By SHAYNE BUGDEN, SPORTS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA
Updated: 09:55 EDT, 5 October 2025
Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live blog for all the updates and scores from the NRLÂ grand final.
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The cigars are out in the Broncos sheds
Ezra Mam is puffing on one as he’s interviewed by Darren Lockyer, and he’s not the only one indulging. Assistant coach Ben Teo has also partaken, and so has Payne Haas and the man of the hour, Reece Walsh.
Johnathan Thurston joins the Reece Walsh fan club
The Cowboys legend has joined Phil Gould and Jarryd Hayne in branding Walsh’s match the best individual performance in grand final history.
Go the Plumber!
What an advertisement for the greatest game of all. If you want to convert people to rugby league, show them this photo and explain why a dunny is now forever associated with one of the greatest grand final wins – and individual performances – the sport has seen.
Incredible praise from Jarryd HayneCameron Munster speaks
‘Broncos were too good tonight, you can’t afford to give Reece, Payne Haas, Patty Carrigan and Ezra Mam too much ball,’ the Storm star said after the shattering loss.
‘We defended for too long at the back end of that game, in the first 15 minutes we gave them too much ball and the result speaks for itself.
‘We tried our arses off tonight.’
When Maguire knew they could win it all
The coach just told Nine that he saw a change in the team after the Origin period, when the interstate stars returned to the team and locked in on winning the premiership.
Phil Gould is in awe of Reece Walsh
‘One of the more extraordinary performances I’ve seen by a player in a big game. He was incredible, with and without the ball,’ Phil Gould said.
‘It’s the best individual performance I’ve seen by a player in a game like this.’
The photo Broncos fans have been waiting almost two decades to see
Ezra Mam checks whether he’s on live TV… and swears anyway
An obviously overwhelmed Mam just asked Brad Fittler, ‘Are we on?’ and when he was told yes, almost immediately said ‘s**t’. Then he realised what he’d done, and reacted by doubling down with, ‘F**k! S**t!’
The brilliant Reece Walsh act you missed
When Ben Hunt was knocked into next week, Walsh was the first Bronco on the scene and he held his mate up and kept him steady until the Brisbane trainers could take over.
It didn’t make a big impact at the time, but Walsh saving his teammate from himself as Hunt looked like he wanted to play on speaks volumes about the fullback, and the culture at the Broncos.
‘Build a bigger stadium’
Adam Reynolds has told the Queensland premier to up the ante and possibly put an extension on Suncorp Stadium as the Broncos keep selling it out. He also called this the best season of his career, said he’ll be playing on in 2026, and got his injured teammate Billy Walters up on the stage in a brilliant gesture.
Reece can’t resist a toilet joke
Just as he was about to leave the podium after collecting the medal for best on ground, Walsh said, ‘Plumber out!’ in a reference to his toilet water scandal.
After this, he really should start his own energy drink business and call it… you know.
Reece Walsh takes the Clive Churchill Medal
There can be absolutely no controversy about that choice. On a night full of brilliant individial efforts, he stood head and shoulders above the rest of the players.
Ben Hunt speaks
‘I’m just on top of the world at the moment … so much hard work over so many years. I never thought I’d be back at this club… it’s a dream come true,’ the veteran tells Channel Nine.
This should erase the memory of him dropping the kickoff in extra time of the 2015 grand final. Hunt was great tonight, right up until he was knocked silly in one of the most dramatic moments of the match.
Brisbane couldn’t have been blamed for dropping their bundle when Hunt went down after Adam Reynolds was left unable to walk, but Walsh – whom Hunt branded a freak – was front and centre as they held on.
The moment Reece Walsh saved the matchBroncos 26, Storm 22 in one of the all-time great deciders
That is up there with any grandy your correspondent has ever seen. Michael Maguire is in some very rare air as a coach who has won comps with two teams. And they did it despite losing both their starting halves to injury and being down by 10 at halftime.
