NRLW 2024 Preview: Part Two

READ + VIDEO: The Cowboys, Eels, Dragons, Roosters and Tigers, plus some stars share their thoughts on scheduling.

Ahead of the 2024 NRLW season, HER WAY spoke to several players who have been in the league since its inception, including Australian Jillaroos co-captains Ali Brigginshaw and Kezie Apps, plus State of Origin and Australian star Tiana Penitani. With all three having recently taken part in the extraordinarily successful three game State of Origin series, HER WAY was interested in the trio’s perspective on the scheduling and length of the NRLW season.

This year the New South Wales Rugby League made the decision to change the timing of the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership state league, which has traditionally been run during autumn and early Winter, to instead be played alongside the NRLW in order to allow fringe squad members to get some playing time.

On the flip side, this change has meant that the NSW Origin players who would normally use the HNWP for much needed time on the field leading up to State of Origin, were deprived of that opportunity. While a handful of Sky Blues players, including Kezie Apps and Keeley Davis, linked up with Queensland local clubs to prepare for Origin, the majority didn’t, leaving them less prepared compared to previous seasons.

For all the success of this year’s Origin series, Kezie Apps hinted that the quality of football played during 2024’s State of Origin could’ve been better had players already been playing regularly NRLW if it were earlier in the year.

“You saw in 2022 we had the first season at the start of the year, then we had Origin and that game was unbelievable. So I feel like we definitely need that high level competition of being in that high level environment before going into Origin, because Origin’s the hardest game of the year.”

Broncos captain Brigginshaw agreed, saying, “Origin during pre season isn’t the best. Yes, we’d played a few games, but it’s mentally taxing on the girls. I’d probably like to see the season be expanded”, while Tiana Penitani believes a full home and away season while maintaining the depth and quality of playing squads with a limited number of teams is what the league should look at trying to achieve.

As for the 2024 season, we can expect to see more exciting young debutants and players who are products of junior and development pathways such as the Tarsha Gale Cup.  Last year, it’s estimated somewhere between 80-100 players made their debuts, and already in 2024 a number have been named to play their first NRLW game in round one. Here’s part two of HER WAY’s preview, looking at each side.

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

2023 season finish: 9th

The North Queensland side come into their second season having secured the signature of one of the breakout stars of 2023, Jakiya Whitfeld. The electrifying outside back had an incredible debut NRLW season at Wests Tigers, being named in the Dally M Team of the Year, then going on to represent the Prime Minister’s XIII in Papua New Guinea late last year where she starred. The former Aussie Rugby Sevens squad member was included in the Sky Blues extended team for this year’s Origin series, and will be an exciting addition to the Cowboys this season.

It was a tough first season for the team from Townsville, securing two wins, however the circumstances of those victories couldn’t be more different. Their first win came in round two away from home in Sydney, when they stormed home to defeat the defending premiers Newcastle by 11 points. Two weeks later they held on in a tight finish to claim their first win in front of a home crowd over newbies Wests Tigers.

Defence will have been a priority for new coach Ricky Henry, who is also in charge of the New Zealand Kiwi Ferns. The Cowboys struggled to defend their tryline in the last month of the 2023 season, conceding over 34 points in four of their last five games.

Kirra Dibb and Tahlulah Tillett will once again lead the team around the park, while there is once again an international flavour to the team with English star fullback Fran Goldthorp and brilliant Fijian winger Vitalina Naikore. The emergence of hooker Emma Manzelmann as a legitimate star of the game and the confidence young forward Makenzie Weale will bring from her recent State of Origin debut, should see a new energy in the Cowboys team this season.

Also in the Cowboys’ favour is familiarity, with a core group of the players coming off a premiership win in the Queensland BMD Premiership with the Mackay Cutters, including Jasmine Peters, Bree Chester, Shaniah Power, and Tillett.

