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AAP
Sport
Scott Bailey

Broncos already class above in the NRLW

The Broncos, with teenager Sara Sautia on the ball against the Roosters, are still the team to beat. (AAP)

Can anyone beat Brisbane's women this year or even come close to denying them a fourth straight NRLW title?

After just one day of this year's premiership, it's already a fair question to pose.

The only team to have lifted the trophy, Brisbane were the biggest winners of round one on Sunday with a 20-4 victory over the Sydney Roosters in a grand final rematch.

Of all six teams on Sunday, the Broncos scored the equal most points, conceded the least, completed at the best rate and ran the second most metres.

And the scary thing is they were still disappointed with their performance and are certain they can be far better, .

The goal of the NRL officials when expanding the competition to six teams was to diversify talent and create a more equal league.

Brisbane, though, were always adamant their best players shouldn't be split up and that they had earned the right to keep their stars.

Roosters, their fellow foundation club, only kept seven of their capped players from the most recent 2020 season for this year, while St George Illawarra managed eight.

Brisbane still have 13 who played in their premiership-winning 2020 campaign on their books.

They also have the entire Queensland State of Origin spine, with eight Maroons in total, a Jillaroos prop from NSW and a Kiwi Ferns second-rower.

Such is their dominance, they have never been beaten by a current rival with the now-defunct Warriors side of 2019 the only team to beat them in 13 games.

It's part of the reason why the Broncos are the team everyone is hunting this year.

That was clear by the end of the night, with Parramatta half Maddie Studdon making clear her desire to beat Brisbane after kicking a match-winning field goal to beat Newcastle.

"We've got a lot of work to do, especially to beat the top-dog Broncos," Studdon told reporters.

Parramatta don't play Brisbane until the final round on March 27

Instead, it's fellow newcomers Newcastle who have that challenge ahead next week in Wollongong.

"They've got class all over the park," Knights coach Casey Bromilow said.

"They've got a really good spine and they've played plenty of footy together.

"We'll go back and have a look and try and find some weaknesses."

History suggests they'll be hard to find.

Meanwhile, Parramatta's clash with fellow first-up winners St George Illawarra shapes as the best of week two after both impressed, while Sydney Roosters face Gold Coast.

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