Constant, high-octane, end-to-end footy for 80 minutes there. Fans should’ve known it was a special match when Brisbane scored on their first set, with Melbourne replying just minutes later – and it only got crazier from there.
‘If he’s not on the field tonight, they don’t win the grand final’
That’s Billy Slater on Reece Walsh, who must win the Clive Churchill Medal.
‘Oh my god, what a bloody ride! Bronx nation, you’re the best!’ he screams to the crowd while being interviewed by Brad Fittler.
Walsh had ‘be great’ written on his shoes, and he was several levels above great tonight.
Brisbane win!
Nineteen years of pain is over!
Reece Walsh saves the game!
He was all that stood between Papenhuyzen and the tryline – sensational tackle!
One minute left
And the Storm have it on their own five-metre line.
Sin bin for Trent Loiero!
He’s been done for a high shot there in his 100th NRL match and looks like the sickest man in Australia as he runs over to the sideline.
Brilliant Broncos defence!
Xavier Coates has been smashed over the sideline by Deine Mariner and Kotoni Staggs to wipe out the Storm’s best chance at levelling or taking the lead. Two minutes left!
Penalty to Melbourne!
Ryan Papenhuyzen was hit late by Piakura and you can’t argue with that one.
Great chance for the Storm here, 10 metres out.
Forward pass kills Broncos raid as the Storm win a challenge
Once again, the Broncs roared down the field after Melbourne’s fifth-tackle option backfired, but it all comes to nought.
The Storm raced right back at them through a big break to Warbrick, but Brisbane forced a knock-on with a piece of luck as Utoikamanu tried to offload and put the ball into Reece Walsh’s head.
But hang on – the Storm have challenged and Ezra Mam has been done for a high shot.
Ben Hunt is gone!
The veteran got his head in the wrong position in a tackle and got a knee to the jaw. He appeared to be KO’d for a second, then reeled out of it with legs like wet spaghetti. There is no way he’ll be back.
Tyson Smoothy will now have to help paper over a colossal crack in the Broncos team, with both of their starting halves now gone for the rest of the match.
Penalty to the Storm
What a let-off. The Storm looked set to be pinned inside their own five metre line to start that set but Pat Carrigan got pinged for crowding.
Karapani off for HIA
He’s got category two symptoms.
Melbourne mistake sets off chaos
A poor couple of passes there saw the ball go straight through Warbrick’s legs and into touch. The Storm were just righting the ship with that set, finally bringing it into Brisbane territory, then it all fell apart.
The momentum is 100 per cent with Brisbane right now.
And of course, just as I write that, Payne Haas makes a mistake in the play the ball to let the Storm back into it with a scrum on halfway.
Papenhuyzen just blazed through a yawning gap and looked certain to score – but the blazing speed of Reece Walsh made him flick-pass it back and the play broke down.
Walsh is having a monster of a night with and without the ball.
Walsh plays for a penalty
He copped a stray hand to the face there but there was no intent behind it. The ref sees through it and we move on…
Broncos lose an interchange
According to Nine’s Danika Mason, the Broncos stuffed up and thought Xavier Willison had come off for an HIA, but he counted as one of their interchanges. That could prove important over the next 20 minutes.
TRY! Broncos 26, Storm 22
Reece Walsh fired a laser beam of a pass to Shibasaki, who smashed his way over once again.
Brisbane just blazed right down the field after an immense break from Mariner and they are in an absolute purple patch at the moment. Adam Reynolds is gone for the night but he was ecstatic on the sidelines.
Walsh now has goalkicking duties, once again from out near the sideline, but this time on the bad side for a left-footer – and he curls it back.
TRY! Storm 22, Broncos 20
That started with Ezra Mam walloping Warbrick to make him spill the ball.
Mariner has scored his second, once again off a Reece Walsh pass, after Carrigan was hammered by the Storm defence. Great pass before that from Ben Hunt out of dummy half.
It’s a bloody hard conversion here for Walsh under maximum pressure… and it just slides off to the left.
