Category: Women’s Premiership

Ellenbrook Rabbitohs were the dominant team of the 2026 Women’s Premiership regular season, but their semi-final opponent holds a distinction no other side can claim.

Joondalup Giants are the only team to have beaten them.

The Rabbitohs finished on top with an outstanding 11–1 record, scoring 404 points while conceding just 58 across the season.

That defensive record equates to fewer than five points conceded per game and has been one of the major reasons behind Ellenbrook’s success.

Joondalup, however, have increasingly troubled the minor premiers as the season has progressed.

Ellenbrook won their first meeting 28–0 and followed that with a 26–8 victory. The Giants then turned the tables in their latest encounter, defeating the Rabbitohs 18–12.

From Ellenbrook winning the first game by 28 to Joondalup winning the latest by six, the margin has moved 34 points across their three meetings.

Perhaps most telling is that Joondalup have scored 26 of the 58 points Ellenbrook conceded throughout the entire regular season — almost 45 per cent of all points scored against the Rabbitohs.

The Giants also arrive with significant momentum, having won their final four matches against Ellenbrook, Willagee, Kalamunda and Fremantle.

Ellenbrook still possess the competition’s most dangerous scoring attack.

Tatyana Fisher finished the regular season with 20 tries, while Ocean Tuhua and Kailey Thompson provide further threats in a side capable of quickly turning field position into points.

The question for Joondalup is whether they can once again turn the game into the lower-scoring contest that suited them in their previous victory.

If Ellenbrook are allowed to play at their season average of more than 33 points per game, the Giants face a difficult task.

But Joondalup have already done what nobody else managed during the regular season.

Now they get the opportunity to prove they can do it twice.

Willagee Bears may carry the stronger season record into their Women’s Premiership semi-final against Fremantle Roosters, but recent results suggest there could be far less between the sides than the ladder indicates.

The Bears finished third with a 6–6 record, scoring 290 points and conceding 178, while Fremantle finished one win behind at 5–7 with a +76 points differential.

It is their head-to-head progression, however, that makes this match-up particularly interesting.

Willagee dominated the earlier meeting 26–4, with Tara McNally crossing for a hat-trick as the Bears controlled the contest. When the sides met again later in the season, the result was completely reversed as Fremantle claimed a 20–8 victory.

That represents a 34-point turnaround in the margin between their last two meetings.

McNally remains one of Willagee’s biggest attacking weapons after finishing the regular season with 15 tries, but Fremantle showed in their latest meeting that they can keep her off the scoreboard.

The Roosters have their own dangerous attacking options. Britney Grimes has crossed against Willagee in consecutive games, while Mariah Bell scored twice in Fremantle’s latest victory over the Bears.

There is little separating the teams defensively either. Willagee conceded an average of 14.8 points per game during the regular season, compared with Fremantle’s 15.3.

The Bears therefore enter with the stronger overall season numbers, but Fremantle arrive having produced the most convincing recent performance between the clubs.

For Willagee, the challenge will be finding a way to restore the attacking threat that produced 26 points in their earlier meeting.

For the Roosters, it will be about proving their latest result was not an isolated performance.

With Fremantle’s scoring against the Bears improving significantly as the season progressed, this semi-final shapes as a much tighter contest than third against fourth might suggest.

Women’s Premiership, Round 15 — Friday, 21 August 2026, 8:00 pm at Hartfield Park.

Joondalup and Fremantle will close the Women’s Premiership regular season in a match that combines a genuine ladder equation with the feel of a finals rehearsal.

The Giants are locked into second place on 20 competition points. Fremantle are fourth on 16, level with Willagee on the current table, but the Bears have the Round 15 bye and will receive two points to finish on 18 with a plus-112 differential.

A Fremantle victory would also take the Roosters to 18. Starting from plus-78, they need to beat Joondalup by at least 35 points to move ahead of Willagee and claim third.

A 34-point win creates an exact differential tie at plus-112. In that scenario, Fremantle must score at least 52 points to reach the later tiebreakers and move above the Bears. A win by 33 or fewer leaves the Roosters fourth.

Joondalup’s recent form makes the target formidable. The Giants have won four of their past five matches, including victories over minor premiers Ellenbrook and Willagee. Across their past three games they have scored 120 points and conceded only 20.

