Mele Hufanga wins Karyn Murphy Medal

Dominant centre Mele Hufanga has been awarded the Karyn Murphy Medal, having played a crucial role in leading the Broncos to their first premiership in five years. The team achieved a thrilling 22-18 comeback victory against the Sydney Roosters.

Hufanga scored the decisive try just four minutes before the match concluded, helping the Broncos recover from an 18-12 deficit in an exhilarating NRLW grand final that had the 46,288-strong crowd on the edge of their seats until the very end.

The Kiwi Ferns standout, who made a name for herself at the 2022 World Cup in England, stood out with a game-high 199 metres from 16 runs, alongside two line breaks, a line break assist, and an impressive 17 tackle breaks.

After starting strong with a 12-0 lead at halftime, the Broncos had to rally from behind to secure the win, overcoming the letdown of a disallowed try by centre Julia Robinson.

Interchange forward Shalom Sauaso managed to score in the 61st minute, but the Broncos still found themselves trailing after second-rower Romy Teitzel's missed conversion.

Despite this, Hufanga was unstoppable near the line, putting the Broncos ahead and securing the club's fourth NRLW premiership, their first since 2020.

In her victory speech, Hufanga acknowledged her teammates, becoming only the second New Zealander to receive the Karyn Murphy Medal, following Brisbane's Kimiora Breayley-Nati in 2018.