The Broncos will be eager to honour Ali Brigginshaw’s 50th NRLW game in style when they face our Parramatta Eels on Saturday.

This milestone will make her the first player to reach this significant mark, with Roosters duo Isabelle Kelly and Keeley Davis set to follow suit later this weekend.

Brisbane has enjoyed a strong start to the season, securing five victories out of six matches, and they’re keen to maintain the pressure on the Roosters at the top of the standings.

Meanwhile, Parramatta, let a 10-point lead slip in their loss to the Cowboys. The Eels are need of a win to remain in contention for a top-six finish.

Defensive resilience has not been an issue for the Blue and Golds this season, but unless they address their red zone inefficiencies they might struggle to take the points in this tough away game contest.

Game Info

Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025

Kick-off: 3:15 PM AEST

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane 

Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski

Broadcast: Foxtel and Nine

Live Stream: Kayo & Nine Now

Team Lists

Parramatta Eels

1. Abbi Church 2. Zali Fay 3. Fleur Ginn 4. Lindsay Tui 5. Martha Mataele 6. Rosemarie Beckett 7. Rachael Pearson 8. Elsie Albert 9. Rueben Cherrington 10. Breanna Eales 11. Boss Kapua 12. Mahalia Murphy 13. Rueben Cherrington 14. Taneka Todhunter 15. Paige Travis 16. Ryvrr-Lee Alo 17. Chloe Jackson 18. Tess McWilliams 19. Mia Middleton 20. Ruby-Jean Kennard-Ellis 21. Chelsea Makira 22. Yasmine Baker

The Eels receive a significant boost as Kennedy Cherrington returns from a concussion whilst Boss Kapua is set to make her season debut after recovering from a knee injury.

Both players will go straight back into the starting lineup, while Paige Travis and Ryvrr-Lee Alo will transition to the interchange. Mia Middleton (facial injury) and Yasmine Baker (knee) have been named in the reserves as they work towards their comeback from injury.

Brisbane Broncos

1. Tamika Upton 2. Kerri Johnson 3. Mele Hufanga 4. Julia Robinson 5. Hayley Maddick 6. Gayle Broughton 7. Ali Brigginshaw 8. Annetta Nuuausala 9. Jada Ferguson 10. Keilee Joseph 11. Lauren Dam 12. Romy Teitzel 13. Shalom Sauaso 14. Destiny Brill 15. Chelsea Lenarduzzi 16. Shenae Ciesiolka 17. Reegan Hicks 18. Tafito Lafaele 19. Montaya Hudson 20. Azalleyah Maaka 21. Skyla Adams

Due to Brianna Clark’s suspension, Keilee Joseph will move to prop, while Shalom Sauaso takes the starting position at lock. Reegan Hicks joins the bench as a new addition.

Tara McGrath-West is still at least a week away from returning from her foot injury.

The Game

Parramatta has experienced a mixed season, winning three and losing three, which places them in 7th position on the ladder, with their points differential separating them from the 5th placed Sharks and the sixth placed Cowboys.

The Eels’ loss to the Cowboys highlighted both structural and execution issues that must be addressed if they are to compete with a high-intensity side like the Broncos.

For Parra, two key priorities stand out: cutting down the opposition’s ball-running space and creating more pressure in the red zone through structured, varied attacking plays.

Last week, the Eels passive defensive line gave the opposition too much room to run, allowing the Cowboys’ forwards and outside backs to generate momentum. This was particularly costly on the edges, where missed tackles led directly to tries.

Scrambling resilience in the red zone had served the Eels well in their three victories this season, but outside of those wins, that lack of line speed and defensive connection has gifted far too many yardage metres in 2025. Opponents have advanced too easily to the Eels red zone. If that happens against the Broncos, their second phase play will eat up an ineffective defence.

In attack, the Eels poor cohesion has become a weekly concern. With a reliance on one-out runs and minimal shifts, the Parra attack is asking few questions. When any shift does happen, it often comes undone via costly errors.

The Eels need to implement more set plays in the opposition red zone. They need to create space by better use of block runners and double sweeps. Short side variations might also unlock some points.

Rachael Pearson

Rachel Pearson will be the key to an improved performance. She’ll be keen to atone for a disappointing outing against the Cowboys. Along with Rueben Cherrington and Taneka Todhunter she will set the tempo for the Eels attack.

Last week, the Broncos secured a convincing 44-28 victory against the Raiders in Canberra, with Hayley Maddick notching her first double of the season and Romy Teitzel successfully converting 6 out of 8 goals.

Can the Eels respond better than the Raiders?

If the Broncos spine can’t be kept in check, the Eels will be in for a tough afternoon.

At halfback, the veteran Ali Brigginshaw continues to be a key player for the Broncos. Her history making game is a terrific milestone for a player who has become a club institution since 2018. It’s impossible to talk about the Broncos without mentioning her name.

Her halves partner, Gayle Broughton, is a former Eel and a five-eighth that takes the game to her opponents. She is a confident ball runner and is a double threat with her capacity to thread passes that put her line runners into holes.

Tamika Upton

What can you say about Tamika Upton? Her ball-playing ability is top notch and the Eels defence will do well to neutralise her game. She’s one of the few players in the NRLW who can throw consistently accurate long cut out passes.

Finally, the threat out of the Broncos spine extends to Jada Ferguson and her service out of dummy half. Last week she pulled apart the Raiders left edge. The Eels have struggled to defend against shapes run at an edge. They can Ill-afford to give Ferguson the time to set her runners in motion in the red zone.

Ultimately, the Eels are an inconsistent middle table team thus far in 2025. In contrast the Broncos are close to the epitome of consistency. Based on exposed form, it is going to be a challenge for the Blue and Gold to emerge victorious on the road.

Prediction: Broncos by 10

Player of the Game: Tamika Upton

Kye

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