Broncos denied by a forward pass
Reece Walsh looped a long ball to Josiah Karapani on the wing and he ran in untouched… but it was called back for a forward pass.
That ended a sustained period of dominance by the Broncos, who had a couple of six agains there and were peppering the Storm with hard running.
Reynolds gets carried off
The sight of the No.7 left unable to walk is shattering. He had one of the biggest moments of his career last Sunday when his conversion got the Broncos into the big game, and now they’ll be without his experience and exceptional end-of-set kicking as they desperately try to close the six-point gap.
Disaster for the Broncos!
Adam Reynolds is off after appearing to reinjure his hamstring. He put his hand up after breaking down mid-stride with nobody around him. That means Ben Hunt and Ezra Mam in the halves now in some desperately bad news for the Brisbane side.
Alec MacDonald update
He’s just been sighted on the sideline with his elbow heavily strapped, in a sign he could be on his way back if needed.
TRY! Storm 22, Broncos 16
Gehamat Shibasaki just went straight over after running onto a ball from Ezra Mam. After all the spectacular tries so far tonight, that looked way too easy as he just powered his way over without needing any finesse. That was very un-Storm-like defence, with Nick Meaney not making a solid enough hit.
Reynolds misses a hard conversion.
Knock-on Melbourne
Ryan Papenhuyzen almost took a ripper there from a Reynolds bomb, floating above the pack like an AFL player, but he couldn’t secure the Steeden. Broncos win the scrum about 20 metres out.
Dropped it! Golden chance goes begging for Melbourne
Tui Kamikamica ran on to a beautiful grubber from Munster, had it in both hands… and somehow lost control of it as he went to ground it over the line.
What a let-off for the Broncos.
Mam is on for the Broncs – who make an awful mistake
Adam Reynolds has just punted it out on the full to finish Brisbane’s first set of the second half.
They struggled to incorporate Mam into the attack against Penrith in the preliminary final, but can’t afford to waste any time putting him to good use tonight.
Back underway!
Broncos coach Michael Maguire told Nine his team have to fix their discipline if they’r going to win after giving the Storm great field position with penalties in the first half.
Tui Kamikamica gets us going again with the first hit-up.
A reminder about the Broncos
In their last two matches, against Canberra and Penrith, the Brisbane boys were behind at halftime – and went on to win in incredibly dramatic circumstances.
You’ve just witnessed footy history
That’s the most points we’ve ever seen in the first half of a grand final, going all the way back to 1908.
In other news, the top metre-eater tonight is Gehamat Shibasaki of the Broncos, with Melbourne’s Trent Loiero leading the tackle count for all players with 22.
Top shots from the first 40 minutesWhat the stats say
The Storm are winning possession (56 per cent), completion rate (95 per cent), run metres, offloads and tackle breaks. Line breaks are even at three apiece, and the Broncos have missed 26 tackles to Melbourne’s 17.
Halftime as the Broncos go close
Shibasaki blazed down the field on a great run, followed by a hard hit-up by Xavier Willison that ended up about five metres short.
That was an insane half of end-to-end footy.
Piakura off for HIA
Brendan Piakura has category-two concussion symptoms after a huge hit from Hughes and has passed his HIA test, so he’ll return in the second half.
TRY! Storm 22, Broncos 12
Jahrome Hughes set one up for Katoa, now he has scored one by right-foot stepping past three Broncos close to the line. Pat Carrigan, Kobe Hetherington and Reece Walsh were all hopelessly wrong-footed there.
Hughes is carrying a broken arm and recovering from a dislocated shoulder, just to make that even more impressive.
Another injury for the Storm
Alec McDonald is off after suffering an arm injury when he collided with the post while trying to stop that Reece Walsh meat pie.
TRY! Storm 16, Broncos 12
Reece Walsh just went ballistic down the middle of the field, tearing through a yawning hole in the Storm ruck on the back of a quick play the ball, then blasting through a Ryan Papenhuyzen tackle before crashing over.
That was right under the posts and Adam Reynolds makes no mistake with the conversion.
