Townsville Blackhawks 2025 squad breakdown: Harvey Norman U19s girls
North Queensland’s brightest female rugby league talents will take their game to the big stage after earning Blackhawks selection. Meet all 26 players in Townsville’s under-19s girls squad.
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The Townsville Blackhawks have finalised their 25-player squad for the Harvey Norman under-19s season with some of North Queensland’s brightest female prospects preparing to lace up their boots.
Unfortunately Blackhawks juniors and seniors will not get the chance to play the Northern Pride in the trial matches scheduled for this Saturday in Tully due to the threat of inclement weather literally raining on the parade.
Instead the under-19s girls squad is focused on its round 1 clash with the Central Queensland capras on February 15.
Coach Gavin Lloyd said he would look to put some work into his players’ legs at training to make up for the missed opportunity.
“You can’t drive all the girls up to Tully with the threat of two possible cyclones over the weekend, but it is what it is,” Lloyd said.
“We won’t make excuses. We’re moving on, so we’ll hit the assault bikes tonight and see if we can get a bit of work out of them.”
The 2025 squad included four players in the Cowboys system: Easther Mikaele, Jakaia Collett, Zaleah Mosby-Nona and Maryanne Tutavake.
With the Blackhawks anticipated to enter a team into the 2026 BMD Premiership, the club is hopeful many of this year’s under-19s players will seamlessly transition into the statewide women’s competition.
Read more about each player in the 2025 squad below.
OUTSIDE BACKS / CENTRES
ASHLYN HOEY – wing/fullback
A Charters Towers product with the ability to set fields alight with her blistering speed.
Hoey was a standout for the Charters Towers Miners side during a challenging 2024 season, and she was named to start on the wing in this masthead’s RLTD Team of the Season.
SIENA TABACCHI – wing
Tabacchi is speed machine with experience in representative rugby league and union.
The lightning-quick winger has been a member of junior Townsville Blackhawks squads for the past three years and she represented the Townsville Brolgas in 15s and 7s rugby.
Tabacchi spent some time at dummy half for the Kirwan Grizzlies but is unlikely to see minutes in the middle of the park in this competition.
ZALEAH MOSBY-NONA – fullback
A fearless fullback from Yorke Island, Mosby-Nona returns for another season with the Blackhawks.
The Cowboys-signed outside back packs a serious punch in defence, with strength well beyond her size and the running ability to break the defensive line from her own half.
LORIANNA ESELI – centre
A powerful ballrunner from the Torres Strait Islands who can score tries from anywhere on the park, Eseli was named in the 2024 Confraternity Carnival girls’ merit team after an outstanding tournament playing as a ring-in for St Ursula’s College.
Eseli scored six tries in four matches, finishing atop the tryscoring charts.
BREHT WYKE – wing
Wyke is locked in a three-way battle for two spots on the wing with Siena Tabacchi and Ashlyn Hoey, but whichever players win the race will be sure to do a solid job.
Wyke is a good leader and reliable in both attack and defence.
Wyke is also a highly touted Aussie rules player who came in at No.3 in the AFL Townsville’s top 150 players under the age of 18 in 2024, as well as No.25 in the AFL Townsville top 100 senior players.
KHYESHA EASTAUGHFFE – outside back
Eastaughffe is a Western Australian product who plays club football locally in Townsville for Brothers.
The speedy outside back featured for the WA Schoolgirls side in 2023, and she is also a talented touch football player.
TIARNA KRUTZFELDT – outside back
Krutzfeldt was awarded the coaches’ award last year at the Burdekin Roosters presentation night after a fantastic senior season.
The tryscoring winger or centre came through the Southern Cross Catholic College rugby league pathway, and she also brings with her some quality goalkicking ability.
MAHALIA MIVIRI – outside back
Miviri was a late inclusion to the squad.
Coaches are still determining what position the Thuringowa High student could feature at for the team on the field – though it’s most likely in the outside backs – but they are happy with how she’s been training with the squad.
HOLLIE PARKES – centre
A centre from Mount Isa with plenty of raw athletic talent. She returns for another season with the Blackhawks after playing under-17s in 2024.
Away from rugby league Parkes is a technically gifted netballer who plays at GD or WD, and a prolific tryscorer for North Ward’s under-17s team in rugby union.
HALVES / UTILITY BACKS
AVA WAGNER – halfback
Wagner has been recovering from a collarbone injury which interrupted her 2024 club and schoolgirls season.
She will most likely get the nod to start at No.7 and she will bring her fantastic vision and ability to unlock players around her to the role.
Wagner is the 2025 sports captain at Kirwan High and she is a good shout to captain the Grizzlies team.
