‘It’s unfortunate’: Knights teammate sad to see Tamika Upton leave but is confident Newcastle can still contend for NRLW titles

Newcastle has won the race to host the inaugural NRLW Magic Round, but it’s not all good news for the club with their best player seeking an immediate release.

Premiership winner Simone Karpani says it’ll be “sad” to see Tamika Upton leave the Newcastle but remains confident the Knights have the talent to keep challenging for titles even if the superstar fullback is granted an immediate release.

It comes following a bombshell announcement on Monday that Upton is seeking a release on compassionate grounds for the remaining three years of her current deal to return to Queensland.

Upton spent three seasons with the Broncos before she moved to Newcastle where she quickly emerged as the best fullback in the world, leading the Knights to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.

She claimed the Karyn Murphy Medal as the best player in each of those finals, while she was also crowned the Dally M winner for her incredible performances.

But it looks like she’ll return to Queensland next year for personal reasons, with Karpani confident Knights coach Ben Jeffries will make the necessary adjustments to ensure her departure doesn’t undo all their recent success.

Tamika Upton (left) is set to leave Newcastle after three incredible years at the club. Picture: Izhar Khan / AFP

“I think anyone would be sad if someone like that was leaving,” she said.

“She’s a great player, but we’ve also got lots of other great players. It’s unfortunate, but I do wish her the best.

“It’ll definitely be harder (to return to the top) because she’s a phenomenal player, but whoever comes in will be just as great.

“It’s going to be a surprise to me (who plays fullback) but I’m sure with a coach like ‘BJ’, he knows what he needs. Whoever he brings in, I’m sure she’ll be great.”

Karpani was speaking at NSW Parliament House on Tuesday morning to launch the inaugural NRLW Magic Round next year in Newcastle.

A bumper crowd is expected for the two-day event, with 25,782 fans rocking up to game two of this year’s women’s Origin match in the driving rain.

“I think you have fans (in general) and they’re the people who support you when you win. In Newcastle, we have amazing supporters who support you no matter if it’s a win, loss or draw,” she said.

“That’s what makes them so special because they support you through anything.”

Kezie Apps played in front of a record crowd in Newcastle during this year’s State of Origin series. Picture: Scott Gardiner/Getty Images

The Australian Rugby League Commission confirmed McDonald Jones Stadium would host Magic Round in 2025, with the three-year agreement with the NSW government set to take the event to other regional areas.

That’s music to the ears of rep star Kezie Apps who comes from Bega and wants to see more matches played in country towns.

“I feel like we need to have more games in the regional areas,” she said.

“I feel like we need to go back to bush and take all our games there. It’s so important that the regional areas get these opportunities to witness all the different teams getting to play, especially when a lot of fans like different players from different teams.

“They can all come to one venue and be able to watch all the superstars for all the teams.

“I’m a country girl myself so I think it’s really important to give opportunities to people who might not necessarily get these opportunities and for families who might not be able to travel.”

Originally published as ‘It’s unfortunate’: Knights teammate sad to see Tamika Upton leave but is confident Newcastle can still contend for NRLW titles