The Roosters won their first NRLW grand final on the weekend, a victory that was well deserved.
Anyone who watched their tooth-and-nail showdown with the Dragons would agree their triumph was well-earned.
No small part of that triumph, and the Rooster's entire journey this season, belongs to Keilee Joseph.
She is an exceptional young player, a hard-working backrower with an unbelievable work rate and ability to keep pushing herself beyond fatigue. Her tackle rate and metres run is up there with the highest in the competition.
Keilee loves the hard work, and she just keeps developing as her body has grown and strengthened.
But the big thing that impresses me most about Kailee is her dedication to the sport, and the way she goes about doing the hard work on her journey.
As a youngster, she moved down from the Gold Coast to pursue an opportunity with the Sydney Indigenous Roosters Academy. She made a massive sacrifice, travelling from Penrith and later the Central Coast to attend training, all to give herself an opportunity to play in the league competition down here in New South Wales.
It wasn't easy, but on game day she always played her heart out, and you saw someone with a massive desire.
To see one of our girls come through the Indigenous Academy and watch where she's progressed to now, having played the Indigenous All Stars, the NRLW and becoming the total package as a player, is a great achievement.
Keilee Joseph with Dean Widders and Nakia Davis-Welsh. Source: Supplied
NRLW expansion
Whereas in previous NRLW seasons the Broncos' wins were assured by their superiority, the real competition we saw this year proved that expansion has been good for the game.
It's providing the opportunity for the women to get full-time or part-time contracts, and to train at a high level, and enable their game to go to the next level. We've seen what players like Evania Pelite and Emma Tonegato, who are from full-time professional backgrounds, can do and where their game had gone to because of the opportunities they got in Rugby Sevens.
We've got so many talented girls there that are doing it part-time, if they get the opportunity now to go full-time they are going to turn into some of the best athletes in Australia, if they're not already there.
Stellar First Nations season
There were 23 Indigenous players in the NRLW this season. We're pushing hard to increase that number but its the most we've ever had in a comp, so we're heading in the right direction.
Some of our girls were outstanding this season, and even though the Dragons didn't win, Quincy Dodd, Jamie Chapman, Janelle Williams, Shaylee Bent, Taliah Fuimaono, they all had a great season.
I'm really proud of all our girls and what they've done in the competition this year.
Catch Dean and Beau Champion on Over The Black Dot, Tuesdays 8.30pm live on NITV.
