LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 11: Derrick Locke #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs the ball against Emanuel Cook #21 of the South Carolina Gamecocks during the game at Commonwealth Stadium on October 11, 2008 in Lexington, Kentucky. South Carolina defeated Kentucky 24-17. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
“Feeling Guilty.”
As Brydie Parker gears up for a record fifth NRLW Grand Final with the Sydney Roosters, she confesses she feared she had ruined her team’s chance at making history after being sent to the sin bin in the closing moments of last weekend’s semi-final against Cronulla.
“If I had to sum up how I felt, it would be guilty — I just felt so guilty,” Parker admitted.
“Obviously, it’s a team game, and you never want to let your teammates down. Being off the field and leaving them a player short during such a critical stage of the match is something I never want to experience again,” Parker reflected.
A foundation Roosters player since 2018, Parker had to watch from the dressing room as the Sharks drew level at 16-16, before halfback Jocelyn Kelleher sealed the win with a late field goal.
“I was still really nervous — I was on the exercise bike warming up, ready to get back out there when Joss kicked the field goal,” Parker recalled.
“I knew that once I got back on the field, I had to make an impact in those final three minutes and help make sure we held onto the lead.”
The Roosters’ 17-16 victory leaves them just one win away from completing an unbeaten season in the grand final, while Parker now has the chance to capture her third premiership, having been part of the club’s 2021 and 2024 title-winning squads.
Their opponent’s fullback, Tamika Upton — the 2025 Dally M Medallist — will also appear in her fifth grand final, having claimed premierships with Brisbane in 2019 and 2020, and Newcastle in 2022 and 2023.
Parker, discovered at an NRLW talent identification event on the Gold Coast alongside Broncos centre Julia Robinson, is the only other player to have featured in four previous grand finals — falling short in the 2018 and 2020 deciders against Brisbane.
Remarkably, all of her appearances have come in Roosters colours, where she has played in nearly every backline position before settling into the No.1 jersey this season.
