Aiken defies pain to claim Karyn Murphy Medal

Roosters halfback Tarryn Aiken has been defying the pain of a shoulder injury to play in the finals and has claimed the ultimate reward, winning the Karyn Murphy Medal as player of the match in her side’s victory in this year’s decider.

Aiken missed two rounds after coming off the field early in the Roosters Round 7 win over the Sharks, but was a late inclusion for the semi-final elimination of back-to-back premiers Newcastle - all after she was told that her season was all but over.

In the grand final, Aiken's composure and grand final experience came to the fore as she helped guide the side to a 24-0 halftime lead and was involved in the majority of their scoring plays in their eventual 32-28 win. 

“I would just like to say I am really honoured to receive this award named after Murph," Aiken said on stage after claiming her win. 

"I want to say thank you to the Sharkies girls, you were unreal today, you must be proud of an incredible season.

"I’d like to thank our staff, Strangey [coach John Strange] and the rest of our staff because you have made us all better people and players and we could not me more lucky.

“And lastly to my girls, I could not have asked for better teammates, so glad we got it done.

“I have a good relationship with Murph, so to win an award named after her is really special, but today, but today, nothing is more special than winning a premiership with my team.

“It’s something we have worked really hard for.”