Emma Paki to join fellow Central Qld rugby league star at the Newcastle Knights for the 2022 NRLW season

A CQ Capras centre has been signed by the Newcastle Knights for the 2022 NRLW season. Read what she thinks about her meteoric rise through rugby league’s ranks here.

Rugby league excitement machine Emma Paki is readying for a move interstate to prepare for the 2022 NRLW Premiership.

The CQ Capras’ centre has been signed by the Newcastle Knights, who have also lured fellow Central Queensland star Tamika Upton and powerhouse forward Millie Boyle to their ranks from the Brisbane Broncos.

It is a huge development for Paki, 19, who got her first taste of rugby league playing for The Cathedral College in the statewide schools competition, the Karyn Murphy Cup, when she was in Year 12.

Paki was a talented touch player, and an Australian under-18 representative in that sport.

“That carnival was on a Friday and a few of us touch girls thought it would be fun to change it up and play some league,” she explains.

Emma Paki in full flight for the CQ Capras in the 2022 BMD Premiership. Photo: Brendan Kirkman

“We actually won it and we were all pretty stoked.

“I just loved the game and continued to play from there.”

Capras women’s coach Amanda Ohl saw Paki’s potential and urged her to attend the team’s pre-season trials.

She went on to play two seasons with the Capras, including this year when the Capras finished runners-up in the statewide BMD Premiership.

Paki said she would always be grateful to Ohl for giving her her big break.

“She’s been a really good coach, just her patience with me has been amazing,” she said.

“She knew I could do things that I didn’t think I could. She had that belief in me, that faith in me, and that’s really helped me to get to where I am now.”

Emma Paki says she will be forever grateful to CQ Capras coach Amanda Ohl for the belief and faith she showed in her.

Paki, who plays her club football with the Yeppoon Seagulls, was for the second year in a row a member of the Queensland under-19 team.

She said that had been an incredible experience, with one of the highlights this year an opposed session against the Maroons’ women’s team.

The Blues under-19s made it back-to-back wins with their 22-6 victory last Thursday.

Paki said it was just what you would expect from an Origin game.

“It was fast and quick. There were a lot of things we had to adapt but unfortunately we didn’t get the win in the end,” she said.

“But you never lose, you always learn.

“It’s always an honour to put on the Queensland jersey with a great group of girls and run out and represent the Maroons.”

Paki’s career is on the fast track and even she cannot believe how quickly things have progressed.

The Knights came calling after she produced another standout season in the BMD Premiership this year.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it would be happening this early,” she said.

“This year I didn’t think of NRLW once, I had no thoughts of moving.

“But when I got that phone call from (Knights) coach Ronald Griffiths, I said yes because it was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss.”

Paki is excited for the move to the Knights, confident it will help take her game to another level.

“They’ve built such a good squad,” she said.

“I want to learn more about rugby league and better my game, and being there with the likes of Tamika, Millie and Romy Teitzel is going to be unbelievable.”

Paki will leave Rockhampton in a fortnight. She will join the Knights squad for the four-week pre-season before the NRLW competition kicks off in August.