LATISHA KAITAP – five-eighth/halfback
Kaitap is a talented five-eighth or halfback with a future in the NRLW beckoning.
She played for the Central Coast Roosters in the NSW Women’s Premiership in 2024 and she is expected to start in the halves for the Blackhawks, bringing her off-the-cuff style of play to the squad.
LARA PARTER – half
Parter will likely take on a backup half or utility role with the Blackhawks this year, learning as much as she can from her more experienced teammates.
Parter has the ability to crack open games with her vision and understanding of the game, and she has previously excelled in rugby union 15s and 7s as well as league.
HOOKERS / UTILITY FORWARDS
OLIVIA FLETCHER – hooker
Fletcher has been in representative pathways for a number of years now and she has good claims to Townsville’s No.9 jersey for the upcoming season.
After two years in the under-17s side, Fletcher will relish the opportunity to step up a grade and inch closer to a BMD Premiership call-up which is surely on the horizon.
MADISON WOOD – middle/utility
Wood joins the Blackhawks after moving to Townsville from Toowoomba, and she brings with her the ability to cover multiple positions in the forward pack.
Wood will likely crack into the team as a ballplaying option in the middle forward rotation.
MIDDLE FORWARDS
EASTHER MIKAELE – middle
The younger sister of Cowboys prop Tom, Mikaele is also contracted to the Cowboys and is well-regarded as a top NRLW prospect.
The hardrunning middle forward is returning for her third season of Harvey Norman under-19s, and she represented Queensland City under-17s in the 2023 representative clash with Queensland Country.
Mikaele has the ability to play big minutes in the middle while still managing to be effective on both sides of the ball.
ADELE JENSEN – middle
Jensen is a no-nonsense middle forward who captained the 17/18 Northern Schoolgirls team in 2024.
The Cardwell product doesn’t shy away from the tough work in the middle of a park and she has a big engine.
Jensen was named in the 2024 Confraternity Carnival girls’ merit team – the only player from Southern Cross catholic College to earn the honour last year.
KATE TEICHMANN – middle
Teichmann is a hard worker from the Herbert River region who has impressed coaches with her work ethic and dedication to training.
A powerful middle forward who is also an accomplished cricketer with the strength to clear the ropes with a swing of the bat, and she has represented the North Queensland senior women’s team in the sport.
JARA’KYAH TURPIN – middle
Turpin moved north from Brisbane for the opportunity to play with the Blackhawks after featuring for Norths Devils in 2024.
A strong prop with the ability to bend lines with her hit-ups, she will likely feature in townsville’s middle forward rotation.
MARYANNE TUTAVAKE – middle
Another powerful player that will factor into the Blackhawks’ middle forward rotation, bringing great aggression to the role.
Tutavake steps into the under-19s squad after being a standout last year in the under-17s, and she is currently part of the Cowboys system.
DAKOTA NAMOK – middle
Namok is still learning the technical aspects of rugby league but has the raw talent to be honed into a top player.
She also plays Aussie rules and touch football in Townsville.
ILAISAANE ‘SARI’ TUITUPOU – middle
Tuitupou is a strong middle forward who represented the 17/18 Northern schoolgirls team in 2024, featuring as a linebreaking backrower.
She also has a rugby union background, playing for Brothers in the TDRU under-17s girls competition.
LORDES TANOAI – middle
Tanoai joined the club after moving from New Zealand this year.
She’s looking for an opportunity to play rugby league and impressed coaches enough during trials to earn a place in the squad.
EDGE FORWARDS
JAKAIA COLLETT – edge
Collett is a standout forward who is in the driver’s seat to claim the starting right backrower position for the Blackhawks under-19s, though she featured as a lock last year in the club’s under-17s side.
Collett starred for Queensland Country under-17s in 2024, and she is one of a handful of Townsville players currently in the Cowboys NRLW pathway.
JENNA POOLE – edge
Poole is a tough second rower who plays senior rugby league and union in Townsville, and she has also represented the city in hockey.
She won the RLTD women’s competition in 2024 with Centrals but fell just short in the TDRU grand final with Brothers.
Poole will most likely play backrow on the left edge for the Blackhawks this season.
LILLY CHAPPELL – edge/lock
A tough backrower who plays down in the Burdekin, Chappell was named the Roosters’ most consistent women’s player of 2024.
Although the Hens crashed out of the preliminary final to 2024 champions Centrals, Chappell’s tough work at lock or five-eighth was key to her team’s success.
Blackhawks coach Gavin Lloyd said that while she was a talented playmaker in club-land, she would most likely feature as a backrower during the upcoming under-19s season.
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Originally published as Townsville Blackhawks 2025 squad breakdown: Harvey Norman U19s girls
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