With the first year of the expanded competition ticked off, all 10 Telstra Women's Premiership teams – regardless of if they're a foundation club or new franchise – have some important questions hovering over them ahead of 2024.
From roster gaps that need filling to problems which plagued them throughout last season, here are the major storylines surrounding every NRLW club ahead of 2024.
Can Parramatta stay fit and fire?
Parramatta will be eager to turn the page on their luckless 2023 season with top-line stars Kennedy Cherrington, Rachael Pearson and Elsie Albert unable to join each other on the field at any point throughout the year. A wooden spoon and a 1-8 record would have been a tough pill to swallow for the players who featured in Parramatta’s 2022 grand final, but the Eels never got the opportunity to field a first-choice side – giving them hope of improved fortunes in 2024. While a coach is still yet to be locked in for next season, the blue and gold side will need to add more depth to the squad over the off-season to ensure injuries don't cripple their campaign once again.
Who will the Roosters re-sign?
There’s something glaringly obvious on the NRLW Signings Tracker and that’s the blank spaces in the 2024 column for the Roosters. While several clubs locked in players on two-or-more-year contracts ahead of the expanded season, the Roosters have some business to attend to, with just five players a certainty to line up next season. Star players Jess Sergis, Tarryn Aiken, Corban Baxter and Keilee Joseph are among 20 players all currently off-contract next year and will attract plenty of interest from rival clubs ahead of the new year. After bowing out in the semi-final stage in back-to-back years, the Tricolours will be burning to prove their premiership credentials in 2024, but there’s every possibility we could see a new-look squad.
Can the Knights produce a three-peat?
We saw the Broncos lift the trophy three years straight from 2018 to 2020 and the Knights have put themselves in the box seat to emulate that feat. While claiming the three-peat should be a rarity in rugby league, after seeing the Panthers clinch three consecutive premierships in the NRL, the girls from Newcastle will head into the new year with every confidence that they can do the same in 2024. With 2023 Dally M Medallist Tamika Upton, star sisters Jesse and Hannah Southwell and English gun Georgia Roache all linked with the club until the end of 2027, the Knights will head into the new season once again as one of the top teams to beat.
Which players will make up the Titans' spine?
Injuries led to opportunities for the grand finalists Titans in 2023, but it will likely give coach Karyn Murphy a selection headache if the side is fully fit and firing in pre-season. With the next generation of Gold Coast talent biting at the heels of the veterans, Under 19 Origin stars Chantay Kiria-Ratu and Sienna Lofipo proved they were ready for first-grade football this year. Lauren Brown continued to grow in the halfback position and formed a great partnership with Kiria-Ratu, but when Jillaroos star Taliah Fuimaono returns from injury in 2024, a halves shootout is on the cards with all three playmakers contracted to the club next year. Veteran hooker Brittany Breayley-Nati is yet to commit to another year in the NRLW, meaning Brown could make the switch to dummy half to accommodate her teammates if Breayley-Nati is not retained.
The winning moment: Brown
Will the spine of the Sharks go up a gear?
The Sharks showed many positive signs in their inaugural year and will be eager to build on their combinations in 2024. Tony Herman put together an impressive squad for a rookie club, but new combinations need time to gel. In good signs however, marquee signing Emma Tonegato had an impressive first year at five-eighth, rookie fullback Jada Taylor experienced a full NRLW season and hooker Quincy Dodd settled well into a new club back home. The Sharks made an immediate impact in the NRLW and were tipped to contend for finals but struggled to put together consistent performances throughout the season. With all four spine members locked in for 2024, next season will be about taking combinations to new heights to push for a top-four finish.
Where will the Cowboys fit in Whitfeld and Goldthorp?
With Cowboys coach Ben Jeffries revealing his club's latest signing - former Wests Tigers winger Jakiya Whitfeld - would "immediately come in and compete with the current group in the centre and fullback positions”, the looming question for 2024 is what this means for English signing Fran Goldthorp. The 20-year-old has a player option for next season and Whitfeld’s contract news could factor into her decision to stay at the Cowboys – particularly if the Jillaroos debutant is to take over the fullback duties. Whitfeld racked up an incredible 70 tackle breaks in nine games last season, including 16 alone in Round 2, and Jeffries will be keen to see how he can give the rugby convert more opportunities with the ball in hand.
Whitfeld's wonder effort wins tackle of the year
Who are the Wests Tigers halves moving forward?
Having tried and tested five different halves combinations in nine rounds, consistency in the Wests Tigers spine will be key to a more successful year in 2024. Emily Curtain and Pauline Piliae-Rasabale were handed the reins in the first three rounds, but the later half of the season saw four different combinations don the No. 6 and 7. On the back of an impressive recruitment drive including the signatures of Jillaroo Kezie Apps and premiership-winning forward Sarah Togatuki, the Tigers had strike power all across the park, however lacked control in the halves when they needed to ice the close matches. A healthy Losana Lutu will be key if Brett Kimmorley's side are able to better their fortunes in 2024, having dropped away late in several matches last season due to a lack of control in the big moments.
Can the next generation Dragons step up?
With much of the focus in 2023 on who left the Dragons, several of Jamie Soward's up-and-comers flew under the radar this past season and there is now a noteworthy nursery building in the Illawarra. Having already re-signed six players on multi-year deals during the off-season, Soward looks to be pinning his faith on several of the emerging stars we saw in 2023. Ella Koster and Alexis Tauaneai's names stand out from the group with the youngsters making an immediate impact for the Red V. Before her season was cut short with a knee injury, Tauaneai was averaging 148 run metres and more than 30 tackles a game at lock. Soward is known for his ability to get the best out of individuals and under the guidance of Raecene McGregor and Teagan Berry, the new-look Dragons could be destined to reach new heights in 2024.
Can the Raiders win on the road?
Winning their first ever three games at home, it's no wonder the Raiders created an instant community of NRLW fans in Canberra. But what proved to have been the difference between fifth-place finish and an inaugural finals campaign was the side's poor record on the road. Without Zahara Temara's 73-minute field goal at WIN Stadium in Round 4 and a win on the Gold Coast in Round 8 to keep them within touching distance of a finals berth, the Raiders struggled through their entire season with their trips away. Finding a way to lift without running out to the Viking clap will be an important challenge to overcome for the Green Machine in 2024.
Zahara Temara wins it for the Raiders
Can the Broncos stability lead them to success?
With their fullback, centres, second rowers and halfback starting every game in the same position this year, coach Scott Prince's ability to pick and stick this year almost took the Broncos to a 2023 decider, despite heading into the year with a number of question marks. Although their season finished in a disappointing semi-final exit, consistency and retention in the Broncos squad has put them in good stead to go one better in 2024. All but six players out of Prince's top 24 squad are already contracted for the year ahead and fans should expect a similar line-up to what we saw this season with a host of familiar names once again set to star for Brisbane.
Prince: ‘If you don’t see it, you don’t believe it'
