A place in the 2026 NRLW Grand Final is up for grabs as the undefeated Sydney Roosters take on a resilient Canberra Raiders outfit in the first preliminary final. The Roosters have been the benchmark all season and are chasing a third straight grand final appearance, while the Raiders arrive full of confidence after securing the club’s first NRLW finals victory. With two of the competition’s best defensive teams going head-to-head, expect a fierce battle at Allianz Stadium.
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- Roosters vs Raiders → roosters-vs-raiders-nrlw-preliminary-final-preview-2026
- Titans vs Broncos → titans-vs-broncos-nrlw-preliminary-final-preview-2026
Matchday Details
Saturday, 26 September 2026 – 7:50pm AEST – Allianz Stadium
📺 Nine Network / Nine Now / Foxtel / Kayo
Referee: Kasey Badger | Senior Review Official: Liam Kennedy
Sydney Roosters: 1. Corban Baxter, 2. Brydie Parker, 3. Jessica Sergis, 4. Isabelle Kelly (c), 5. Jayme Fressard, 6. Jocelyn Kelleher, 7. Tarryn Aiken, 8. Millie Elliott, 9. Keeley Nizza, 10. Otesa Pule, 11. Sariah Paki, 12. Jasmin Strange, 13. Olivia Kernick, 14. Taina Naividi, 15. Aliyah Nasio, 16. Rima Butler, 17. Amber Hall, 18. Mia Wood, 19. Taneisha Gray, 20. Nikiah Campbell, 21. Shawden Burton, 22. Tatum Bird
Canberra Raiders: 1. Sheridan Gallagher, 2. Isabella Waterman, 3. Leianne Tufuga, 4. Bobbi Law, 5. Mackenzie Wiki, 6. Krystal Blackwell, 7. Zahara Temara, 8. Chloe Saunders, 9. Chanté Temara, 10. Sophie Holyman, 11. Jordyn Preston, 12. Charlotte Basham, 13. Hollie-Mae Dodd, 14. Emma Barnes, 15. Grace Kemp, 16. Lili Boyle, 17. Grace Kukutai, 18. Ellie Brander, 19. Elise Simpson, 20. Sereana Naitokatoka, 21. Madison Bartlett, 22. Relna Wuruki-Hosea
Match Preview
The storylines could not be more different ahead of the first NRLW preliminary final between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
The minor premiership-winning Roosters are aiming for their third consecutive grand final appearance while the Raiders are aiming to turn their first finals appearance into a maiden grand final.
Fresh off the week off, John Strange’s Roosters are at full strength with the return of winger Jayme Fressard from a hand injury. Utility Taina Naividi slides back to the bench and Mia Wood drops to the reserves.
The Raiders are unchanged from the side that defeated Wests Tigers at Campbelltown on Friday night. Simaima Taufa remains suspended for one more match.
The last meeting of these two sides was back in Round 3 and saw the Roosters overcome a 14-4 second half deficit to win 22-18 after both sides scored four tries.
The Roosters have been near-perfect in 2026. They have won every game, with an average margin of 35.33 points, scoring at least six tries in nine games and conceding more than two tries just twice. In case they needed any more motivation, trailblazers Corban Baxter and Millie Elliott announced their retirements during the week off.
The Raiders’ defence was outstanding against the Tigers last week. In a classic, low-scoring semi-final, the Raiders prevailed 6-0 despite the pressure from the Tigers. Particularly impressive was their forward pack, with each of their middles running for over 100m to get them out of trouble, while the back row each made over 30 tackles, headlined by Charlotte Basham’s 37 (with one miss) and Hollie-Mae Dodd’s 30 (no misses).
This game will be won on defence. The Roosters boast by far the most potent attack and strongest defence in the competition, while Canberra proved last week that they can repel attack across the field.
Despite only beating the Roosters once (their inaugural meeting in 2023), the Raiders have proven to be one of the few sides that trouble them. They led by 10 points before being run down in matches in 2024 and 2026 and came close to pulling off an upset at Allianz Stadium in 2025.
A Roosters win is highly likely, but an upset is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Roosters by 12
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