Once again the Roosters will face Brisbane, with the Broncos all that stands between the Tricolours and a perfect season.
But while the season seems to be ending in the same place, the changes in the two sides, plus those that loom in the near future, make this game feel like the end of an era.
asserted
game → face → era
Roosters Millie Elliott and Corban Baxter will retire after the match, while New South Wales Origin prop Rima Butler is bound for Wests Tigers.
asserted
Butler → retire → Tigers
But where they limped into the decider last year, without injured halfback Tarryn Aiken and winger Taina Naividi after she broke down at the club's final training session, this time they're fully loaded.
asserted
they → limp → session
The Broncos have not quite been the dominant force they were last year but they showed their class downing the Gold Coast in last week's preliminary final and have extra motivation of their own.
asserted
they → show → own
Ali Brigginshaw, one of the icons of the NRLW's early years, will be playing her last game before hanging up the boots.
asserted
Brigginshaw → play → boots
Throw in lingering feelings from last year's 22-18 Broncos victory, which was sealed by a contentious try to Brisbane centre Mele Hufanga with three minutes left, and the stakes could not be higher.
uncertain
stakes → throw → minutes
The Roosters are determined to run towards the bad memories, having watched a replay of the match together before the season began.
asserted
season → determine → match
"We're building on the feelings from last year," five-eighth Jocelyn Kelleher said.
"
asserted
Kelleher → build → year
We watched it all together and it was really hard.
asserted
it → watch → it
There were a lot of people getting emotional but it was dead silent.
asserted
it → be → people
"We all feel the hurt and the pain from last year.
asserted
We → feel → year
We won't let it happen again.
asserted
it → let → ?
We've worked so hard to fix those little things that went wrong last year.
asserted
that → work → things
"
After another undefeated regular season, that grand final loss is the only time the Roosters have had their colours lowered in the past two years, giving them 30 wins from their last 31 starts.
asserted
colours → have → starts
It meant they'd forgotten what defeat could even feel like.
uncertain
defeat → mean → what
While they'll keep talk about it to a minimum this week, there's no doubt it hangs over them like a spectre.
asserted
it → keep → spectre
"At the time, it was a weird feeling because the result was disappointing, but there was a lot of things in the lead-up that didn't go our way," hooker Keeley Nizza said.
"That's rugby league though and we still had the opportunity to win it but we didn't.
asserted
we → be → it
The way we rallied together and played well regardless of the result, it brought us closer together.
asserted
it → rally → us
"We won't speak about it too much, so it won't need to be brought up.
asserted
it → speak → it
Every year there's a new squad and a new feel, but we won't forget.
asserted
we → be → ?
That possibility of a new squad in 2027 is why the match feels like the end of something.
asserted
match → feel → something
Elliott is a Test and Origin mainstay, Baxter has played for the club since 2019, Butler has blossomed since joining Newcastle, and each of them leaves a serious hole in the roster with their departure.
The Roosters have done an excellent job identifying and progressing talent through their women's program, but all three are exceptionally difficult to replace.
While the club will be a premiership threat for some years to come, this game could mark the end of the club as a historically dominant force.
uncertain
game → play → force
The combined impact of the departing trio makes them just a little more like everyone else, which could make this their last chance at the elusive perfect season.
uncertain
this → combine → season
Brisbane have already felt the pinch hurting the Roosters now.
asserted
Brisbane → feel → Roosters
They have eight changes from last year's grand final, including Hufanga, who left for the Warriors.
asserted
who → have → Warriors
But they did welcome in Blues halfback Jesse Southwell, and with her and Brigginshaw calling the shots, the Broncos attack is sure to fire.
asserted
attack → welcome → shots
Plus the defending premiers boast newly minted three-time Dally M and two-time Karyn Murphy Medal winner Tamika Upton, who's won three of the past four premierships across two different clubs.
asserted
who → defend → clubs
Given her record in big matches, she's sure to put her stamp on the game and is good enough to win it almost on her own, meaning the result is well and truly up for grabs.
asserted
result → give → grabs
The Roosters were in imperious form to end the regular season, winning their last four regular season games by a combined total of 200 points to 34, but any thought of catching them complacent was ended in the preliminary final against Canberra.
asserted
thought → end → Canberra
The gallant Raiders gave a fine account of themselves in an intensely physical encounter, and the 20-10 Roosters win has them primed to hit their straps when it matters most.
asserted
it → give → straps
"That's the sorest I've felt all year," Kelleher said.
asserted
Kelleher → feel → ?
"We absolutely bashed each other up on that field for 70 full minutes.
asserted
We → bash → minutes
"We showed our mindset, that we could go through the grit and the arm wrestle.
uncertain
we → show → grit
The Aporia
