Sydney club pulls off major poaching raid in North Queensland Cowboys’ backyard

A Sydney club has pulled off a shocking poaching raid on North Queensland’s backyard, signing 14 teenagers – some as young as 14 – to relocate to Sydney for the 2025 season, amid scathing criticism of the NQ pathways.

St Margaret Mary's College's Chantel Wilson (middle) has been named in the St George Dragons train-on squad for the 2025 Tarsha Gale Cup. Pictured during a women's game between Kirwan High and St Margaret Mary's College at Kirwan High. Picture: Evan Morgan

The St George Dragons have pulled off a shocking poaching raid on North Queensland’s backyard, signing 14 teenagers – some as young as 14 – to relocate to Sydney for the 2025 season.

The Cowboys and Townsville Blackhawks were stunned by the mass exodus which has ransacked their female junior talent nurseries amid criticism that local pathways were insufficient for players to realise their NRLW dreams.

The opportunity arose for 11 players through NQ Sistas, a husband-and-wife organisation which plans tours for regional girls to attend trials in New South Wales.

Of the 40 on this year’s tour, 17 were offered spots at St George, including 11 from the Cowboys’ backyard of Townsville, Charters Towers, Cairns, Rockhampton and the Torres Strait.

The players will move into a nine bedroom house with NQ Sistas’ Lauren and Cameron Morrison.

North Queensland Cowboys NRLW player Ana Malupo made her international debut for Tonga during the 2024 Pacific Championships after coming through the Kirwan High and Townsville Blackhawks systems in 2023. Picture: North Queensland Cowboys

Two other Townsville juniors – Maryanne Tutavake and Jahnali Levi – were signed by the Dragons independently, completing what amounts to a full team of elite talent departing the region.

Lauren Morrison said she launched the program in response to the poor standard of coaching available in North Queensland, declaring opportunities for females in regional Queensland were not up to scratch.

“When they were living in Townsville, playing in the NRLW was literally just a dream,” she declared.

“They come down here and it seems attainable to them, they can do it and there’s a lot more opportunity. There’s obviously not that opportunity in Townsville, unfortunately.

“There definitely isn’t the pathway available to these girls and they’re unfortunately not given the opportunities.

“Unfortunately the coaching is not at the level it needs to be at for these girls to make things like the NRLW, because they’re just a bit far behind.

“There’s definitely no decent pathway programs available to that sort of 15-19 year age group in Townsville.”

Lalita Kris, Latisha Kaitap, Shenae Cassidy, Lauren Morrison (manager), Charlize Barrett and April Major of the NQ Sistas program who have joined the North Sydney Bears. Picture: Sean Teuma

Morrison highlighted the coaching of former Cowboys fullback Luke Phillips, now a defence coach for the Dragons U19 women’s team, as a major difference.

“We come down here and they’re getting really good coaching, which isn’t available up there – really professional coaching from Luke Phillips which has been amazing for them.

“He’s been a game changer for the girls. Luke has come over to St George and will be coaching them there so the coaching has been a big difference for them.”

NSWRL Junior Reps, Lisa Fiaola Cup round three, Sydney Roosters vs St George Dragons at Henson Park, 17 February 2024. Dragons meet for a huddle. Picture: Sean Teuma.

A Cowboys spokesman said the club was disappointed to see local juniors looking elsewhere to continue their journey.

“While we are thrilled that more young women are playing rugby league and taking opportunities in our game, it’s disappointing that young players are leaving the region for essentially the equivalent or lower standard of pathway in New South Wales,” the spokesman said.

“The Cowboys will always support students finishing their schooling in the home centre before moving away for a rugby league opportunity where possible.”

Townsville Blackhawks and South Sydney Rabbitohs officials Adrian Thompson, Brock Schaefer, Glenn Carroll, Blake Solly, Justin Wilkins and Terry Campese. Picture: Nathan Ferguson / Townsville Blackhawks

Blackhawks football operations manager Adrian Thompson said he could not understand why young players felt the need to move interstate.

“I don’t see why young girls, in this instance, have to move too far away from home to play in good competitions,” Thompson said.

“These statewide competitions are sufficient pathways to get where they’ve got to go – we’re talking about girls who are 17, 16 and in some cases 14. Surely we can’t be doing that.

“We have kids from Ingham, Charters Towers, the Burdekin and Bowen … we’re not asking any of them to move away from home. At the end of the day it seems very strange that people want to move south when the pathway is here.”

Townsville Blackhawks under-17s Logan Roncato and Brandy Yallop at the CQ Capras versus Townsville Blackhawks underage games, Browne Park, Rockhampton, on February 17, 2024.

The Blackhawks are in line to be added to Queensland’s senior women’s competition, the BMD Premiership, in 2026.

“There’s no doubt we’re building,” Thompson said.

“It’s exciting times to be a female player so I don’t see why they would move away to learn the game.

“We’ve got good coaches and Mackay and Cairns are the same, they’ve got good coaches – they don’t need to move south to get an opportunity.

“I can’t see how St George needs those numbers. Being in the Wollongong district, surely girls numbers are booming in that area, so it seems strange.”

The Cowboys are hosting an open trial for session for women and girls in Townsville on November 16 and 17.

Originally published as Sydney club pulls off major poaching raid in North Queensland Cowboys’ backyard