High shot, captain’s challenge
The Broncos got into attacking position after Jahrome Hughes was busted for a high shot, and now the Storm have snuffed that out by winning a captain’s challenge that sees them bringing the ball out from about their own five-metre line.
TRY! Storm 16, Broncos 6
Will Warbrick plants it close to the corner off a beautiful cut-out past from Eliesa Katoa, who’s not exactly known for that sort of play.
‘Wally Lewis would be proud of that!’ Andrew Johns says in commentary.
Meaney can’t make the conversion.
Reece Walsh lucky to avoid big trouble
The fullback has just nailed Xavier Coates on the nose with his shoulder, and has been placed on report. Similar high shots through the season have seen other players get sin-binned.
Some footy fans are already furious…
Awful mistake by Nine’s Matt Thompson
Nine’s play by play caller just said the Storm are trying to win their seventh title.
Wrong. They’re trying to win their fifth.
He has forgotten that the Storm had two grand final wins stripped from them for blatant salary cap cheating in 2007 and 2009.
Injury blow for the Storm
Jack Howarth is off with a groin problem. He was unable to really stretch out and hit top pace before in a worrying development for Melbourne.
Tyran Wishart is his replacement.
TRY! Storm 12, Broncos 6
A couple of penalties and two set restarts on the Broncos line have the Storm in the ascendancy – and Eliesa Katoa runs on to a Hughes grubber kick in the in-goal.
Meaney gets the extras and we have an early shootout on our hands.
TRY! Broncos 6, Storm 6
A slick set move sees Nick Meaney cut inside from the wing, carving past three Broncos defenders. He converts his own try. This must be close to record try-scoring pace for a grandy. Mariner’s effort was the second-fastest try in a decider, behind only David Furner in 1994.
Scrum to the Storm
A knock-on from the Broncs gives Melbourne an attacking set about 30 metres out.
TRY! Broncos 6, Storm 0
Reece Walsh played a huge role there, chiming in two off the ruck, bouncing off a tackle and getting a beautiful ball to Deine Mariner, who almost crosses the dead ball line as he improves the position in scenes that would’ve given Madge Maguire a heart attack.
Adam Reynolds makes no mistake from just outside the goalposts.
Reece Walsh involved early
He took it straight into the Storm defence on the first after the restart.
A penalty? Already?
The Broncs get this one before even a minute is gone, with Harry Grant pinged by Grant Atkins for a ruck infringement.
KICKOFF!
Corey Jensen takes the first hit-up for the Broncos.
Conrad Sewell with the national anthem
Payne Haas is standing a little apart from the other Broncos, just a little ahead of them. Most of the players from each side are standing arm-in-arm, but there are a few exceptions.
And now the Welcome to Country
Auntie Julie Jones is performing the ceremony to a respectfully silent crowd.
The teams are on the field
It looks like Broncos fans have the edge in the crowd tonight. The Storm run out through a banner reading ‘hard workers get lucky’, which could be the club motto.
Ben Mendelsohn delivers the rev-up
The pre-match motivational speech that used to feature Phil Gould is now in the hands of the Animal Kingdom star…
Not everyone is anti-Swims’Get him off the stage’: The case against Teddy Swims
While opinions are divided – and plenty of commenters online are sinking low enough to judge Teddy Swims on his body shape alone – a lot of footy fans aren’t impressed with what they’re seeing…
Some fan reactions to Teddy
He’s now launched into AC/DC’s classic TNT and he is doing it justice.
Teddy Swims takes to the stage
The American singer was thought to be in doubt for tonight after being forced to cancel shows in Hawaii in the last week when he lost his voice.
But he’s front and centre now, wearing a kilt, leopard-print jacket, black leather vest and huge black Crocs-like footwear, like a Scottish extra from Mad Max.
It seemed like his mic wasn’t turned all the way up at the start of the set, but that has been fixed.
Stadium detail confuses fans
As you can see from the below photo taken today, there are no team symbols on the field for the NRL grand final. That has left fans confused, with many assuming the Storm and Broncos would get some very visible representation in the in-goal areas, like teams do in the Super Bowl.
