Breaking Down The New NRLWahine Players For 2024
Another season of NRLW footy is approaching and this means there is another wave of NRLWahine from Aotearoa preparing for their first dose of NRLW footy. The new NRLWahine reflect the trend of rugby union ladies switching to rugby league and NRLW growth is evident in how there is a crop of rugby league youngsters who have been recruited from Aotearoa to enter NRLW pipelines.
Let's start with the players moving from rugby union into NRLW. Stacey Waaka has joined Broncos from New Zealand Sevens where she links up with former Sevens rep Gayle Broughton, as well as former Black Fern Tafito Lafaele. Broncos have assembled an excellent crop of NRLWahine once again with Kiwi Ferns veteran and Samoan international Annetta Nu'uausala, Kiwi Ferns Brianna Clark, Jasmine Fogavini and Mele Hufanga joined by veteran Lavinia Gould.
Of these NRLWahine Broncos, two come from NZ Sevens in Broughton and Waaka while Lafaele and Hufanga both played Super Rugby Aupiki before switching to NRLW. Knights have a similar cluster of NRLWahine talent bolstered by Grace Kukutai and Isabella Waterman switching from Super Rugby Aupiki.
Kukutai was playing for Chiefs Manawa after moving from netball to sevens rugby and then into Super Rugby Aupiki earlier this year. Waterman has a background in rugby league having played for Sydenham Rugby League while also playing for Canterbury in Farah Palmer Cup and Hurricanes Poua in Super Rugby Aupiki. Abigail Roache has combined both codes previously and was part of the Knights championship run last season along with Nita Maynard, Shanice Parker and Laishon Albert-Jones.
Eels recruited Rosie Kelly who made her Black Ferns debut last year while playing with Matatu in Super Rugby Aupiki. Kelly played alongside Waterman for Canterbury and this continues the growth of rugby league in the South Island, with lots of NRL players now coming from the South Island as well as Kiwi-NRL juniors who are being recruited from both codes. Eels don't have a lot of NRLWahine juice with Noaria 'Boss' Kapua the only Aotearoa wahine in the Eels roster.
Pia Tapsell made her Black Ferns debut in 2019 and she came through Chiefs Manawa in Super Rugby Aupiki, before joining Western in Australia's Super W. Now Tapsell joins Sharks in NRLW where she will play alongside Annessa Biddle who dominated last season in her first campaign and Brooke Anderson who added gritty value to the Kiwi Ferns.
Titans and Dragons have two young rugby league wahine each, showcasing their investment in Aotearoa talent. Matekino Kahukoti-Gray came through Rotorua Girls High School where she played 1st 15 and Sarina Masaga also played 1st 15 for Howick College, while playing rugby league for Howick. Both moved to the Gold Coast where they have been playing for Burleigh and now Kahukoti-Gray has a spot in the Titans NRLW squad, with Masaga grabbing a development contract.
Tongan international Ma'atuleio Fotu-Moala is in the Dragons squad with the Otahuhu junior entering hearty crew of NRLWahine. Racene McGregor and Tyla King could combine as the halves combo again, while Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa and Alexis Tauaneai are among the best young middle forwards in NRLW.
Dragons also have the Wainuiomata duo of Trinity Tauaneai and Jessica Patea on development contracts, continuing their hearty connection with the Wellington suburb. Tauaneai is part of the illustrious group of sisters who have moved to Australia, with Alexis dominating NRLW in her first season and Brooke building towards NRLW footy as she is currently playing for St George in the NSW Women's Premiership.
Trinity is currently playing for Illawara in the NSW Women's Premiership, along with Patea who has followed the same journey from Wainuiomata to Sydney.. Patea apparently grew up with the Tauaneai sisters and while the return to NZ Warriors to NRLW next season will offer a major boost in NRLWahine growth, Bulldogs did most of the early mahi in recruiting these youngsters to rugby league in Sydney and they will enter NRLW next season.
The Tauaneai sisters and Patea played for Bulldogs prior to entering NRLW as part of a heavy duty investment from Bulldogs in Aotearoa youngsters. Bulldogs don't have an NRLW team though and all their NRLWahine mahi is producing talent for other NRLW teams, so expect the Bulldogs NRLW squad to feature plenty of NRLWahine when they start up next season.
Bulldogs initially recruited Pt Chevalier junior Tatiana Finau and Mt Albert junior Claudia Finau into their system for 2023, now they are both in the Raiders squad. Tatiana and Claudia appear to be sisters who were listed in a few representative teams as Pt Chev and Mt Albert juniors respectively, although this post suggests they both have hearty roots with Mt Albert.
Tatiana is on a NRLW contract with Raiders and Claudia has a development contract, giving Raiders one of the biggest NRLWahine crews. They join Amelia Pasikala who has shifted from Roosters to Raiders after bouncing back from injury in her epic Kiwi Ferns debut, along with Apii Nicholls, Cheyelle Robins-Reti, Kerehitina Matua, Mackenzie Wiki, Madison Bartlett and the Quinlan sisters.
Another example of the increased investment in NRLWahine talent is Fane Finau at the Knights. Finau doesn't have an NRLW contract or development contract for this season, but the Otara junior has a 2025 NRLW contract and is already playing for Newcastle in the NSW Women's Premiership.
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