PARRAMATTA EELS

2023 season finish: 10th

There’s no other way to put it - the Parramatta Eels had a tough season in 2023. The absence of the team’s two star recruits - halfback Rachael Pearson and front rower Elsie Albert - for the opening rounds with injury concerns, immediately put the club on the back foot and it snowballed from there with injuries and suspension.

Their defence was an issue immediately, conceding over 36 points in each of their first three games. It would be six rounds until they notched their first victory, a gritty 16-12 win over the Cowboys at Kogarah. There were scenes of joy as the side’s long list of unavailable players celebrated. It would be their only win for the season.

In what was a tough season, former Wallaroo, Aussie Rugby Sevens and Jillaroos star Mahalia Murphy (pictured) was a shining light, nominated for Dally M Second Rower of the Year, while fullback Abbi Church was also a consistent performer and was named the club’s Player of the Year. Both have been rewarded by new coach Steve Georgallis, with Murphy named as the new captain of the side and Church her deputy. Murphy spoke to HER WAY about being named skipper;

“It’s a privilege and honour to be seen as a leader of this team, and I think with my experience as well, I just really want to be able to share that with the team and bring the best out of my team.”

The Eels conceded 310 points across their nine matches, so it comes as no surprise that Mahalia said defence has been a focus in pre-season.

“We’ve been working a lot on our defence, really. We lacked that last year and we didn’t have that urgency.”

A positive to come from the 2023 season was the number of players who made debuts or emerged as first grade regulars. After playing four games in 2022, young winger Cassey Tohi-Hiku played every game and starred with her strong carries from the backfield and tryscoring. She was rewarded with an appearance for the Prime Minister’s XIII in September. A player to watch out for this season, according to the new skipper is Taneka ‘Sneaks’ Todhunter. Having been elevated to the main squad this season, the utility has been named on the bench for the opening round, and Mahalia believes she has been training well and is set for a breakout season.

ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

2023 season finish: 7th

It was a slightly odd season for the Dragons in 2023. Between rounds 4-6, they were involved in games decided by 4 or less points - two of them losses by a field goal. Five of the other six matches were blowout margins one way or the other.

The standout performer for the club was Teagan Berry, playing her first season at fullback after the departure of Emma Tonegato. Berry was incredible for the Dragons, leading the tryscoring for the league and becoming the all-time leader in the process. She also won the Rugby League Players Association MVP Award. It seems incredible that Berry hasn’t been selected for Origin or International honours yet, but it would seem to be only a matter of time before that happens.

In 2023, the Dragons struggled at times to get a competitive team on the field as they experienced a large injury toll. Backs Keele Browne and Bobbi Law, forward leader Alexis Tauaneai were just a few of the players to experience stints on the sideline throughout the season. Captain Raecene McGregor indicated to HER WAY that the club used a massive 29 players during the nine games of the season.

The 2024 season has started in a similar way before a game has been played, with Tara McGrath-West out for the season with a sternum injury, while teen backrower Ella Koster is a few weeks away after suffering a fractured scapula. As a result, coach Jamie Soward has called in reinforcements, with veteran front rower Steph Hancock answering the call to re-join the club she played with in 2020. The 42 year old will add much needed experience and calmness to the side, and captain McGregor believes her presence will be invaluable;

“She’s been huge for us. We have such a young forward pack, so having her come into our team has lifted the girls. She’s like the mother hen for the middle pack.”

There’s some exciting talent in the Dragons squad, and fans won’t have to wait long to see some of them in action. Young winger Leio Fotu-Moala is set to make a name for herself this season, while viewers of the recent Under 19 Origin match may remember the dominant performance of NSW halfback Kasey Reh. The teen has been named on the bench for a debut in round one.

If the crafty Raecene McGregor can get back to her 2022 Dally M-winning form and win some games before New Zealand Rugby Sevens star Tyla King returns to join the team after Paris, and the side can stay healthy, the Dragons could be in a position to challenge for a finals spot in 2024.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

2023 season finish: semi final

For the second straight season, the Sydney Roosters finished in the top two in 2023, yet once again missed out on making the grand final. Last season, the Tri-colours had the best for-and-against in the league, surpassing 40 points three times in the final month of the regular season.

