The Gold Coast Titans have produced a stunning 12-0 upset win over the Roosters to move into their first NRLW grand final.
After collecting the wooden spoon in 2022, the Titans have produced a remarkable turnaround to power into next Sunday's decider against defending premiers Newcastle.
Titans fullback Evania Pelite was immense at Allianz Stadium, running for 262 metres and breaking seven tackles, while skipper Georgia Hale also stood tall.
After the teams traded early errors through Niall Williams-Guthrie and Jayme Fressard the game settled into an arm wrestle before the Titans created a great opportunity to open the scoring in the 18th minute but Pelite put the final pass down.
The Roosters then had their best shot after Pelite spilled a bomb but the Titans fullback quickly regained her composure to gather a grubber and defuse a dangerous situation.
Brittany Breayley-Nati Try
A penalty against Roosters hooker Keeley Davis for a strip in the 27th minute gave the Titans field position and Brittany Breayley-Nati capitalised with a show-and-go from dummy half to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.
A double blow for the Roosters with fullback Corban Baxter (ankle) and prop Millie Boyle (shoulder) both leaving the field before half-time but the pair were able to return after the break.
Ten minutes into the second half the Roosters were pinged for being inside the 10 metres and Rilee Jorgensen slotted the penalty shot to make it 8-0.
'I'm still shaking' - Jorgensen's off to the Grand Final
The Roosters looked to get themselves back into the game midway through the half but an error by Baxter let the Titans off the hook.
With six minutes to play the Titans struck the decisive blow when Destiny Mino-Sinapati crossed out wide off a brilliant pass from Pelite.
From there the Titans closed out the game as Karyn Murphy becomes the first female coach to lead a team into an NRLW decider.
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Match Snapshot
- Roosters fullback Corban Baxter left the field in the 26th minute with an ankle injury. She returned in the second half before eventually succumbing to the injury in the 56th minute.
- Titans hooker Brittany Breayley-Nati scored her first try since Round 2 of the 2021 season.
- Titans winger Destiny Mino-Sinapati had nine tackle breaks and ran for 149 metres.
- Roosters hooker Keeley Davis underwent a HIA during the half-time break and was cleared to return.
Fressard saves a try
- Titans captain Georgia Hale got through a power of work in defence with 57 tackles. She also ran for 128 metres.
- Roosters prop Millie Boyle ran for 153 metres and made 45 tackles.
- Roosters forward Mya Hill-Moana was sent for a HIA in the 58th minute.
- The Roosters are the first side in NRLW history to be held scoreless in a finals match.
- Titans props Shannon Mato and Jessika Elliston combined for 31 runs and 244 metres.
How's this for bravery under the high ball!?
Play of the Game
In a dour struggle where both defences stood tall, the match-winner came in the 69th minute when Evania Pelite produced a superb cut-out pass to put right winger Destiny Mino-Sinapati over for the try that sent the Titans into their first grand final.
Destiny Mino-Sinapati Try
What They Said
"To keep a team like that scoreless and keep going at it and get in the grind that they are good at, it's a really pleasing performance. It's so important for us to get that premiership and bring that home to the Gold Coast, for the club and for the community up there. That's something we speak about and to have that opportunity now that we are into the big one next weekend is really exciting. As soon as we finished the last game last season [when we came last] we sat down and did a big review really quickly, starting with the roster and a lot of things we had to do off the field that impacted what we did on the field. We just worked really hard from day one and it was about building that belief and you could see that growing every week." - Titans coach Karyn Murphy
Titans: Semi Finals
"We train for people getting injured and shuffling around and being pretty comfortable so that's not really an excuse. It was a real arm wrestle there for a while, both sides competing. They did a really good job of laying in the ruck and it worked really well for them. Unfortunately we got penalised for doing that. The girls tried as hard as they could to get back in the game but the defence we had to do in the first 35 minutes took its toll in the end. Obviously we didn't get the result we wanted but I've seen so many of these girls grow and develop through this season and the resilience they have shown has been such a positive for the club." - Roosters coach John Strange
Roosters: Semi-Finals
What's Next
The Titans will play in their first grand final in just their third season in the NRLW while the Roosters' run of bad luck with injuries finally caught up with them as they bowed out for 2023.