The 2025 NRL Women's Premiership kicked off last night with the Cronulla Sharks hosting the Parramatta Eels at PointsBet Stadium.
It was a fantastic opening game with the Eels victorious 16-18 in a hard-fought contest. For Parramatta, stand-out players included Rachael Pearson, Chloe Jackson who scored a double and Rory Ownes who caused problems down the edge for the Sharks all night.
We have another five games this weekend to look forward to, but for the moment I'm taking great satisfaction in seeing the Eels at the top of the ladder.
Season 2025 is the most ambitious season of the NRLW to date. The competition has expanded to 12 teams with the re-entry of the New Zealand Warriors and the introduction of the Canterbury Bulldogs, there will be a top six for the first time and a new three-week finals format and the first ever Magic Round to be held at McDonald Jones Stadium in Round 5.
The inclusion of the Bulldogs and the return of the Warriors mark significant milestones in the NRLW's growth. This expansion reflects the game's commitment to giving more women and girls the opportunity to play at the top level across the country. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has emphasised the importance of strategic growth, stating that expansion must balance team growth with player development to avoid diluting the talent pool.
Now with 12 teams, there are only a couple of clubs that do not have a women's team. The NRL has made it clear that their vision includes all clubs eventually fielding NRLW sides. I'm not sure that I agree with that approach, given that it's a common complaint that there are already too many Sydney teams in the men's competition. I'm not sure why we would replicate the same mistake in the women's game.
But that's for another article; onto the season ahead and my teams to watch.
The Sydney Roosters are the defending Premiers and truth be told, I have picked them to be in the 2025 grand final. The Roosters have at least 10 players that have represented their state or country and even with Millie Elliot taking a season off to grow her family, the Roosters remain strong in the forwards with players like Amber Hall and Otesa Pule. Corban Baxter also returns after recovering from an ACL injury and I'm excited to see how players like Jayme Fressard and Jocelyn Kelleher improve following their first State of Origin series.
Meeting the Roosters in the grand final I predict will be the Brisbane Broncos, who won the Minor Premiership last season but fell short in the semi-finals. I was impressed with how the Broncos developed last season and in particular will be keeping an eye out on Gayle Broughton and Mele Hufanga. I am slightly surprised to see Ali Brigginshaw named in the No.7 jersey. It's no secret that Brigginshaw is in the twilight of her career and I expected to see her in the lock position; this may change through the season. The Broncos have so much class across the field, none more so than their returning fullback, Tamika Upton.
This may seem biased, but I'm also really looking forward to watching the Parramatta Eels this season. They fell just short of a finals berth last year, but with players like Rachael Pearson, Kennedy Cherrington, Elsie Albert, Abbi Church and Rory Ownes, the Eels have plenty of talent across the park. A player to keep an eye on is Paige Travis, who has joined the competition from the English Super League and also Lindsay Tui and Matha Mataele. Cassey Tohi-Hiku is also in her second year in the halves and I'm expecting her to take her game to the next level.
The other three teams I have in my top six are the Newcastle Knights, Gold Coast Titans and Canberra Raiders.
Whilst the Canterbury Bulldogs don't make my top six, they are a team I'll be keeping a close eye on this year. This may be the Bulldogs first year in the NRLW, but they have been a club really focused on developing their pathways, which means many women in this inaugural team have been playing together for several years. They'll be competitive, exciting to watch and no doubt give us a couple of new players to keep an eye out on.
This is going to be a great NRLW season. Whilst established stars like Olivia Kernick, Tiana Penitani-Gray and Jesse Southwell set to shine, keep an eye out for the next generation of talent ready to make their mark.