Halfback Sarah Dougherty believes the hoodoo-busting win over the NSW Waratahs has primed the Queensland Reds women for a bold mission to Fiji.
The two-Test Wallaroo said the surge in confidence and belief in the Reds’ squad is tangible after stunning the Waratahs 26-19 last weekend.
It was a glory-or-bust challenge and another awaits in Lautoka on Saturday week in the Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s semi-final.
“We definitely have the confidence we can do it,” Dougherty said.
“That win over the Waratahs was awesome, a special weekend. We clicked as a team and it was really satisfying because of the frustration with the way we had been playing.
“Beating NSW for the first time was such a big thing. It almost became so huge, that it seemed almost impossible and could play on the girls’ minds.
“Going into last weekend, we had a really positive mindset.
“Happiness and relief were probably the two main emotions at full-time.
“To finally beat the team we hadn’t beaten proved we were definitely up for the challenge. We are ready to take on another and the style of game we played against the Waratahs can be effective against the Drua.”
Dougherty was a huge part of the victory over the Waratahs in perhaps her best game since making her Reds debut in 2022.
She was alert and involved from the outset with the quick tap that got play rolling for the early Lucy Thorpe try.
A well-timed pass put centre Ava Wereta into a gap soon after and there was a dummy-and-dash from a dominant scrum to gain the field position for the Eva Karpani try.
Dougherty wasn’t done yet. She would have scored herself but for being tackled by an off-side Waratahs player who was whistled to the sin bin as a penalty try was awarded.
Charging down a kick in the second half was another “one percenter” on an afternoon were numerous players dug deep for those plays to make the difference.
Dougherty said having stalwarts like Lori Cramer, Sarah Riordan, Bree-Anna Browne and Tiarna Molloy in Sydney made the satisfaction even deeper.
“Lori has been part of Super Rugby Women’s pretty much since the start and you could see how much the win meant to her,” Dougherty said.
“For me, there was no option but to win. I wanted to give that game absolutely everything. There was a lot of visualising of us succeeding.
“Having Lori’s experience at No.10 worked for the girls. I know I felt relaxed and the dominance of the forwards made it easy to play eyes-up footy off the back of that.”
At 28, Dougherty is a wonderful example of a player who found rugby in her teens and is hooked on the feelings that the game provides.
She played touch growing up in Hervey Bay before joining the GPS club in Brisbane and getting started at the Noosa Sevens a decade ago.
In 2025, she trained diligently even though not earning a minute of playing time for the Reds when Wallaroos halfbacks Layne Morgan and Nat Wright were ahead of her.
“You always want to continue to build as a player. I trained and worked hard. You want to be the best player and person you can be,” Dougherty said.
“To succeed as a team, you have to be more than the 23 involved in a game. We have plenty of girls chipping away this year who might have got a little playing time or none at all. That’s what it takes to win as a squad.
“It’s probably the thing that kept me going last year when I wasn’t playing for the Reds. I just have a love for this team and program and the potential there is.
“It keeps me coming back. I’ve got really good friends in this group and you do feel the closeness working towards a goal.”
As an exercise physiologist, Dougherty will finish work on a training day and drive 40-50 minutes to get to Ballymore on time for strapping and prep.
“The long days are worth it. I enjoy it all,” Dougherty said.
“Challenges make you better and I feel that’s where this Reds team is at.”
Coach Andrew Fraser captured the mood perfectly when he joined the bubbling post-match huddle after the win over the Waratahs.
“’Bula Vinaka’ were Fraser’s first words. There were cheers all round. The classic Fijian greeting summed up perfectly that one mountain had been climbed but there is another waiting in Lautoka.