Nathan Cleary has a very cheeky message for his brother
Jett Cleary came off the bench for the Warriors in their big State Championship win at Accor this afternoon, with dad Ivan Cleary watching on from the stands. Then his brother Nathan – who has time off on grand final day for the first time since 2020 – put up the below Instagram post…
Brisbane are also as named
No late changes from coach Michael Maguire.
Melbourne confirm their line-up
No late changes for the Storm, with Joe Chan the unlucky 18th man.
Enjoy this, Broncs fans
Tamika Upton has become the first NRLW star to win five grand finals, with today’s victory keeping her 100 per cent record in premiership deciders intact.
The Roosters were incredibly brave and impressive, but got let down by their defence, missing 69 tackles compared to 38 for Brisbane.
Furious fans blast NRLW refs
Some footy fanatics are adamant Mele Hufanga was held up by the Roosters when she scored the match winning try.
Hufanga appeared to get the ball down twice. The first instance was obscured on the best angle of the replay, and the second one featured a couple of Roosters fingers under the ball – but the on-field decision was confirmed.
And the Karyn Murphy Medal goes to…
Best on ground is Mele Hufanga, who was a danger all game and scored the winning try. Absolutely outsanding, barnstorming game from her.
Wild brawl just after the siren sounds
Tamika Upton led the celebrations there but while the Broncos got the party started on the field, there was a fiery push and shove involving one of the Roosters forwards in the middle of the wild scenes, with Brisbane star Julia Robinson involved in a stink with Aliyah Nasio.
And within seconds of the match finishing, footy fans have gone online to claim the Chooks were robbed by the decision to award the Hufanga try (pictured below) that gave Brisbane the winning lead.
The Broncos are premiers!
Ali Brigginshaw fielded a last-ditch attacking kick from the Chooks and got belted high for her trouble. She has to go off for a HIA.
Brisbane just cart it up to finish the last set and the celebrations turn sour as the two teams have to be separated with tempers getting out of hand for a few seconds there.
TRY! Broncos 22, Roosters 18
Mele Hufanga! She beat three Roosters defenders including Kernick to get across – but there’s a bit of evidence that one of the Chooks got her fingers under the ball as it was being grounded.
The try was awarded on the field, and now it has been confirmed. Talk about drama – that replay will get examined with a fine-toothed comb.
Conversion successful, less than five minutes left.
Horror head clash for the Roosters
Rima Butler and Keeley Davis have come together in awful scenes, with both sporting huge swelling on their faces, especially Butler.
And to make matters worse, Isabelle Kelly is down hurt in a separate incident.
TRY! Roosters 18, Broncos 16
Shalom Sauaso could not be denied there – she bullocked her way over, drilling through Olivia Kernick and Brydie Parker to score.
Teitzel makes a mess of the conversion, however, and that poor miss could prove to be crucial.
Big chance for the Broncos
Ali Brigginshaw just burst through the line off a nice dummy and the Roosters knocked on in desperation as she tried to get a pass off.
Attacking set for Brisbane about 20m out from the Roosters line.
NO TRY!
Kelleher tried to force a ball in a very tight window there and it went to ground. Julia Robinson fielded it and was never headed on a 60-metre sprint to the line.
However, Ali Brigginshaw knocked it on as she tackled Keeley Davis, who was the target of that Kelleher pass, and the video ref has picked it up.
Broncos fans will be gutted – that’s the second try they’ve been denied, rightly, from a knock-on today.
TRY! Roosters 18, Broncos 12
This is why they haven’t lost for 18 matches.
Just a simple short-side play there, Mia Wood grounding it after Sergis drew a defender and got her pass away. Now the Broncos look gassed and have started dropping off tackles.
Jocelyn Kelleher is a wizard with the boot today, landing another difficult conversion from close to the sideline on her bad side.
