QRL CEO Ben Ikin defends Queensland’s female pathways after teenage talent exodus

QRL CEO Ben Ikin has defended the state’s female pathways after the extent of a St George Dragons poaching raid on North Queensland was revealed. Find out what he’s doing to keep Queensland’s talent north of the border.

Queensland Rugby League CEO Ben Ikin speaks to media at the announcement that the Queensland Maroons will visit Toowoomba for a fan day and training ahead of Game 2, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Queensland Rugby League CEO Ben Ikin has defended the state’s female pathways after the extent of a St George Dragons poaching raid on North Queensland was revealed earlier this week.

More than a dozen teenage players from regional Queensland were recently snapped up for the 2025 Lisa Fiaola (U17) and Tarsha Gale (U19) Cups, moving interstate to pursue their dreams after NQ Sistas team manager Lauren Morrison labelled local pathways insufficient.

Ikin said the QRL would always fight extremely hard to protect the statewide competition network and footprint it had established, which in North Queensland includes teams in Townsville, Cairns and Mackay.

“Each of those clubs, from a female pathways perspective, have a 17s and 19s team. Not to mention that the North Queensland Cowboys have a very strong and growing NRLW program,” Ikin said.

“The reason we fight as the QRL to protect our statewide competition footprint and network is that there is actually more opportunity to be engaged in a pathway outside of those provided by NRL and NRLW clubs.

Queensland Rugby League CEO Ben Ikin at the finish line for a race for TRLJ players at the announcement that the Queensland Maroons will visit Toowoomba for a fan day and training ahead of Game 2, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“If you take the Cowboys, they put the elite product in the market and then that’s multiplied out three times through the Pride, the Blackhawks and the Cutters.”

While the Cowboys and Blackhawks were stunned by the group’s departure, Ikin conceded the Sunshine State’s female pathways still weren’t where he’d like them to be.

“There’s no doubting that the female game is in its infancy. We’ve acknowledged as a governing body, and I think all organisations that play a role in the women’s game are the same, that we can do it better,” Ikin said.

“We expect that everyone does it better as the game continues to grow and evolve. If you can cast your mind back six years to when the NRLW first came in, it’s growing at a rate of knots.

“The opportunity available, both in the pathway and the elite game – even down in community rugby league for young girls – compared to what it was 10 or 20 years ago, it’s come in leaps and bounds.

“We fight to protect that statewide club footprint in regional Queensland so young girls who aspire a one day play NRLW, or wear the Maroons jersey, don’t have to leave Cairns or Townsville or Mackay or North Queensland to go after those dreams.”

Ben Ikin, Maroons Long Lunch, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

The Townsville Blackhawks are intent on entering the statewide senior competition in 2026 as the QRL strives to have a BMD Premiership team at every Queensland Cup club.

The growth of the women’s game has never been more rapid, but Ikin said it still had a long way to go.

“They’re healthier than what they were, but they’re not as healthy as we want them to be,” he said.

“The female game is going through a whole lot of growing pains at the moment. There’s this big appetite to provide opportunity for girls and females to play the game at the community level and it’s moving at different speeds across the state.

“What we’re doing is doing as much as we can each and every year, and then getting to the end of the season, reviewing what we’ve done, seeing where the pain points are, and making it better the following year.

“If you talk to a former professional, even amateur player from the female side of the game from 10 or 15 years ago, and asked them what sort of state the game is in today compared to what it was back when they were playing, it’s miles in front.”

Originally published as QRL CEO Ben Ikin defends Queensland’s female pathways after teenage talent exodus