However players and fans alike were no doubt frustrated by their semi final performance, kept scoreless by the Titans and squandering opportunities to score which they would normally nail. The early exit from finals left coach John Strange to suggest that perhaps a different finals format should be looked at in order to give top two teams a second chance at making the decider, as is the case in many other sporting leagues.

Tarryn Aiken (pictured) moved to the Roosters from the Broncos in 2023 and the Origin star took her game to another level. She finished just one vote behind former teammate Tamika Upton for the Dally M Award, and took on a more dominant role running the side. Aiken will need to be even more vocal in leading the side in 2024, with the unfortunate ACL injury suffered by 2022 Premiership captain Corban Baxter in the trial match.

“Me and Corby were going to link up a lot this year, and she was a very important piece of how we were going to play, so yeah, I guess a bit more responsibility falls on my shoulders. We’ve been unlucky this pre-season already to have a few injuries, but that’s just a part of the game we play”, Aiken told HER WAY.

As well as first choice fullback Baxter, fellow outside back Brydie Parker sustained a broken arm in the same game and will also be on the sidelines. The sudden drought of fullbacks in the team has seen former Jillaroo Sammy Bremner, who retired at the end of the 2022 season, make a comeback to help out her old side. The mum of two has kept in shape by running marathons, and in her first week back in an NRLW environment in two years, set the best stats in the team’s fitness testing.

The Roosters were a popular choice to appear in the grand final when HER WAY surveyed the other nine teams, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a side stacked with internationals such as Jess Sergis, Isabelle Kelly, Millie Elliott, Keeley Davis and Olivia Kernick in addition to Aiken. However as recent history has told us, that doesn’t guarantee success. The Roosters will be looking to put together complete performances across all aspects of the game, to ensure that, as Tarryn Aiken said, they “stay in the grind” for full games and are there on that first Sunday in October.

WESTS TIGERS

2023 season finish: 8th

Wests Tigers started their inaugural season in the NRLW in emphatic style. After being neck and neck with the 2022 Grand Finalists Parramatta at halftime in their first ever game, they produced a scintillating second half to have an impressive win. The following week they backed it up with a less polished but equally impressive win over a talented Sharks team at Belmore, keeping their opposition scoreless to be equal top of the table after two rounds.

Unfortunately they wouldn’t win another game for the season, but it could’ve easily been a different story. Four of their losses were by six points or less - if they won those four games, they would’ve finished on the same number of wins as semi finalists Brisbane.

Co-captain Kezie Apps acknowledges that the young side will have learnt a lot from their first season, with many players experiencing the top grade for the first time;

“The harder we work, we’re going to reap the rewards from it. We just… learnt a lot from last year on losing some of those games in those critical moments, so I feel like the girls have gained that experience.”

The leadership of Apps and co-captain Bo Vette-Welsh will again be key for the Tigers’ chances in 2024, as will the presence of other seasoned players who were strong for the side in 2023. Rikeya Horne in the outside backs was solid, while Sarah Togatuki’s leadership up front saw her named as a very popular winner of the Player of the Year Award.

The Tigers’ spine for round one is a combination of experience and exciting youth - Vette-Welsh at fullback, former rugby Wallaroo Pauline Piliae-Rasabale at five eighth, joined by young guns Losana Lotu at halfback with Salma Nour at hooker. It should be entertaining to see how these four lead their team around the park in 2024, not to mention Emily Curtain waiting in the wings.

The Tigers also have some debutants with familiar surnames ready to make their own mark in 2024. Outside back Harmony Crichton is the little sister of NSW Origin star Stephen, while Sharks NRLW captain Tiana Penitani’s sister Natasha will come off the bench in round one. With so many from the squad graduates of the Tarsha Gale Cup team and development pathways, it’s likely we’ll see more young talent in the orange and black this season as Wests look to climb the ladder.

Check out the full chats with some of the captains and stars below.