TRY! Broncos 12, Roosters 12
Eliza Lopamaua crashed over from about 10 metres out, smashing through two Broncos defenders with a huge right-foot step and hanging onto the ball in traffic after looking like she’d lose it for a split second. That came two passes after a great offload in centre field.
Easy conversion for Kelleher and we have one hell of a match on our hands.
TRY! Broncos 12, Roosters 6
Hayley Maddick dropped an intercept chance there. If she’d held on, that was six points for sure.
The Chooks – who made a stunning break about two minutes ago – turn straight around and make another huge bust off the scrum, with Brydie Parker getting on the outside of Hufanga and streaking to the corner to score.
Very difficult conversion for Kelleher, but she absolutely nails it.
Captain’s challenge by the Roosters
Jess Sergis said the ball was stripped, but the ref ruled she lost it. And the video ref agrees with the whistleblower – challenge unsuccessful.
Back underway in the NRLW decider
Some smothering defence from the Chooks to get the second half started.
They allowed five line breaks and made just two themselves in the first stanza, and missed 36 tackles to Brisbane’s 18.
PVL gives his tip for the NRL grandy
The footy supremo is backing the Broncos to win on the back of the Reece Walsh factor.
Halftime: Broncos 12, Roosters 0
The Chooks’ 18-match unbeaten streak is in danger after a brilliant first half of football that saw spectacular play on both sides.
Roosters fullback Brydie Parker came back on towards the end of the half after passing her HIA, and her team is very capable of turning this around quickly once the second half gets underway.
TRY! Broncos 12, Roosters 0
Jada Ferguson scooted out of dummy half just to the left of the posts and split the marker defence and managed to get the ball down with some extra effort. A very rare example of a mental lapse in defence from the Chooks there.
Teitzel lands the conversion to give the Broncos a deserved lead. It’s been a tight affair but the Queenslanders have made the more telling breaks and manufactured more scoring chances.
Roosters star off for HIA
Brydie Parker is being checked after a heavy collision with Teitzel when she tried to field that bomb just before the no-try call.
TRY! Broncos 6, Roosters 0
Dally M winner Tamika Upton sliced through them straight off the scrum, getting outside Jocelyn Kelleher and darting over the line. Just too slick from the fullback there as she showed great pace and balance.
Romy Teitzel adds the extras.
NO TRY!
Brigginshaw put up a huge bomb after another Mele Hufanga break followed by a storming run by rookie of the year Shalom Sauaso. Roosters star Brydie Parker couldn’t field it under intense pressure and the on-field ruling is a try to Hayley Maddick.
The try goes upstairs to check for a double knock-on and it’s denied, as Brisbane did knock it forward.
Another good sign for the Broncs
Once again, a huge bust early in the tackle count set up an attacking raid. Mele Hufanga got through a Jess Sergis attempt and Brisbane threatened once again before struggling with their last-tackle option.
They are starting to get on top here as the Roosters have some uncharacteristic struggles in defence.
Promising Broncos raid peters out
A huge break out of dummy half on the first got the Broncos rolling there, and the Roosters are dropping off tackles.
The Chooks make a stand on their goal line and Ali Brigginshaw’s grubber is poor, bouncing off the opposition and being easily defused.
Still, promising signs for the Queenslanders.
Dynamite defence keeps Broncos scoreless
Lauren Dam looked to be over for sure there, but the Tricolours clamped down hard right under the posts to deny her. That was desperation personified.
Great set from the Broncos off the back of a Roosters knock-on.
We’re underway!
The Roosters go about 50 metres in their first set but don’t get much penetration with the kick on the last.
That was a very aggressive opening from the Chooks, who look like they are prepared to really chance their arm today.
Late changes for the NRLW decider
We’re just minutes away from the big match, with the Roosters losing Taina Naividi on the wing. She’s replaced by Mia Wood.
The Broncos have brought Destiny Brill into the starting side, relegating rake Jada Ferguson to the bench.
And the best-dressed fan award goes to…
This Reece Walsh fanatic has done an outstanding job of celebrating his hero’s infamous toilet water social media video, which initially infuriated the top brass at the Broncos but is now part of footy folklore.
