Broncos NRLW stars reveal secret to season turnaround

Brisbane Broncos NRLW stars Romy Teitzel and Tamika Upton have pointed to an impassioned half-time address from coach Scott Prince as the turning point in their season. The defending premiers are set to host Newcastle in an elimination final at Langlands Park on Saturday, riding a three-match winning streak that has helped them recover from a mid-season slump.

Their last defeat was a 28-20 loss to the Gold Coast Titans on August 23, which marked their third consecutive loss. However, trailing 14-4 at half-time in that match, footage showed Prince delivering a stern lecture.

"We are a great team with great standards and we weren't living up to them," Teitzel said. "We deserved every single word that he threw at us."

According to Teitzel, the team's response was motivated by their respect for Prince and faith in his game plan.

"Everything is driven from that respect factor and believing in what he is trying to drive here at the Broncos."

Following their loss to the Titans, the Broncos have enjoyed a resurgence, beating Parramatta 44-10, St George Illawarra 24-16, and then thrashed the Warriors 52-18 at home last Sunday.

"We had a few little things we had to fix, and we weren't doing it, hence the Princey blow-up," Upton said. "To be honest, we are used to it. He is a very passionate coach. That's the thing, we are all competitors."

Upton expressed her and her teammates' deep respect for Prince, who led the team to the premiership last year and has a decorated playing career, having captained the Wests Tigers to the 2005 NRL premiership.

"I would rather him be yelling at us than not speaking to us," she said. "Honestly, you feel that because he was a player. When he is talking like that, you feel the energy, and you respect that a lot because he has been there and done it before. He wouldn't do it if he didn't care. I respond to that."