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Brisbane Broncos Women Face Major Roster Overhaul Despite Grand Final Triumph By Eleanor Vance, BBC Sport The Brisbane Broncos Women have secured their place as the dominant force of the NRL Women's Premiership (NRLW) after clinching a dramatic Grand Final victory, securing their fourth title. However, the club now faces a significant and immediate challenge as the professionalisation of the league triggers a mass exodus of premiership-winning talent, forcing the club to rebuild its core structure almost immediately. Within days of hoisting the trophy, several senior figures, including the Grand Final’s player of the match, have confirmed their departures, signalling a new era of talent mobility in the rapidly expanding competition. The euphoria of the 22-18 victory over the minor premiers, the Sydney Roosters, on Sunday, 5 October 2025, has quickly transitioned into strategic planning for the Broncos administration. The Grand Final itself was a spectacle of shifting momentum, with Brisbane overcoming a second-half resurgence from the previously undefeated Roosters, powered by a crucial, late try from centre Mele Hufanga. Hufanga’s barnstorming performance, which earned her the Karyn Murphy Medal, epitomised the resilience coach Scott Prince instilled in his squad following his arrival in 2023, guiding the club back to the summit of the women's game after a brief premiership drought dating back to 2020. However, the success has come at a price. NRLW’s escalating player market, driven by the recently negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and increasing financial investment, has made retaining a premiership squad extraordinarily difficult.
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The Broncos confirmed that no fewer than seven players instrumental to the Grand Final campaign will be leaving. This list includes the match-winner Hufanga, who has signed a multi-year deal with the New Zealand Warriors, marking a strategic shift back across the Tasman for the Kiwi Ferns star. Other significant departures include forward Annetta-Claudia Nu'uausala, utility back Gayle Broughton, and promising forward Keilee Joseph. Additional premiership squad members, including Montaya Hudson, Lavinia Gould, and Shaylee Joseph, have also been granted releases. The sheer volume of experienced players departing creates a significant void, particularly in the forward pack and among the game-breaking backs that defined their season success. While the club successfully retained key figures such as decorated halfback Ali Brigginshaw, fullback Tamika Upton, and centre Shenae Ciesiolka—the latter signing a valuable two-year extension—the balance of the squad requires substantial reinforcement. The movement highlights the intended consequences of the NRLW’s ambitious salary cap structure. Under the CBA, the cap rose to $1.
254 million (£645,000) for the 2025 season, with a planned increase to over $1. 5 million by 2027. This dramatic increase is designed to professionalise the women's game and, crucially, distribute talent more evenly across the league’s ten competing franchises, preventing the formation of long-term dynasties built solely on legacy or early recruitment advantages. Speaking on the implications of the competitive market, one league analyst suggested that the Broncos’ immediate future would serve as a critical test case for the league’s new financial model. "The salary cap is doing exactly what it was designed to do—spread the talent and ensure parity," they stated. "The Broncos’ challenge now is proving they can identify and develop the next wave of stars to replace premiership winners, which is the true test of a powerhouse club in a competitive era. They can no longer rely on holding onto the same dominant core year after year. " The club’s hierarchy, while acknowledging the operational complexities, maintains a focus on the team’s resilient culture.
Following the championship win, co-captain Ali Brigginshaw reflected on the adversity the team faced throughout the year, including key injuries, saying: "We’ve been through a lot of adversity this season. We had a lot to play for, and I’m just incredibly proud of the girls. Winning this title shows the depth and character of the squad. " This resilience will be immediately required of the incoming squad members as the club seeks to fill the void left by seven experienced players. The successful retention of cornerstone players Brigginshaw and Upton, alongside coach Prince’s established system, provides a solid foundation for the 2026 season. However, the shift of talent to emerging rivals, particularly the New Zealand Warriors and the Parramatta Eels, confirms the NRLW’s transformation into a genuinely open competition. The task ahead for the Brisbane Broncos Women is to leverage their status as champions to attract and integrate new players who can maintain the required performance standard, all while navigating the fluid dynamics of a burgeoning professional sports league. The challenge is not merely to win again, but to redefine what success looks like in an environment engineered for equal opportunity.
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