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Emotional Kelly wears her heart on her sleeve

Win or lose on Sunday and the tears are likely to flow for star Sydney Roosters centre Isabelle Kelly.

Not because of the occasion or the fact a first NRL Holden Women's Premiership campaign is coming to an end.

Kelly wears her heart on her sleeve.

Everyone hates losing, but the disappointment for Kelly in the first two weeks of the competition was that the quality of football from a Roosters team boasting a host of representative players wasn't up to scratch. Nor was the team sticking to the game plan.

Vision of the 22-year-old kicking the ball away in disgust as things weren't going to plan in the opening fortnight of the Roosters' NRLW campaign was an example of that.

It's a competitive mindset that separates the best from the rest.

"I've definitely grown as a player and person in the last three weeks," Kelly told NRL.com.

"I know how hard I've worked and continue to work to get to places so when things don't go my way I'm pretty devastated for myself. When things do go my way I become overwhelmed.

"That's footy and you grow from those things."

Roosters centre Isabelle Kelly.
Roosters centre Isabelle Kelly. ©Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos

The Central Coast product is arguably one of the best prospects in the women's game.

She was surprisingly overlooked as a nominee for the female Dally M player of the year award on Wednesday despite a consistent personal campaign, with the Jillaroos representative seeing a lot of ball.

Kelly admitted the last three weeks had been draining with the commitments of travelling, training and recovery between games in the inaugural competition.

"The first two weeks we weren't focusing on playing as a team," Kelly said.

"They were tough when we weren't doing well and had to try and turn it around in such a short space of time.

"But having that win on Saturday against the Dragons has boosted everyone's confidence. It's been a different week. When you go through hard times as a team you come out the other side on top."

Kelly will resume a run-in battle with Broncos centre Meg Ward in Sunday's decider with the pair lining up in their third match against each other this season.

It was in round two that Kelly was penalised for a crusher tackle on Ward, and was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Ward will play through a fractured hand opposite Kelly for the final time this year.

"Meg and I are good friends and what happens on the field stays there," Kelly said of her Jillaroos teammate.

"When we come off the field we're still having a chat. It's good to see Meg working hard with her footy and doing well. The Broncos are going to be tough and we know that.

"They've gelled together well over the last three weeks on the back of their pre-season."

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Sydney Roosters respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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