NRLW 2022: Parramatta Eels eyeing premiership at first attempt with star-studded squad
The Eels aren’t mucking around in their quest to win the NRLW premiership at their first attempt with a squad overflowing with representative talent and some exciting young stars.
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There will be no mucking around for Parramatta’s inaugural NRLW side — they are aiming to take out the title in the club’s first season.
With the Eels boasting a squad overflowing with Blues and Jillaroos representatives, as well as some of western Sydney’s best up-and-coming talent, the blue and golds have the firepower to contend for the premiership from the jump in 2022.
“Our ultimate goal is to win the premiership, but also to play good, consistent footy,” fullback Botille Vette-Welsh said.
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“We have a lot of well-known players but there’s some exciting youngsters coming through as well who have been killing it in Harvey Norman (Tarsha Gale Cup).
“It’s more about what our fresh faces can come through and do. I think they can dominate. Their foot is in the door and opportunities are going to keep coming, that’s what I’m excited about.”
Vette-Welsh is one of the club’s five marquee signings, along with Blues teammates Tiana Penitani, Simaima Taufa, Kennedy Cherrington and Filomina Hanisi. The club has also managed to lure star halfback Maddie Studdon across from St George Illawarra.
With western Sydney producing some of the country’s best players, the lure of representing their hometown proved too tantalising to resist and for Vette-Welsh the chance to inspire the next generation was yet another reason to don the blue and gold.
“Parramatta is my home away from home, I moved here from New Zealand in 2010 and I’ve lived here ever since,” Vette-Welsh said.
“I wanted to start a trend and show the women and girls out here that we don’t need to go down to Wollongong to play, we don’t need to go into the city to have better opportunities, our opportunities can be right here, out west.
“There’s a massive amount of girls out here who are interested, we just need to show them they don’t have to leave here to become somebody. They can have a clear path right here at home.”
A hamstring injury wiped out much of the 2020 season for Vette-Welsh but the 25-year old is one of the game’s top fullbacks when fit.
The opportunity for a full pre-season before the new campaign kicks off early next year should have the Blues flyer well-placed for her best NRLW season yet.
“I just want to get through this year injury free. The Covid break gave me a good routine of working from home, which let me train a lot more without sacrificing more time,” Vette-Welsh said. “I just want to be able to last the whole season without little niggles holding me back.”
PARRAMATTA EELS
SQUAD: Kennedy Cherrington, Filomina Hanisi, Rikeya Horne , Nita Maynard, Tiana Penitani, Maddie Studdon, Simaima Taufa, Botille Vette-Welsh, Emily Curtain, Jocephy Daniels, Sereana Naitokatoka, Taina Naividi, Katrina May Phippen, Jamie Anne Wright.
X-FACTOR: Kennedy Cherrington
At just 22, Cherrington already has plenty of experience at the top level — after three seasons with the Waratahs she switched back to rugby league with immediate impact, claiming the 2020 NRLW rookie of the year award. After making her Origin debut earlier this year, it’s clear the sky is the limit for the athletic middle forward.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Emily Curtain
The Eels will be digging deep from their junior nursery to fill out the rest of their squad and Curtain, a talented half, is one of the pick of the next generation coming through the ranks.
Curtain has performed well for Wests Tigers in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership and Vette-Welsh has backed her to take the next step this season.
“She’s one of our young halves, it’ll be interesting to see her at this level and how she handles it,” Vette-Welsh said. “In Harvey Norman (Tarsha Gale Cup), a lot of the time it’s just your friends and family at games but in NRLW it’s in the big arenas and there’s thousands of fans watching.
“It becomes overwhelming, but it’s also an awesome experience to soak in. I just tell our young girls to soak in every minute, we’re blessed with this ability to make these teams so make the most of it.”
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Originally published as NRLW 2022: Parramatta Eels eyeing premiership at first attempt with star-studded squad
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