The Roosters have one hand on the NRLW minor premiership after a stunning second half helped them kick clear of the Eels who have a huge game coming up in their fight to qualify for the finals.
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The 56-12 victory was their 14th win in a row and featured one of the more remarkable halves of footy, with the teams level at the break before the defending champions flexed their muscles with the game on the line.
It took a special performance from Tarryn Aiken who scored twice, had four line-breaks and set up three tries as the visitors cracked 50 points for the first time in the club’s history.
Taina Naividi grabbed her second hat-trick of the season, with the left winger crossing twice in the opening 10 minutes before she crashed over from dummy-half to give the Roosters a 12-point buffer after the break.
Her try came after a slashing solo effort from Aiken, with the reigning Golden Boot winner then setting up Aliyah Nasio and Jess Sergis for tries as the lead blew out before Aiken scored again to complete her double.
The win leaves the Roosters four points clear of the Broncos who still have a game to come this weekend, with the defending premiers odds on to lift the trophy again in a few weeks.
Parramatta players will be wondering what happened in the second half after they gave the premiers an almighty scare at CommBank Stadium.
The Eels were the better team in the first half with Rachael Pearson nailing a 40/30 while Abbi Church beat three tacklers to score a powerful try.
But they missed a staggering 51 tackles in the second half and must now beat the Titans next week to keep their finals hopes alive.
RAIDERS IN HISTORIC ROUT OF BULLDOGS
Canberra’s horror start to the season seems like a distant memory after they made it back-to-back NRLW wins with a record-breaking 56-24 victory over the Bulldogs who remain winless since their hot start in the opening two rounds.
The win lifts the Raiders off the bottom of the table for now after they started the 2025 campaign with six heavy losses, including four at home, with Canberra posting their highest score in a game that featured the most points ever in an NRLW clash.
But last week’s win over the ill-disciplined Warriors has breathed new life into their season, with the Green Machine blitzing the Bulldogs in Belmore with five first-half tries, including a double to veteran lock Simaima Taufa.
It took them just a minute to get going as they peppered their left edge before Taufa grabbed her first, with halfback Zahara Temara stepping off her right foot twice and kicking through for one of her five try assists.
There are still some defensive deficiencies they need to work on, but coach Darrin Borthwick will be thrilled with their attacking improvements which saw them cross three times in as many sets with Isabella Waterman bagging a quick double.
The Bulldogs started their inaugural campaign with a couple of quality wins, but things are starting to get difficult for the competition newcomers who were never in the hunt on Saturday afternoon.
They missed 51 tackles and were outrun by 464 metres, with Taufa beating four defenders off a simple play the ball to score a very soft try.
Alexis Tauaneai scored a try either side of half-time as they enjoyed some success through the middle, but their defence is a huge issue with Shaniece Monschau also set to earn the ire of the match review committee for a late shot that saw her sent to the sin bin.
TITANS SNAP WINLESS RUN
The Titans remain in the finals hunt after a Georgia Grey hat-trick powered them to a crucial 22-4 win over the Dragons who have now lost five on the trot.
Saturday’s result snapped a three-game winless run for the Titans who jumped into the all-important top six thanks to a dominant display from their wingers.
It took just three minutes for Phoenix-Raine Hippi to open the scoring after some strong defence forced a Dragons error, with the right winger showing plenty of strength to get the ball down.
But it was her teammate on the opposite side of the field who stole the show with her first career treble as Grey crossed twice in eight minutes and then completed her hat-trick early in the second half.
Gold Coast five-eighth Taliah Fuimaono played a key role in two of the tries with lovely passes to put her winger in space, with the Titans to take on the Eels next week in a game that will have major finals implications.
The Dragons are now in a fight to avoid the wooden spoon, with some nice footwork from young gun Kasey Reh leading to their only points as their attacking woes continued.
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