
“Give them the credit they deserve, because they really have set the benchmark high,” she said.
“But here at the Roosters we’re not thinking about that.
“You do, and you’ll never match them
“For us, it’s about believing in our game plan. Playing our best style of footy.”
Taufa said a similar mindset was held by the Eels inaugural NRLW side.
“Everyone is beatable,” the skipper insisted.
“And I know here at Parramatta, we’re not happy just being here.
“We want to win it.
“But if you want to beat Brisbane, you have to put your body in front, work hard and find some extra energy because they’re always switched on.
“And while our State’s talent is spread out, the Broncos do have all of Queensland to pick from.
“But they’ve also have a great culture. Have great leaders to drive it.
“It’s been that way from the start.”
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