Season 2022 provided plenty of memorable moments, and through the off-season, we'll be counting down the top 10 highlights of the year that was.
In no particular order, we're kicking off with our historic NRLW Premiership back in April.
After over a season on the sidelines following covid-19 protocols, the Sydney Roosters were back in action in the NRLW competition and were determined to add to the Club's cabinet of silverware in the postponed 2021 season.
NRLW 2021 Grand Final Highlights: Roosters vs Dragons
With a new-look squad including incoming coach John Strange, superstar signing Jess Sergis and a host of young talent looking to test themselves against the best, it was an exciting new era in the women's game.
A record nine debutants took the field for the first time in the Tricolours in Round 1, and although the side suffered defeats in the opening two matches against the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans, their confidence never wavered.
Round 3 saw the side claim their first scalp of the season - a historic 28-12 win over the Newcastle Knights in their very-first match at the hallowed Sydney Cricket Ground - and from there, things looked upward.
Sarah Togatuki Claims Karyn Murphy Medal
The return of Captain Corban Baxter from injury saw the side hit a purple patch, backing up their effort with a 19-18 victory courtesy of a Zahara Temara field goal the following week against a red-hot Parramatta side.
After being narrowly defeated by the top-of-the-table Dragons in the final match of the regular season, the Roosters relied on results to go their way, and a thumping from Minor Premiers Brisbane against the Eels sealed a fourth-place finish.
Baxter Raises the Trophy
Ironically coming up against the very side that propelled them into the semi-finals, the enthusiastic, never-say-die Roosters toppled the three-time Premiers at Leichhardt Oval, overcoming a 16-nil deficit to run away with a famous win to secure a spot in the Grand Final in one of the Club's greatest comebacks.
Facing the Dragons in the Grand Final in Redcliffe, Queensland, the wave of momentum continued as the Tricolours overcame an early deficit to storm home 16-4 in an intense encounter, with barnstorming front rower Sarah Togatuki claiming the Karyn Murphy Medal as Player of the Match.
Baxter celebrated her 28th birthday by becoming the first player in Roosters history to lift the NRLW trophy in emphatic circumstances, capping off an incredible turnaround to claim the Club's 16th Premiership.
For a full breakdown of the season, click the card below:
