Round 1 of the 2022 NRLW season kicks off this weekend and Rugby League Writers is the place to be over the next eight weeks for in-depth analysis of the women’s game. Everyone knows the big names but the quality of this competition is rapidly improving and already there are a few breakout stars I’ve earmarked for this season and beyond.
With significant roster turnovers across most clubs, it’s difficult to know exactly how each team might look or how they might play. Nevertheless, I’ve taken an RLW lens to each roster and had a crack at predicting how those team lists might translate onto the field.
Sydney Roosters
Predicted profile
Last year’s premiers profile well to challenge for the silverware again this season, with a host of their key talents retained and a number of astute signings bolstering an already stacked roster.
The Sydney Roosters have stacked their pack with mobile, dynamic forwards like former Gold Coast Titan Shaniah Power and NSW Sky Blues rep (and personal favourite) Sarah Togatuki. Destiny Brill is a running threat herself from dummy-half and will play behind a forward pack that should be competitive most weeks.
Power’s inclusion in the backrow rounds out a formidable left edge for the Roosters, who have one half of arguably the best halves pairing in the game in Zehara Temara at five-eighth and newly-appointed captain Isabelle Kelly at left centre. Temara is a highly skilful ballplayer who profiles well to get the most out of Power and Kelly in attack.
On the other side of the field, Raecene McGregor is my pick for best halfback in the competition and is well equipped to bring Jess Sergis and veteran Sam Bremner into the game in good-ball with either a pass or kick.
The Roosters have genuine strike on both edges and two of the better ballplayers in the game who can get the ball where it needs to go. They’ll also be playing behind a competitive forward pack that should win its share of field position. They profile a bit like Easts’ mens’ side – compress the middle then hit the edges hard.
Key players
Shaniah Power (edge backrow) – The Roosters have picked up a good one in Power who joins her third NRLW club in as many seasons following stints at the Titans and Warriors. Power is a highly mobile, highly skilled edge forward who can bust a tackle as well as she can play eyes up, and throw a clean pass at the line.
Given the threat Kelly poses in the centres outside her, there’s every chance opposing teams will tighten up when the ball comes towards Power on that left edge. If they do, she’s already shown she has the skills to punish them with a face ball to her winger.
If the defence holds and gives Power a chance to run, she’s more than capable of taking the line on herself too.
A lot of Power’s best work in the 2021 NRLW season was individual brilliance. Playing in a Titans side that only hit their straps late in the season, Power was rarely put into promising areas on the field and afforded her best chance to impact the game.
Playing in an elite Roosters side this season feels like it might be another story…
Sarah Togatuki (prop) – One of my favourite players of the 2021 competition, Togatuki is an absolute beast and will spearhead the Roosters forward pack this season. She’s built low to the ground and has wicked footwork which allows her to bust boatloads of tackles and consistently bend or break the line to generate ruck speed for her team.
The one-two punch of Togatuki and Power in either yardage or good ball feels like a promising combination for the Roosters this season as they look to compress the middle before hitting hard on the edges.
Raecene McGregor (halfback) – One of the best ballplayers in the competition and a true competitor. McGregor has superb vision and a good understanding of the game, coupled with the skillset to capitalise on opportunities across the park.
McGregor had some huge plays in the 2021 Grand Final on both sides of the ball. She swept over to the left hand side of the field to set up Isabelle Kelly’s match sealing try and she also made a number of crucial defensive reads as the Dragons threatened a comeback.
With all the tools at her disposal again this season, McGregor is the one who can pull it all together for the Roosters as they chase back-to-back NRLW titles.
St George Illawarra Dragons
Predicted profile
The St George Illawarra Dragons dominated the NRLW yardage game last season with a powerful forward pack led by PNG international Elsie Albert and orchestrated by Keely Davis from dummy-half. St George Illawarra were regularly seen carting the ball up-field in yardage before a fifth tackle kick from halfback Rachel Pearson found the grass down the other end.
It was as simple a game plan as it was effective, and I see no reason for the Dragons to change too much this season.
Their forward pack is again a well balanced mix of size and power (Albert) paired with skill and football nous (Davis, Holli Wheeler & Kezzie Apps), and Pearson’s long kicking game in particular remains one of the best in the business. They will win the yardage battle most weeks and from there, it’ll be up to Davis from dummy-half or Emma Tonegato at fullback to manufacture points.
Davis is a very clever playmaker from behind the ruck and linked effectively with her forward teammates in good ball last season. Davis’ rotation with bench hooker Quincy Dodd gives the Dragons genuine strike from dummy-half from siren to siren and I won’t be surprised to see them play predominantly through the middle in attack. Davis has also struck up a nice partnership with fullback Emma Tonegato who quickly become one of the elite players in the NRLW earlier this year. This pair will be key to the Dragons’ chances this season.
Key players
Emma Tonegato (fullback) – She capped off a stellar debut NRLW season with a Dally M medal and a starring appearance in the Grand Final. Tonegato is a superb support player with elite acceleration and top line speed. She posted six linebreaks, four tries and three assists from seven games last season and will be the Dragons’ go-to in attack from Round 1.
Tonegato’s combination with Davis around the ruck and five-eighth Taliah Fuimaono (see above) looks on paper to be St George Illawarra’s best avenue for points this season and will cause some havoc if the Dragons forwards can win the middle.
Keeley Davis (hooker) – The stats sheet only has her down for one try assist from the 2021 season but rest assured, Davis was involved in plenty more.
That one assist was very, very nice though…
Davis has all the subtle little traits of a great dummy-half – the way she engages markers and ruck defenders, the tempo and timing of her darts from half, the deception of her passing game – and she is largely to thank for the Dragons’ go-forward in the ’21 season.
Davis plays with great vision and awareness to get the Dragons up-field smartly, and in good-ball, she can compress the ruck and provide good service to her halves and fullback. Quincy Dodd provides great depth but Davis needs to stay on the field for the Dragons to go one better in 2022.
Elsie Albert (prop) – If you’ve seen any of the women’s game in the last twelve months then you’ve probably already seen or heard of Elsie. She is an absolute freak of a front rower – think Nelson Asofa-Solomona or Jared Waerea-Hargreaves – and led all NRLW forwards in post-contact metres in the 2021 season.
You can find her highlights on your own, or you can just wait until she takes a kickoff carry on Sunday against the Titans to see for yourself the impact Albert can have on a game. She is good for an error at times but overall is undoubtedly a net-positive and a key figure in this Dragons pack.
Brisbane Broncos
Predicted profile
The Brisbane Broncos have been the premier club in the NRLW since it’s inception but were outplayed by the Dragons and Roosters when it mattered most earlier this year. They have lost two big names in Millie Boyle and Tamika Upton but the inclusion of Jamie Chapman at the back is an exciting prospect that bucks the trend of slight, agile fullbacks in the NRLW.
At 174cm and 71kgs, Chapman is a bigger body than what we’re used to seeing in the #1 jersey and it will be interesting to see how this changes their attack. She will be highly effective in yardage and a threat for defenders to consider in good-ball, whether she takes possession or not. We saw Chapman cutting back against the grain while playing at centre last year to great effect, scoring a handful of tries and busting tackles for fun to become a real strike weapon for St George Illawarra on their right edge.
Playing at fullback this season, Chapman will have a licence to roam and has two of the better ballplayers in the competition to pair up with in the spine. Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken will partner in the halves again, with Brigginshaw in a directing role and Aiken the strike weapon on the left edge. It’s got a bit of a South Sydney Rabbitohs feel to it with Aiken’s ballplaying skills and Chapman’s size and power drawing some similarities to Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell, and they should have plenty of scoring opportunities in good ball while playing behind a pack filled with hardened, experienced forwards.
Key players
Jamie Chapman (fullback) – I’ve covered Chapman’s move to the fullback position already, so I’ll let the visuals do the talking here.
It’s not hard to imagine Chapman having multiple actions like this with the #1 on her back. If Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken can create one-on-one situations with Chapman close to the line, she is going to be awfully hard to stop coming onto the ball like this in different areas across the park.
