Round 3 of the 2025 NRLW delivered on everything we want from the season, plenty of scintillating tries, high-stakes drama, breakout performances and a clearer picture of which teams are trending up and which are stumbling.
Here’s what happened in Round 3.
Broncos vs Roosters: A finals grade showcase
When the Broncos took on the Roosters on Sunday afternoon at Totally Workwear Stadium, it became a season-defining clash.
The back-and-forth tug of war finished 30–26 in favour of the Roosters.
While the Roosters scored early through tries to Jasmin Strange, Taina Naividi and Otesa Pule before the 15-minute mark, it was the Broncos who staged a late comeback through tries to Annetta-Claudia Nu’uausala, Lauren Dam and Kerri Johnson.
Both teams got a little frantic in the final quarter of the game and there were errors to experienced players including Tamika Upton diffusing a Broncos bomb and an Olivia Kernick drop out of her own end.
Standout players including Isabelle Kelly, who ran for almost 170 metres and Mele Hufanga and Keilee Joseph who each finished with six tackle breaks.
This won’t be the last time these two teams meet. What we got on Sunday was a finals preview. Expect Brisbane and Sydney to settle this score under even greater pressure come September.
The Roosters also remain the only team undefeated and sit clear on top of the ladder.
Eels crush Raiders: Attack thrives, defence exposed
Parramatta bounced back from a disappointing round 2 loss by dismantling the Canberra Raiders, 46–12 at GIO Stadium. The Eels forwards dominated with strong performances from Elsie Albert, Chloe Jackson and Ryvrr-Lee Alo.
The Eels also benefited from the return of their captain Mahalia Murphy, who made a fantastic line break in the second half.
Jessica Sergis takes on the defence. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The Raiders are struggling but one shining light was their fullback, Elise Simpson with 212 run metres, two line break assists and two try assists. The only challenge with Simpson’s performance was that she really struggled to diffuse the high ball.
Once she had the ball in hand through, she caused problems for the Eels at both ends of the field. The Raiders have now conceded 18 tries in the past two matches, a concerning trend and suggests that their focus this week must be on defence.
Titans taste victory: Chapman’s swing celebration
At Leichhardt Oval, the Titans clinched their first win, 24-12 against the Wests Tigers. Jaime Chapman was electric and scored a try, ran for 140 metres and had six tackle breaks.
But the standout moment was a post-try celebration which reminded me of Reece Walsh’s backflip earlier in the year. Whilst fantastic to watch, I imagine that the Titans coach was holding her breath, hoping that Chapman stuck the landing.
The Tigers continue to build and look close to their first win, with Caitlin Turnbull scoring a triple in this game.
Knighthood celebration caps strong performance
Newcastle are having fun and playing killer footy in front of their home crowd. Their 36-20 win over the New Zealand Warriors gave them two wins from three outings. Their defence has now conceded only 42 points across three rounds and improving each week.
The highlight? Some of those post-try celebrations! Credit to Yasmin Clydesdale and her partner in crime, Jesse Southwell for the WWE smackdown post-try celebration, but the highlight was definitely Botille Vette-Welsh knighting Tess Staines using the cornerpost.
Following that Dame Staines arose. After Tayla Predebon scored, teammates crowned her in a mock “knighting” ceremony. It’s quirks like this that make NRLW so appealing.
What’s next
I am really looking forward to the game between the Eels and the Knights. It’s the Eels first home game and it’ll be a game between two teams on two wins.
There are some great individual battles, but I’m particularly looking forward to the one between playmakers Rachael Pearson and Jesse Southwell. This result could define the early-season ladder.
Unfortunately, it looks like two more tough weekends for the winless teams, the Tigers and the Raiders. The Tigers come up against a Sharks team who will be desperate to bounce back after a close loss to the North Queensland Cowboys and the Raiders are up against a Cowboys side currently sitting on two wins from three.
Across the board, round 3 showcased a tighter contest than ever. Unforced errors, nervous drops, inspired plays, it’s clear the top and bottom teams are clocking each other every week. And when the Broncos and Roosters meet again, it will be for more than just pride.
