The 2024 NRLW regular season kicks off in a fortnight and in parallel with the NRL, this year’s competition profiles as the closest yet. Where the ‘23 season was largely dominated by Newcastle, Sydney and the Gold Coast, there is genuine optimism across all ten NRLW clubs heading into the new year.
Let’s take a quick look at how each roster is shaping up for the 2024 NRLW season.
Newcastle Knights
The back-to-back premiers return with an almost-identical squad to the one that won the 2023 NRLW Grand Final (barring winger Jasmin Strange) and are the team to beat again after dropping just two games over the past two years.
A world-class spine featuring fullback Tamika Upton and halfback Jesse Southwell gives Newcastle some of the best attacking players in the competition, but the beauty of this Knights squad is in its balance.
New Head Coach Ben Jeffries inherits a roster purpose built for the modern game; productive outside backs (Sheriden Gallagher, Shanice Parker, Abigail Roache), mobile forwards (Caitlan Johnston-Green, Yasmin Clydesdale, Kayla Romanuik), and creative ballplaying middles (Olivia Higgins, Hannah Southwell).
Surrounded by superstar talent, the development of five-eighth Georgia Roche in her second NRLW season could become a deciding factor.
Gold Coast Titans
They almost tackled their way to an unlikely premiership last season and the Gold Coast Titans profile well to do the same again – albeit with more attacking upside – this time around.
Boasting some of the best forwards (Georgia Hale, Shannon Mato, Jessika Elliston) in the women’s game alongside two of the most destructive outside backs (Evania Pelite and Jaime Chapman), the Titans are a major player in the 2024 NRLW competition.
With experience in key spine positions (Lauren Brown, Taliah Fuimaono, Brittany Brealey-Nati) and some promising youth coming through (Rilee Jorgansen, Sienna Lofipo, Zara Canfield, Lily Kolc, Matekino Gray), Gold Coast should again be a side that does all the little things right and rarely beats themselves.
The challenge now is matching the lofty standards they set last year.
Sydney Roosters
Stacked on paper again this season, pressure is mounting on the Sydney Roosters to turn potential into on-field performance. Their spine of Keeley Davis, Tarryn Aiken and Corban Baxter is one of the best in the NRLW but question marks remain over how halfback Jocelyn Kelleher’s fit into their attack.
The likes of Jess Sergis and Isabelle Kelly will see Easts work out of yardage cleanly but their inefficiency in good-ball was an issue last year and will be the main focus heading into season 2024.
Brisbane Broncos
There are ominous signs in Brisbane where a dynamic forward pack has been assembled for veteran halfback Ali Brigginshaw to play behind. Nicely balanced with big bodies, defensive workers and ballplayers, expect the Broncos to dominate in yardage this season.
Centre Mele Hufanga and winger Julia Robinson are two of the most reliable avenues to the try line in the NRLW. The pressure now is on Hayley Maddick to nail a distributing fullback role and get Brisbane’s try scorers on the ball and into the game.
Canberra Raiders
The bones of a very good squad are forming in Canberra’s second NRLW season. A pack balanced with big bodies (Grace Kemp, Kerehitina Matua, Amelia Pasikala) and mobile defenders (Simaima Taufa, Sophie Holyman) will lay the platform for a strike backline featuring running threats like Mackenzie Wiki, Cheyelle Robins-Reti and Apii Nicholls.
In a side stacked with raw young talent, halves Zahara Temara and Ash Quinlan will be responsible for realising Canberra’s high attacking ceiling. How they improve what was a leaky right edge defensive unit around Temara last season will also be key.
Cronulla Sharks
After an injury disrupted ‘23 campaign, most of the questions around this Cronulla squad still remain. The jury is still out on Emma Tonegato as a five-eighth while rookie Jada Taylor is yet to have an extended run at fullback. The long kicking game of Tayla Preston kept the Sharks in games last year but they need more output from their spine players in attack this season.
Prop Ellie Johnston enjoyed breakout season last year and strike centre Annessa Biddle profiles well to do the same in 2024, providing Cronulla’s spine can get things right around her.
St George-Illawarra Dragons
Injuries ravaged a skinny roster last year but the Dragons are building a promising squad for the future. Emerging talent from the Steelers’ undefeated Tarsha Gale Cup side will complement the likes of Bobbi Law, Alexis Tauaneai, Margot Vella, Ella Koster and Zali Hopkins who all announced themselves in the NRLW last year.
Raecene McGregor is still the best halfback in the women’s game while fullback Teagan Berry is setting try scoring records at just 22 years of age. There’s some unknown around the dummy-half position but this is a club that is trending towards finals footy – if not this year then very soon after.
Wests Tigers
Wests were not nearly as poor as their eighth-placed finish in 2023 suggests. They boast a productive back five (Bo Vette-Welsh, Leianne Tufuga, Rikeya Horne) and some of the more dynamic forwards (Kezie Apps, Sarah Togatuki, Christian Pio) in the women’s game but have struggled to consistently turn field position into points.
After missing last year with injury, Losana Lutu can change all of that. Few NRLW playmakers play with the tempo and deception Lutu does and she’s a good run with injuries away from being coined the ‘next big thing’.
Luck providing, the Tigers are well placed to immediately improve on last year’s form.
North Queensland Cowboys
Beaten physically last season, all the talk coming out of North Queensland is how much conditioning work the Cow(girls) have done leading into 2024.
With that in mind, there is upside everywhere in this squad. We haven’t seen the best of Shaniah Power or Jasmine Peters, Emma Manzelman and Lily Peacock are rising QLD Maroons stars and Tigers import Jakiya Whitfeld is a Buy of the Season candidate.
Kirra Dibb brings wonderful direction in the halves but the pressure is on Fran Goldthorpe, Tallulah Tillett and/or Krystal Blackwell to perform beside her in the spine.
Parramatta Eels
The Eels endured a horror show last year as injuries and suspensions hit key players in an already skinny roster. At their best though, halfback Rachael Pearson is an experienced half with an elite kicking game, Elsie Albert and Kennedy Cherington are two of the hardest hitters in the game and Abbi Church is ultra reliable (Clint Gutherson vibes) at fullback. We can’t judge this Eels squad until we see these four on the field consistently.
Elsewhere, Casey Tohi-Hiku is breakout candidate in the backline while U19’s Sky Blues workhorse Chloe Jackson gets her first shot in first-grade.
Who partners Pearson in the spine and how the Eels growing attack fares against the better defensive teams will be the question to start the year.
Round One of the 2024 NRLW regular season kicks off in two weeks time on Thursday, 25th July. What are your early season predictions? Let us know in the comments.