Sharks look to power of unity to topple formidable Roosters in NRLW grand final

In just their second season, having shocked the minor premiers in the semi-finals, the Cronulla Sharks enter Sunday’s NRLW grand final as rank outsiders against the Roosters. The tricolours are in their fourth grand final, chasing their second premiership. They knocked out the two-time defending premiers Newcastle last week, and many believe Sunday’s contest will be a formality.

But when Sharks fullback Emma Tonegato was asked this week whether she actually believes her side has a chance, she responded like she’s been waiting all week to answer. “Great question,” she said. “They’ve got a lot of attacking power right across the field, they’ve got like a thousand representative players, but I think we’re a team that bands together and will be out there playing for each other.”

The Sharks have needed to after an up-and-down season. They started the nine-match regular season with six straight wins. Then they met the Roosters in round seven, and were demolished 40-0. It was the first of three straight losses that was only ended with a 14-0 upset against Brisbane in the semi-finals.

Coach Tony Herman promised there will be no repeat of the thrashing on Sunday. “They taught us a bit of a lesson that day, and I think we learned a lot about ourselves as a group. They’ve got strike power across the park and a big, strong middle” he said. “We took that on board and went back to the drawing board, and I thought in our next two games, we started to get back on track. And then last week defensively, I thought we were really, really good.”

View image in fullscreen The Sharks upset the Broncos to reach the premiership decider. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

The Roosters’ line-up includes Dally M-winning backrower Olivia Kernick and NSW captain and devastating centre Isabelle Kelly. There is Millie Elliott in the forward pack, trying to become the first player to win premierships with three different clubs. Maroons playmaker Tarryn Aiken lines up at halfback. And Sky Blues centre Jess Sergis has recovered from a knee injury just in time.

Roosters Coach John Strange said Sergis has earned her place, but it was hard telling his daughter Jasmin she would be moving to the bench. “It was a really tough conversation,” he said. “She was disappointed as you’d hope, but the end of the conversation was, wherever I put her on on Sunday, she’ll go out and do her best, and that’s all you want.”

Kernick, the Roosters’ backrower, was recognised as the game’s best player at the Dally M awards on Wednesday, cementing her status as one of rugby league’s emerging stars. Strange said he is happy the 23-year-old’s brilliance is being acknowledged. “She’s always been very talented, a very good ball player, but it’s really been a discussion with us at the start of this year about her putting herself into the game a little bit more, and especially earlier because she’s a great threat.”

The Roosters lost NSW stalwart Corban Baxter to an ACL injury the week before the season, triggering an SOS from Strange to Sam Bremner. The 32-year-old former Jillaroo and mother of three retired last year and will join St George Illawarra as their head of women’s football in 2025.

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View image in fullscreen Dally M medal winner Olivia Kernick of the Roosters. Photograph: Mark Evans/AAP

The shock recruitment has has paid dividends, and Bremner scored twice in the semi-final against the Knights. “It was a bit of a long shot for me to actually call her, because she’s been retired for a while, and obviously the three kids,” Strange said. “I had a chat to her, and she wanted to think about it for 24 hours, have a chat to her husband. Luckily for us, her husband’s very supportive and understands that you’re a long time retired as a rugby league player.”

While the momentum is with the Roosters, who have won all but two matches this season, Sharks centre and captain Tiana Penitani – recognised in the Dally M team of the year and as the competition’s best captain – said the Sharks share a special bond. “It’s probably been my favourite year of football ever in my career,” she said. “We speak about the connection that we have as a team, and it goes all the way through our staff and as a club, we’re one really tight knit unit.”

Cronulla’s men’s team ended their 50-year premiership drought in the NRL in 2016, and Strange is aware of what a title in the women’s team’s second year would mean for the Shire. “We realised we had a special group [this year], and we won our first six, and talking to the guys in the 2016 team, the buzz around the Shire,” he said. “I think it’s going to be amazing if we can win it.”

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