The Roosters have gone undefeated for the second regular season in a row after the premiership powerhouse survived an almighty scare to deny the Bulldogs the biggest upset in NRLW history.
The minor premiers were behind at half-time but scored six tries in 16 minutes to win 42-12 against a brave Bulldogs side that was coming off four heavy defeats.
The Roosters had already clinched top spot and weren’t playing for much, but the result means they’ve won a staggering 26 regular season matches in a row.
It’s an incredible streak but one that won’t mean much if they can’t win the big one, with the Roosters desperate to avenge their heartbreaking loss on grand final day a year ago.
The premiership heavyweights started well with the first two tries of the night, but it took a couple of moments of magic from skipper Isabelle Kelly who set up two tries in the space of three minutes to ensure they kept the streak alive.
She’s just one of the many superstars who can come up with a special play when it’s needed most, and it’s why it’s going to take something extraordinary for another team to beat them in the finals.
It’s not just the big names on fire, with powerhouse prop Otesa Pule running 50 metres and beating five tacklers as she raced away to complete her double.
They were nowhere near their best for the first 50 minutes, but they are unstoppable when they click into gear like they did in this one.
DOGS BITE BACK
The Bulldogs are going to finish in the bottom four, but at least they showed some fight in Brayden Wiliame’s final game in charge.
Incoming coach Mark O’Meley has some strong building blocks in the middle of the field, while Andie Robinson was everywhere on Thursday night and was rewarded with a try when she flew high to reel in a kick.
They could have easily scored two early tries had it not been for some desperate Roosters defence, with the sin bin hurting them badly on a night they started as 43.5 point underdogs.
TRIPLE TROUBLE
Roosters coach John Strange rolled the dice by naming a full-strength side which left the door ajar for some potential drama.
Olivia Kernick was placed on report for making contact on Tayla Preston as she kicked the ball, while she was also penalised for a high shot in the second half.
Fullback Corban Baxter failed a head injury assessment, while superstar halfback Tarryn Aiken was the victim of a hip-drop tackle that saw Monica Tagoia sent to the sin bin.
The Roosters have earned the week off so Baxter should be fine for the grand final qualifier, while Aiken wasn’t injured in the tackle after she missed last year’s biggest games with a devastating ACL tear.
Originally published as Roosters produce 16 minutes of magic as they finish unbeaten in the regular season for the second year in a row