Fremantle have won three of their past five. Their Round 14 victory over Willagee, 20–8, kept the third-place race alive and demonstrated that their defence can control a finals opponent.

The season averages suggest a close game. Joondalup score 26.0 points per match and concede 15.1; Fremantle score 21.6 and concede 14.5. The Roosters actually own the slightly better defensive average, but the Giants carry the stronger attack and a plus-120 season differential.

The longer historical record is also tight. Across 14 Women’s Premiership meetings since 2018, Fremantle have seven wins, Joondalup six and one match has been drawn. The Roosters average 16.7 points in those games to the Giants’ 12.0.

Fremantle have won two of the past three meetings, including a 38–4 victory in Round 10 this season. That 34-point margin is especially significant: repeating it would tie Willagee’s differential, but a repeat 38–4 scoreline would leave the Roosters behind the Bears on points scored. Fremantle require either a 35-point margin or a far higher-scoring 34-point win.

Joondalup won the other 2026 meeting 18–14, reinforcing how sharply this matchup can change from one encounter to the next.

A basic attack-defence blend gives an indicative score of Joondalup 20, Fremantle 18. The Roosters have already shown they can overturn that expectation, but doing so by the required margin would demand one of their most complete performances of the season.

Key stat: Fremantle’s 38–4 win in Round 10 matched the 34-point differential swing they need—but the same score would still leave them fourth on points scored.

Women’s Premiership, Round 15 — Friday, 21 August 2026, 6:40 pm at Hartfield Park.

Ellenbrook will begin the final night of the Women’s Premiership regular season as confirmed minor premiers, facing a Kalamunda side seeking a breakthrough result after a demanding campaign.

The Rabbitohs have secured first place with a 10–1 record and 26 competition points. Their dominance has been built on defence: Ellenbrook have conceded only 58 points in 11 matches, an average of 5.3 per game, while scoring 30.4.

Kalamunda remain winless after 11 matches. The Bulldogs average 3.1 points scored and 56.4 conceded, with their most recent five games all ending in defeat. Their final ladder position cannot change, but the match provides one last opportunity to turn persistence into a positive result.

The head-to-head record is the clearest statistical divide among the attached fixtures. Ellenbrook have won all five Women’s Premiership meetings between the clubs from 2018 to 2026, averaging 64.8 points. Kalamunda have not scored in any of those recorded meetings.

The two encounters this season have produced a combined 136–0 scoreline: Ellenbrook won 62–0 in Round 3 and 74–0 in Round 10. The Rabbitohs also won 30–0 in the most recent meeting before this season.

Ellenbrook’s only 2026 defeat came against Joondalup, 18–12, and they responded by defeating Fremantle 28–8. Their ability to restrict opponents has been remarkably consistent: no other team in either senior premiership competition has conceded so few points per match.

For Kalamunda, improvement is best measured through smaller contests inside the match—completing sets, limiting repeat defensive work and finding a way across a Rabbitohs line that has rarely been breached. An early score would immediately break the historical pattern and give the Bulldogs something tangible to build around.

For Ellenbrook, the challenge is to maintain standards while preparing for finals. The Rabbitohs have already secured every available ladder reward, so execution and squad management are likely to matter more than the final margin.

A simple season-average blend produces an indicative score of Ellenbrook 43, Kalamunda 4. The historical results lean more heavily toward the Rabbitohs, but the Bulldogs have a final opportunity to change the shape of this matchup.

Key stat: Ellenbrook have outscored Kalamunda 136–0 across their two meetings in 2026.

The four finalists are settled before the last round, but Willagee’s final bye has created one remaining ladder equation for the Roosters.

There will be no last-round battle for survival in the 2026 NRLWA Women’s Premiership. Ellenbrook, Joondalup, Willagee and Fremantle are all guaranteed to play finals, while Kalamunda cannot climb from fifth.

The remaining question is whether Fremantle can overtake Willagee and finish third.

The current ladder shows the Bears and Roosters level on 16 competition points. However, Willagee have the Round 15 bye, worth two points, and will finish the regular season on 18.

Fremantle can also reach 18 by defeating second-placed Joondalup—but a victory alone may not be sufficient.

