NRLW 2022: Newcastle Knights ready to cause headaches in debut season

As one of the NRLW’s expansion clubs, Newcastle is excited to make a splash in their debut season — and a former AFLW player headlines a diverse squad.

Paige Parker has swapped codes to joing the Knights’ NRLW team.

Newcastle Knights youngster Romy Teitzel is confident the new NRLW club can cause a few headaches this season despite their limited experience.

The 22-year-old Tully product has joined the inaugural Knights NRLW squad, which includes a number of New Zealand, Queensland and local talent.

Former AFLW player Paige Parker has also switched codes this year to join the inaugural Knights side and shapes to be a real threat considering her touch football background.

Teitzel said the diversity of the playing group will be a key factor to their NRLW success this season.

“Absolutely for sure we can cause a few headaches,” Teitzel said.

Paige Parker has swapped codes to joing the Knights’ NRLW team.

“We have a very good bunch here and very diverse.

“We have a lot of New Zealand girls coming across, we have a lot of Queensland girls coming down and then we have our local girls.

“We have a very diverse squad and that’s very dangerous.

“I’m very excited for the season ahead and we’ve definitely got great potential.”

Despite having only played her first game of rugby league at just 15, Teitzel has already made a name for herself in Queensland, having taken out the inaugural BHP Premiership Player of the Year last year.

She credited the award to her Gold Stars teammates, which includes Emma Manzelmann, Katie Green, Tahlulah Tillett and Rangimarie Edwards-Bruce who have also signed at the Knights this season.

Romy Teitzel has made a name for herself in rugby league despite coming late to the sport. Picture: Newcastle Knights

“That award came off the back of a strong season from the North Queensland team,” she said.

“It was pretty much our inaugural year and we gave it a good hit.

“The girls played some good footy and it exposed the talent that is up there in North Queensland and the possibility of growing the game up there.

“That reward was just a reflection of the talent up there.

“The last two years in particular, we’ve seen such rapid growth in the game especially in those regions up north.

“We’re going to continue to see that grow and an NRLW Cowboys team should be in the near-future with all the talent coming out of that region.”

Historic moment: NRLW’s blockbuster first revealed

The upcoming NRLW grand final is set to be played as a stand-alone match for the first time ever in the competition’s history.

Since its inception in 2018, the women’s premiership decider has traditionally been played prior to the men’s grand final match at ANZ Stadium, in Sydney.

However the Covid-19 pandemic forced last year’s season to be postponed to early this year, with a second campaign to be played in September.

Now it can be revealed some of the game’s best female talent will battle it out in a stand-alone blockbuster at 2pm on April 10, as the women’s game continues to grow across the country.

It’s a significant decision to play the NRLW grand final on its own terms, without a men’s game to follow, with crowd attendances at female rugby league games on the rise.

Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.

Broncos star Ali Brigginshaw holds aloft the premiership trophy after winning the 2020 NRLW grand final.

The blockbuster women’s 2021 State of Origin match attracted a Covid-capacity crowd of 7,183 at the Sunshine Coast Stadium, while more than half a million people tuned in on TV.

The NRL is set to announce the grand final details in the near future, including the decider’s location.

Two NRL matches are scheduled to be played on April 10 – Sharks v Tigers at Pointsbet Stadium at 4.05pm and Bulldogs v Panthers at CommBank Stadium at 6.15pm.

With only one NRLW match scheduled to be played in Queensland this season, the decider could be played at Suncorp Stadium, Cbus Super Stadium or Sunshine Coast Stadium where the past two women’s Origin matches have been played.

Kennedy Cherington, Maddison Studdon and Katrina May Phippen will be gunning for NRLW glory in 2022. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Other options include Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle or Accor Stadium in Sydney.

The move for a stand-alone NRLW grand final comes as the ARL Commission looks to grow the women’s game even further this year.

“In 2022 the Commission is considering a wide range of initiatives and investment to grow the female elite pathway, from grassroots to the international game,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said.

“We are focused on the enablers for expansion of female pathway competitions at all ages, the NSW and QLD State competitions with State Leagues, the NRLW competition with NRL Clubs, State of Origin and Test Matches.