NRLW Market Watch: Follow the latest transfer news and rumours
Newcastle have bagged an important long-term signature as the Sharks begin building their roster. Keep up to date with all the latest NRLW player movement inside.
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Newcastle fullback Tamika Upton has landed the biggest NRLW contract to date by signing a five-year-deal to stay with the premiers.
The 26-year-old Queensland fullback is one of the best players in the women’s game but opted to stay loyal to the Knights, where she won last year’s NRLW title in just her first season at the club.
It‘s the first major re-signing for the Knights, who have also lost Millie Boyle and Romy Teitzel from their grand final squad for the upcoming season.
“We believe Tamika is arguably the best player in the game and we are thrilled that she is the first player to sign on with the club for the long-term,” said Knights’ director of football, Peter Parr.
“She will not be the last.
“Tamika brings supreme athletic ability and football smarts to our team. But she is far more than that – she is a leader, a great community contributor, and a wonderful role model for our club and for those who follow the game.
“There is great optimism around the place for what we can achieve as a team and as a club in upcoming NRLW seasons and Tamika’s signing for five years should be seen as the first of many votes of confidence in what we are building here.”
Elsewhere, movement across the women‘s game has been enormous across the past few weeks as clubs trade blows to lock down the game’s stars.
Cronulla landed one on their local rivals on Wednesday by announcing ex-St George Illawarra hooker Quincy Dodd to a three-year NRLW deal.
The NSW State of Origin representative and Indigenous All Stars captain is the first signing for the Sharks‘ inaugural women’s squad with more big names set to be announced over the coming weeks.
Dodd, 23, is the first of a handful of ex-Dragons players who have made the switch for the upcoming season with deals for Dally M winner Emma Tonegato and Holli Wheeler to be finalised imminently.
Local junior Dodd has come through the Sharks pathway, but started her NRLW career with the Sydney Roosters before making the switch to the Dragons in 2021.
It’s the first sign of a big season for the Sharks in their first year of the 10-team competition, with pre-season to start at the end of next month.
WESTS TIGERS BOLSTER NRLW SQUAD WITH GRAND FINAL STARS
-Pamela Whaley
Wests Tigers have signed three NRLW grand finalists to their impressive roster for their inaugural season, luring Rikeya Horne, Najvada George and Christian Pio from western Sydney rivals Parramatta.
Ex-Eels centre Horne and second-rower Pio, join middle forward George, Tess Staines and Losana Lutu in Brett Kimmorley‘s growing side.
The five players are set to be announced on Monday and follow the additions of star trio Kezie Apps (Dragons), Sarah Togatuki (Roosters) and Botille Vette-Welsh (Eels) last week.
Horne, 23, and Pio, 22, have made the switch from the Eels after two seasons with the club, where they played the NRLW grand final against Newcastle in 2022. George played off the bench in the 32-12 loss to the Knights.
Staines, a 21-year-old winger from Wagga has also been a part of the Eels system across the past two seasons, playing three games.
However, Pio was already in the Wests Tigers system and is co-captain of the club’s Harvey Norman women’s premiership side, which also includes George, Staines and Campbelltown junior Lutu.
Horne is the most experienced NRLW player of the latest round of recruits, having played three seasons with St George Illawarra from 2018 to 2020 until she joined the Eels for the 2021 season.
“It's important that we get this year correct, in our inaugural year,” Kimmorley said, reflecting on the process of signing 24 players to his roster for this season.
“As a club we've pretty much got half of our squad on multi-year deals, and the other half are one-year deals with the hope of us trying to get better and build some good quality within the club.
“That's the benefit of having the Harvey Norman women’s competition in the club, we’ve given them opportunities and let them play with NRLW players and they develop into NRLW players.”
The news continues a huge few weeks of movement for some of the biggest players in the women's game with several star players yet to have contracts finalised at one of 10 clubs.
Cronulla will announce their first three big signings for the season on Wednesday, which is likely to include Emma Tonegato and Holli Wheeler from St George Illawarra.
JILLAROOS STAR IN BOMBSHELL SWITCH TO NRLW RIVALS
By Pamela Whaley
Jillaroos star Kezie Apps is set to make a bombshell switch to join the Wests Tigers after a deadline to sign with St George Illawarra expired on Thursday night.
The 32-year-old Dragons and NSW captain has played her entire NRLW career for the club but is preparing to make a shock swap to the Tigers on a multi-year deal.
She informed the Dragons of her difficult decision on Thursday night, opting for a new opportunity and a chance to get out of her comfort zone after five seasons with the side.
Apps is one of the most beloved and popular players in the game and her addition will be a huge boost for the new franchise, which will be coached by Brett Kimmorley.
As one of the best second-rowers in the NRLW she will be crucial for the Tigers pack but vital to the team they’re building given her huge experience in the game.