Walsh, who is renovating his home, drank water out of the bowl before the brand-new dunny had been used, and referred to it in a post-try celebration you can see at the bottom of the picture below.
Phil Gould reveals the REAL story behind his shock hospital health scare
The Bulldogs boss has explained that, contrary to several reports, he ‘never had a heart scare or anything like that’ when he was hospitalised for several days, starting on Monday.
Noting that he didn’t stop working through the ordeal and will be back with the Dogs on Tuesday, he said, ‘There were some things in my recent blood tests that required further investigation.
‘The doctors were just being thorough.
‘I was lucky I went to the hospital because I was able to get a range of testing done that could have [otherwise] taken weeks.’
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Gould ‘appeared to lose consciousness’ when he was at the funeral of his good friend, player manager Wayne Beavis, days before he was taken to hospital.
‘I hadn’t eaten or slept and I was dehydrated,’ said Gould (pictured below after a separate medical issue he suffered earlier this year).
The publication also reported that ‘Gus’ will be working the grand final for Channel Nine while fitted with a device that monitors his heart and will send an alert to a doctor if there are any problems.
FULL TIME: Warriors 50, Bears 20
The Wahs were never headed, turning in a thoroughly impressive display to take the State Championship title.
The Bears, to their credit, never gave up despite being completely blasted off the field in the first half.
Warriors 50, Bears 20
Incredible dummy half play set that one up. Cole Geyer grubbered, regathered and offloaded to make the initial break, then prop Fletcher Baker gave the last pass for Mitch Watson to get the try.
NRLW star’s bold grand final prediction
Broncos star Ali Brigginshaw (pictured left, below, with Isabelle Kelly of the Roosters) has told Channel Nine, ‘It’s just about us and starting really fast. The first 15 minutes is going to decide who wins today.’
Warriors 50, Bears 16
Hooker Paul Roache delivered a miracle offload just short of the line there, and Josh Rogers did very well to handle it in heavy traffic. Conversion unsuccessful.
Warriors 50, Bears 12
Luke Hanson gets his second, sliding over in the left-hand corner after Tanah Boyd orchestrated a nice break on the last.
And some good news for Ivan Cleary as his Jett runs on to make sure the family name is represented on grand final day for the sixth straight year.
Tanah Boyd lands the conversion.
The NRLW toss is done
The Roosters won it, and Brisbane will be kicking off come 4pm.
Warriors 44, Bears 12
Jeez, that was far too easy for Taine Tuaupiki, who scores his second by stepping past four defenders in the middle of the field, freezing them with great footwork before cutting through the line. That’s the sort of running you just can’t teach. Boyd lands the conversion once again.
Warriors 38, Bears 12
A beaut chip and chase by Josh Rogers and a partly accidental offload by Nicholas O’Meley set that one up for Ewan Moore, who goes over near the corner. Rogers nails the difficult conversion.
Police escort for the Broncos
Teams often choose to stay in accommodation very close to Accor Stadium in Homebush, but not the Broncs. They’re holed up in Brighton, right on the shores of Botany Bay in Sydney’s south.
There’ll be no worries with traffic when they make their way to the ground, though, as NSW Police will be making sure everything runs smoothly.
Warriors 38, Bears 6
Well, at least Burleigh have slowed them down a bit.
It took 11 minutes of second-half action before Luke Hanson scored the Wahs’ seventh try of the afternoon, with Tanah Boyd making no mistake with the extras this time.
Back underway in the State Championship
And we have a very famous spectator, Ivan Cleary (pictured below), who is watching his son Jett play for the Warriors.
The Roosters have arrived
The Chooks are trying to go back-to-back in the NRLW decider, but Brisbane are the favourites, despite the fact the Tricolours are just 70 minutes of footy away from going through the entire season undefeated.
Roosters star Jessica Sergis just led her teammates off the bus, with the big match kicking off at 4pm.
