Ali Brigginshaw's recent three-game suspension rocked her to the core but the veteran playmaker is back with a bang and determined to make sure her "last" game is a fortnight away in the grand final.
The 36-year-old will play five-eighth in the home elimination final clash with Newcastle on Saturday, in strong form after a mid-season ban for a dangerous throw tackle on Canterbury half Tayla Preston.
The three games were the only ones the four-time premiership winner has missed since the start of the NRLW in 2018.
"I was heartbroken to be honest, I've never missed a game, but I'm so grateful Tayla wasn't injured," Brigginshaw said.
"It was a mistake on my behalf, and sitting on the sideline was so hard to watch those girls go through battle.
"I felt extra responsibility for letting the team down, and I've never wanted to do that, so I made sure I was working extremely hard at training and getting smashed in those weeks.
"I just felt really helpless, and then when I came in, I knew the girls had three extra games than I had, so I tried to bring the energy and be around them and get them back on track."
Brigginshaw's absence hurt the Broncos, who lost all three games while she was suspended.
Since her return they have won three on the trot.
The veteran's influence can be gauged by the fact the Broncos have won all eight games she has played this year.
After announcing at the start of the year that this would be her final season as a player she has a simple philosophy on her approach.
"I've always said that every game I play, I play like it's my last," she said.
"You never know when something might go wrong or an injury might happen, so I play every minute like it's my last.
"I've been playing for a long time and spending it with this team, it's just been a really enjoyable year.
"Saturday is the big focus, and it's not about 'it could be potentially Ali's last game'. It's about going out there to play the Knights and that's what we'll do."
Brigginshaw is now personally on an 18-game winning streak in the NRLW stretching back to the start of last season.
The Broncos form slump earlier was not seen by Brigginshaw as an impedient to winning a fifth title.
"We've had some really nice runs before and then lost in the semis, so I think it's just built some resilience around this group," she said.
"I don't even think we've hit our actual peak yet, so that's what's scary."