Tarryn Aiken (five-eighth) – Coming from a touch football background, Aiken’s ball skills are plain to see. She can square up a defender with the best of them and isn’t afraid of wearing a shot when she digs into the line. As Aiken grows in confidence and experience at NRLW level, we’ve seen her running game come to the fore with an average 95 running metres per game.
Aiken’s combination with new fullback Jamie Chapman shapes as one of the more exciting in the competition.
Nita Maynard (hooker) – The Broncos lost a good one in Lauren Brown but have recruited smartly in experienced rake Maynard, who has played four NRLW seasons between the Roosters and Eels.
Maynard might not have the playmaking skills of Brown but she is a tough as nails competitor and an experienced head to lead an exciting crop of young talent in the Broncos squad. Maynard will get the best out her forward teammates and will provide good service for Brigginshaw and Aiken in attack.
Gold Coast Titans
Predicted profile
The Gold Coast Titans have retained the bulk of their talent from the 2021 season and will lean on existing combinations to kick start their 2022 campaign.
Key to this are Kimiora Brealey-Nati at five-eighth and her partner Brittany Brealey-Nati at hooker. Both are experienced playmakers who will play a leading role in the Titans’ attack in good-ball. Brittany’s stats speak for themselves – two tries and three assists from six games in the ’21 season – while Kimiora’s ability to straighten the attack on Gold Coast’s left edge was often the catalyst for points a few passes wider.
From this action alone you can tell Kimiora is a natural ballplayer, and this season she will have the added bonus of Rugby 7’s convert Evania Pelite at centre and try scoring specialist Maddison Bartlett waiting outside her. It’s a stacked left edge that should feature heavily in Gold Coast’s attack this season.
On the other side of the field, former-Bronco Lauren Brown will line up at halfback despite playing hooker during her stint at Brisbane. Brown is a clever playmaker who should transition nicely into the #7 jumper for the Titans and could form a dangerous partnership with Jasmine Peters who proved a try scoring revelation at right centre last season.
Key players
Evania Pelite (left centre)- Capped off a stellar rugby league debut season earlier this year with selection in the Maroons State of Origin side. She is a powerful, damaging runner of the ball who will also act effectively as a decoy in Gold Coast’s left edge shifts. She could make the transition to fullback later in the season but for now she’s a strike weapon at left centre in good ball.
Kimiora Brealey-Nati (five-eighth) – A beautiful mover and a classy ballplayer, Kimiora Brealey-Nati is great viewing with the ball in hand. She’s an experienced head playing on an edge stacked with talent and if Brittany Brealey-Nati can generate ruck speed, look for the pair to link up and play over the ad-line.
Lauren Brown (halfback) – The sample size is small but Brown looks well equipped to make the transition from hooker to halfback this season.
Like Kimiora, Brown is a natural ballplayer and I think the Titans will park her on the right edge to strike up a combination with centre Jasmine Peters and backrower Zara Canfield. I don’t think it’ll be Gold Coast’s favoured edge, but Brown provides the Titans with a creative ballplaying threat on both sides of the field.
Newcastle Knights
Predicted profile
The Newcastle Knights were active in the market over the offseason to recruit prop Millie Boyle and fullback Tamika Upton; two genuine stars of the women’s game. These signings suggests a bash-and-crash approach from the Knights who also boast tearaway front-rower Caitlan Johnston in the pack and experienced running five-eighth Kirra Dibb.
Former-Rooster Olivia Higgins slots in at dummy-half and provides the Knights with a tough, no-frills hooker who can steer a powerful forward pack around the park. That pack will be led by Boyle and Johnston – two of the best yardage merchants in the NRLW – and tasked with generating some ruck speed for Upton and Dibb to play on the back of.
Hannah Southwell is an important pickup from the Roosters premiership team and gives Newcastle a genuine ballplayer to slot in at lock and link the ruck to the edges. Whenever Boyle or Johnston get a quick play-the-ball, look for Southwell to fill in at first receiver and link with Dibb or Upton out wide or back behind the ruck.
