LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The Sydney Roosters have secured the NRLW minor premiership, concluding the regular season with an impressive record of 11 wins out of 11 rounds, after defeating Cronulla 40-10. This victory, however, came at a cost as they lost star halfback Tarryn Aiken to a knee injury during the match.
Aiken's injury occurred in the 15th minute when she took a heavy blow to her kneecap and required assistance from two trainers to leave Central Coast Stadium on Thursday night. She had previously missed the first four games of the season due to a shoulder injury but had made a significant impact since her return, contributing 12 try assists and five tries in just six games prior to this match.
Roosters coach John Strange provided some insight into Aiken's condition, indicating that the medical staff did not suspect an ACL injury. "But they'll scan it and see. Might be a meniscus tear, but they're just sort of guessing until we get scans," he stated.
In addition to Aiken's injury, Kiwi prop Amber Hall also exited the game due to a calf injury after scoring in the 31st minute. Winger Jayme Fressard left the field with an ankle injury in the closing minutes, while centre Jessica Sergis battled back spasms.
Despite these setbacks, the Roosters remained dominant, scoring five tries in the first half, including two by Fressard, along with efforts from Mia Wood, Isabelle Kelly, and Hall, to build a commanding 24-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Sharks managed to score a couple of tries through winger Dominique du Toit and fullback Jada Taylor. However, the Roosters quickly regained control with additional tries from Olivia Kernick, Taina Naividi, and Keeley Davis, reinforcing their superiority even while dealing with several injuries.