The Roosters' remarkable 26-game winning streak in regular-season NRLW play continued as they defeated the Bulldogs 42-12 at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
This win is significant as it secures the Roosters a bye in the first week of the playoffs. With this victory, they are set to challenge for the title, aiming to recover their championship from the Broncos lost last year.
Initially, the Bulldogs stunned spectators with a competitive performance, leading the match until the 52nd minute. Despite only three wins throughout the season and a string of four losses where they conceded 178 points, they stayed in the game for a long stretch.
Otesa Pule opened the scoring for the Roosters after almost 12 minutes, followed swiftly by Corban Baxter assisting Jessica Sergis, who scored her season-leading 15th try.
However, the Bulldogs responded strongly with Monica Tagoai scoring, narrowing the Roosters' lead to four points. Andie Robinson's aerial effort led to another try, putting the Bulldogs ahead 12-10 by halftime. This lead shocked the heavily favored Roosters, who also faced a blow with Baxter leaving for a head injury assessment.
In the second half, the Bulldogs maintained their lead for a while until Tagoai was sin-binned for a hip-drop. This opened the door for Isabelle Kelly, in her 50th game as captain, to inspire the Roosters' comeback, with subsequent tries from Millie Elliott, Taina Naividi, Pule, Mia Woods, and Jocelyn Kelleher sealing the game.
Despite the defeat, Bulldogs' coach Brayden Wiliame commended their performance in his final match before Mark O'Meley takes over in 2027.