The final-round position

Team	Current points	Round 15	Maximum	Differential
Ellenbrook Rabbitohs	26	at Kalamunda	28	+276
Joondalup Giants	20	v Fremantle	22	+120
Willagee Bears	16	Bye	18	+112
Fremantle Roosters	16	at Joondalup	18	+78
Kalamunda Bulldogs	6	v Ellenbrook	8	−586

Ellenbrook are confirmed minor premiers. Even if the Rabbitohs lose and Joondalup win, the Giants can reach only 22 points.

Joondalup are equally secure in second, while Kalamunda cannot reach Fremantle’s current total.

The only available ladder movement is between third and fourth.

Fremantle’s equation

Once Willagee’s bye is credited, the Bears will have:

• 18 competition points
• A plus-112 differential
• 290 points scored
• Six victories

If Fremantle beat Joondalup, the Roosters will also finish on 18 points. Their differential will increase from plus-78 by the size of their winning margin.

Therefore:

Fremantle need to defeat Joondalup by at least 35 points to finish third.

A 35-point victory would lift the Roosters to plus-113, one point ahead of Willagee.

A win by 33 or fewer leaves Fremantle fourth.

The exact 34-point scenario

A 34-point Fremantle victory would leave both teams on 18 points and plus-112 differential.

The next tiebreaker is points scored. Willagee have scored 290, while Fremantle start the match on 238.

Consequently, a 34-point victory works only if the Roosters score at least 52 points—for example, 52–18.

That would leave both teams with 290 points scored and six wins. Fremantle would then move ahead on the final alphabetical tiebreak.

In practical terms, 35 points is the clean target.

The intriguing head-to-head history

Fremantle and Joondalup have split their two meetings this season.

The Giants won the first 18–14, before the Roosters produced a remarkable reversal and won the return match 38–4.

That second result carries particular significance: it was a 34-point Fremantle victory, exactly the margin required to draw level with Willagee’s differential.

Repeating 38–4 would not quite be enough, however. Although the differentials would be tied, Willagee would remain ahead on points scored. Fremantle would need the same 34-point margin while scoring at least 52.

Form points toward another compelling contest

Joondalup enter Round 15 having won four of their past five matches:

• Beat Kalamunda 54–4
• Lost to Fremantle 38–4
• Beat Ellenbrook 18–12
• Beat Willagee 40–8
• Beat Kalamunda 62–0

The Giants have scored 130 points across their past three games while conceding only 20. Their victory over Ellenbrook was the minor premiers’ only defeat of the season.

Fremantle’s form has been less consistent but includes two highly relevant results:

• Lost to Willagee 26–4
• Beat Joondalup 38–4
• Beat Kalamunda 62–0
• Lost to Ellenbrook 28–8
• Beat Willagee 20–8

The Round 14 victory over Willagee kept the third-place race mathematically alive. It also showed that Fremantle can defeat a finals opponent under pressure.

Across the full season, Joondalup average 26 points scored and 15.1 conceded. Fremantle average 21.6 scored and 14.5 conceded.

A simple blend of those attacking and defensive averages projects a close contest of approximately Joondalup 20, Fremantle 18—a long way short of the margin the Roosters require.

Ellenbrook’s dominant campaign

While the battle for third provides the final-round equation, Ellenbrook have already secured top spot through an extraordinary defensive season.

The Rabbitohs have conceded only 58 points in 11 matches—an average of 5.3 per game—and carry a plus-276 differential.

Their 10–1 record includes five wins from five home matches. Their only defeat was the 18–12 loss to Joondalup.

Kalamunda, meanwhile, remain winless and have been outscored 620–34. Even an upset in the final round cannot move the Bulldogs from fifth.

Women’s final-round verdict

The Top Four cannot change:

1. Ellenbrook Rabbitohs
2. Joondalup Giants
3. Willagee Bears or Fremantle Roosters
4. Fremantle Roosters or Willagee Bears

The equation is simple:

• Fremantle win by 35 or more: Roosters finish third.
• Fremantle win by 34: They must score at least 52 points.
• Fremantle win by 33 or fewer: Willagee finish third.
• Fremantle draw or lose: Willagee finish third.
• Kalamunda v Ellenbrook: No effect on the composition or order of the Top Four.

The finalists are known. The last remaining question is whether Fremantle can reproduce—and slightly improve upon—their most emphatic performance against Joondalup.