Key players
Caitlan Johnston (prop) – One of my favourite players to watch in the NRLW and a key forward in their pack this season. Johnston is a genuine game breaker and is a daunting prospect when coming off the back fence:
She’ll be tasked with getting Newcastle on the front foot with a tackle-busting run or a quick play-the-ball. Despite her build, Johnston has good footwork, great balance and some nice skills with the ball in hand. She’s just 21-years old and has a big future in the women’s game.
Millie Boyle (prop) – Johnston’s front row partner is the reining Dally M medalist and brings a weight of expectation to her role this season. I’m backing her to produce, and then some. Boyle’s work rate is superb; she is a wonderful support player off the ball and she gets through a tonne of cleanup work in defence. She doesn’t have the X-factor of Johnston, but Boyle will produce week-to-week as the leader of the Knights pack.
Kirra Dibb (five-eighth) – I could have easily put Tamika Upton in here but a quick YouTube search will tell you all you need to know about her qualities. Dibb is a little less established (despite having played for the Sky Blues in 2019 and again this season) but she showed what she can do when playing behind a dominant forward pack in the 2021 Origin Series and I’m looking out for more of the same at Newcastle.
She’s not as flashy as some of the other playmakers I’ve named in this piece, but Dibb isn’t afraid to take on the line herself and could strike up a lethal partnership with Upton pushing up in support.
Parramatta Eels
Predicted profile
The Parramatta Eels under delivered in the 2021 season but have invested heavily in young talent that should begin to produce results sooner rather than later. There isn’t a heap of established names across the squad but Parramatta have a big pack and a number of potential superstars in the backline.
Like the Gold Coast Titans this season, I think we’re going to see Parramatta play plenty down their left edge. Backrower Christian Pio is a superb line runner on that side of the field and is well supported by Tiana Pentani in the centres outside her.
Closer to the ruck, co-captain Simaima Taufu is an absolute beast at lock-forward and will ensure the Eels are constantly asking questions through the middle of the field. From there, shifting to either their strike left edge or to new fullback Gayle Broughton feels like Parramatta’s best avenue for points this season.
Broughton is a super exciting prospect.
She’s got lightning speed, footwork and vision unlike we’ve seen much of in the NRLW so far. Emma Tonegato and Tamika Upton – arguably the two best fullbacks in the game – have great top line speed but neither of them move like Broughton. She will be a target every time the Eels work into good ball and I can’t wait to see what she can do with a little time and space.
Key players
Gayle Broughton (fullback) – As mentioned above, Broughton will be the star of Parramatta’s attacking systems this season. Coming from a Rugby 7’s background, Broughton has all the physical attributes required to become an elite #1 in the NRLW. It might take her a few weeks to learn the subtleties of the fullback role, but on raw talent alone, Broughton is still good enough to do something special this weekend.
Christian Pio (edge backrow) – In four games last season, Pio made two linebreaks and scored two tries. She runs a great line off her half and is effective in yardage with an average 80 running metres per game last season. She’s also a superb defender, finishing the ’21 season with a 92% tackle efficiency on the left edge. Maddie Studdon is gone from the halves, but Pio is a backrower who can help Parramatta’s young halves transition into first-grade (see below).
Losana Lutu (half) – Remember this name!! The 18 year old Fijian international is a highly intelligent ballplayer who will have a long future in the game. This action from the NSWRL Grand Final a few weeks ago sums up Lutu for me.
With the clock winding down and needing to score, Lutu sets up on the left with shape around her. The play-the-ball is too slow and the service not up to scratch when she does take possession though, so Lutu calmly sends another forward back towards the posts and sets up again. Liking what she sees more on the following tackle, Lutu makes the play and Wests Tigers win the premiership.
The patience, awareness and execution here is all class. We’ve seen plenty of halves with the fast feet or ball skills to make an impact in the NRLW, but fewer play with the control and composure Lutu does here. She is going to be a genuine star of the future.
Oscar also on the NEDS NRL Punting Podcast to preview the 2022 NRLW season. Check it out here.