It also comes as another big loss for the Dragons who have already lost Jillaroos Taliah Fuimaono, Holli Wheeler, Emma Tonegato, Shaylee Bent and Keeley Davis for the upcoming season in a massive upheaval for the club.
The Dragons were confident of retaining Apps until late Thursday afternoon.
Coach Jamie Soward has already snapped up a large chunk of his 24-person squad, including Dally M Medallist Raecene McGregor from the Roosters and premiership-winning centre Bobbi Law from Newcastle.
DALLY M WINNER JOINS DRAGONS ON MONSTER SIGNINGS DAY
St George Illawarra finished a monster day of signings with their biggest one yet, landing Raecene McGregor from the Sydney Roosters.
The New Zealand halfback began her NRLW career at the Dragons and has been lured back by coach Jamie Soward on a multi-year contract.
The 25-year-old was the best player in the women’s game, winning the Dally M Medal last year after a stunning season with the Roosters and then claiming the women’s Golden Boot award at the World Cup at the end of the season.
She’s a vital addition to the Dragons for the 2023 season.
On Wednesday Soward announced a huge part of his squad with nine players including McGregor, Knights premiership-winning centre Bobbi Law, Renee Targett, Tara McGrath-West, Sara Sautia, Cortez Te Pou, Angelina Teakaraanga Katoa, Page McGregor and Juju Bright.
Earlier, Soward announced on Twitter he would be naming confirmed players on his roster on Wednesday, starting with a video of Law signing the NRLW deal.
“This is my first NRLW signing for 2023, wavy pumped about this one, she’s a premiership winner and a proud member of the Indigenous All Stars for the last couple of years, she’s signed and come to the Dragons, Bobbi Law,” he said.
@NRL_Dragons#BobbiLaw proud member of the 2023 #NRLW dragons.
— Jamie Soward (@sowwowofficial6) March 29, 2023
Premiership winner and Indigenous all-stars rep. Big coup for the #dragonspic.twitter.com/7pLoQAab0b
It comes just hours after the contracting period opened after a long negotiation between the RLPA and the NRL which dragged on for many months.
The additions of Law and McGregor are a boost for the Dragons who are believed to be losing a handful of stars, including Emma Tonegato, Shaylee Bent, Keely Davis, Holli Wheeler and Taliah Fuimaono.
EELS GUN LOCKED IN FOR THREE YEARS
By Brent Read
Eels forward Kennedy Cherrington is expected to sign a three-year deal to remain at Parramatta.
It’s understood the 24-year-old’s management has been in deep talks with the Eels, with a deal set to be announced imminently.
Cherrington was a key member of the Eels’ grand final team last season and is a vital re-signing for the club, given middle forward Simaima Taufa is expected to make the switch to the Canberra Raiders for their inaugural NRLW season.
She was on Wednesday unveiled as an ambassador for the Goanna Academy, which is Greg Inglis’s preventative mental health organisation.
MILLIE BOYLE’S MASSIVE HINT ON FUTURE
By Pamela Whaley and Russell Jackson
NRLW star Millie Boyle made her first appearance in Roosters colours on Monday night.
In the clearest indication yet that she will join the Sydney Roosters’ NRLW side, Boyle played for the Central Coast Roosters against Newcastle.
Boyle, who co-captained the Knights to an NRLW premiership, lined up against the Knights in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership.
The Roosters won the clash in Cessnock 20-10.
Great crowd at Cessnock for the Harvey Norman Women's Premiership. Story of the night is the late inclusion on the Roosters bench of one Millie Boyle 😑 pic.twitter.com/rsWOfJQGl3
— Mat and Kita Clarke (@KitaandMat) March 27, 2023
News Corp reported last month the Roosters were closing in on signing Dally M Medal winner Boyle who co-captained the Knights to their inaugural NRLW title last year in her first season at the club after joining from Brisbane.
In another hint towards big moves in the player market, Boyle’s teammate on Monday night was Broncos five-eighth Tarryn Aitken who is also believed to be on the move to Bondi.
The 23-year-old Queensland star has played with Brisbane for three years but looks set for a switch to the Roosters for the upcoming 2023 NRLW season.
It’s understood she will take over from Zehara Temara in the halves, who is rumoured to be staying in her home state of Queensland with either the Titans, Broncos or Cowboys this season.
The loss of Temara adds to what is expected to be a big exit from the Roosters, with the game’s best player and star halfback, Raecene McGregor, close to a deal with the Dragons.
It comes as a raft of player transfers are expected to drop within the coming weeks as the NRLW signing window nears opening.
It’s already been reported that Emma Tonegato will shift from the Dragons to the new franchise Cronulla, along with speedster Jada Taylor (from the Roosters) who has already started employment with the club.
Simaima Taufa is also expected to shift from Parramatta to Canberra in a big boost for their debut side.
- Pam Whaley
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