By Billie Eder
When this year’s NRLW season started, the Knights had lost 10 players from their 2022 premiership winning team.
With the competition expanding to 10 teams in 2023, players scattered across eastern Australia as bigger pay packets, permanent roster spots and leadership opportunities enticed them to new clubs.
Knights stars Tamika Upton, Hannah Southwell, Yasmin Clydsdale, Jesse Southwell and Georgia Roche.Credit: Chris Elfes
Clubs were used to a high turnover of players, after all, multi-year contracts weren’t available until 2023.
But when the opportunity to sign NRLW players long-term became available, Newcastle handed five-year deals to four of their best – Tamika Upton, Georgia Roche, Jesse Southwell and Hannah Southwell – the only club to do so besides the Roosters, who signed former Knights captain Millie Boyle on a potential five-year deal.
Now, Newcastle are marching into their second straight grand final after beating the Broncos in the semi-final in front of a home crowd of 12,689 people and claiming the minor premiership – the first in the club’s history. For Knights’ coach Ronald Griffiths, locking down players was a no-brainer.
“When we’re talking about not having high turnover, well, it creates some stability for the club,” Griffiths said. “Any sporting organisation that wants long-term success, the less they turn over. If they’ve got the right people and the right systems, they have the potential to be stronger over time. That’s what we were looking for as an organisation.”
Jesse and Hannah Southwell are Newcastle born and bred and could be at the club until 2027.Credit: Louise Kennerley
One of the most important cogs in the Newcastle system is the Southwell sisters. Local juniors and home-grown talent, Hannah and Jesse are a massive draw for fans and players, and a testament to how important pathways are at a club, said Griffiths.
“The club was always strong in our grassroots in Newcastle, but I’d like to think over the last 18 months we’ve been working on a wider strategic approach to make sure of the long-term viability of the club to develop people from our own area,” Griffiths said.
“The long-term vision is then enticing for the players to be here. The women’s game will evolve really quickly. Some of the girls right now will be able to play under-7s through to NRLW. So, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right development systems in place to capitalise on that growth.”
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Newcastle, says Jesse. In their first year the team lost every game and ran last in the competition, but the turnaround has been enormous.
“The year before last, we were dead last,” she said. “The growth from the first season we were involved to the second season was insane. And then the growth from last season to this season is just incredible.
“The way that the town has gotten around us is completely different to last year, but it still has that heartfelt [feeling], and I don’t think that will ever go away from Newcastle.”
Despite losing crucial players this year, Jesse said the team always believed they could have a strong season.
“I wasn’t really stressed when 10 girls left because I knew we had the right girls here,” she said. “The right girls with the right attitude, and those girls that are here, and they want to be here, they want to do it for this town, and they want to do it for each other.
The Knights celebrate after winning their semi-final against the Broncos.Credit: Getty
“Obviously, we saw how good those girls are that did leave, but to see the way our team has grouped together, it just goes to show that a team will beat individuals any day of the week.”
One person who won’t be surprised by Newcastle’s success would be former skipper Boyle, who forecast their dominance before the season started.
“I’d say the team to beat is the Knights because they won the premiership last year, and they’ve got a big core group of their squad still together, a lot of great players, and they’ve got a great coach under Ronnie Griffiths,” Boyle told this masthead.
Newcastle fullback Tamika Upton was named Dally M player of the year and the team has only lost one game this year. On Sunday, they line up against Karyn Murphy’s Titans after the Gold Coast toppled premiership favourites the Roosters last weekend.
If the Knights want to become the first Newcastle team to win back-to-back premierships, Jesse said they need to get the simple things right.
“You’ve got to have a great defensive side to beat any side,” she said. “Defence wins games, and especially grand finals. You just want to keep the foot on the throat. As obvious as it is, that’s what you need to do, and what you have to do especially in grand finals.
“We’ve had lapses in concentration all year, so I think it’s super important that in the grand final we don’t have those lapses. Just making sure everyone knows, and it’s clear on the field, that no matter what happens, we have to keep going. The Gold Coast are a great side, so we have to do whatever we need to make sure we keep the momentum going.”
Watch the NRLW grand final exclusive, live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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