Some of the early arrivals at AccorWarriors 32, Bears 6 at halftime
That’s the second four-pointer for Setu Tu, who strolled over on the back of a lightning-fast last pass from Ali Leiataua, but Boyd can’t slot the two-pointer.
And that’s halftime. Bears coach Luke Burt, who starred for Parramatta in the early 2000s, will need to pull out an all-time-great speech at the break if his team are going to get out of Accor with a win.
Burleigh finally hit back: Warriors 28, Bears 6
Cole Geyer – the son of Penrith and NSW Blues legend Mark – crashes over to finish the first good set from the Bears all match, with Josh Rogers landing the conversion.
Warriors 28, Bears 0
Freddy Lussick joins the procession in the 29th minute, sliding through a yawning gap after some good lead-up play by Tanah Boyd, who has an easy conversion from right in front.
Plenty of time for the Wahs to add to what is fast starting to look like an unbeatable lead before halftime. The Bears are getting carved up left, right and centre, with the Warriors scooting 80 metres on their set after receiving the kickoff. This is boys vs men stuff at the moment.
The Warriors cross for a fourth try to lead 22-0
Setu Tu doubled the Kiwis’ lead in the 14th minute, and halfback Tanah Boyd has just notched a four-pointer to go with three conversions from three attempts.
The Burleigh Bears look badly outmatched by the Warriors’ size and power at the moment, and they just made matters worse with a bad fumble as they tried to bring the ball back after the kickoff.
The Wahs waste no time capitalising on that mistake, with Taine Tuaupiki carving through the defence out wide to score a meat pie straight off the scrum.
Boyd misses the conversion this time. It’s starting to get ugbly for the Queenslanders.
Ezra Mam is slammed by victims of his drug-driving crash
Mam crashed his Ford into an Uber in inner-city Brisbane in October 2024, leaving the Uber driver and his two passengers – a mother and daughter – with serious injuries, most notably a broken hip suffered by the five-year-old girl.
Now, as he prepares to play a starring role in the grand final, the mother and Uber driver have hit out at what they see as the star’s grossly lenient treatment from the court and the NRL.
The mother, Taylor Marshall, said Mam should have been hit with a far harsher outcome than being fined $850 and losing his licence for six months, in addition to being rubbed out for nine weeks and fined $120,000 by the NRL after cocaine was found in his system after the accident.
‘I’m in shock he’s playing,’ Marshall said.
‘I seriously thought he would get a year’s suspension. He got nine games. It’s not good enough.
‘I said on the day of his court case that the suit he was wearing would have cost more than the fine that he got.’
Uber driver Marcel Van Den Camp spoke through his lawyer, Kaitlyn Marsh, who said he finds it ‘re-traumatising’ to see Mam ‘continue to live comfortably’.
‘Our client does not agree with the consequences imposed by the NRL or the fact that Ezra is playing in this weekend’s grand final,’ Marsh said in a statement.
Warriors draw first blood
New Zealand’s Ali Leiataua has crossed in the ninth minute to give his team the opening try against the Burleigh Bears in the State Championship.
Tahah Boyd put on a great last pass and has also slotted the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
Phil Gould jokes about health scare
On Wednesday night, just as the Dally M red carpet was getting underway, news broke that the Bulldogs boss and Channel Nine star had been in a Sydney hospital since Monday with serious health issues.
‘Gus’ returned to the commentary booth on grand final day to lend his expertise to the State Championship match between the New Zealand Warriors and Burleigh Bears.
‘Just watch me drip, will you, please? Don’t tread on it,’ he joked to his fellow commentators.
G’day and welcome
Hello and thanks for joining the Daily Mail for our coverage of the 2025 NRL grand final.
Stick with us as we bring you all the action from Accor Stadium, where the Broncos will be trying to win their first premiership since 2006 as they face the Melbourne Storm in the biggest match of the year.
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NRL grand final RECAP: Re-live every moment as Reece Walsh leads the Broncos to victory in one of the greatest deciders ever played