David Middleton's top five NRLW players of 2024

To celebrate the release of the , historian David Middleton has picked his top five NRLW players of the year.

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Top 5 Women's Players of 2024

Tarryn Aiken

Five-eighth or halfback Tarryn Aiken experienced the season of her dreams in 2024 as honours and success flowed freely in her direction. A premiership with the Roosters, State of Origin success with the Maroons and a Pacific Cup victory with the Jillaroos landed Aiken a trifecta of titles and individual plaudits followed.

She was named Karyn Murphy Medal winner after the Roosters’ grand final victory over the Sharks and player of the match in the Pacific Cup final against New Zealand. The crowning honour came late in the year when she was named the winner of IRL’s Golden Boot award. 

Isabelle Kelly

Powerful and athletic, Kelly was an unstoppable force on the left side of the field for the Roosters in 2024, earning the RLPA Players' Champion award. She averaged almost 200 running metres per game and was among the most effective players in the NRLW competition when it came to breaking tackles and making clean breaks.

In one notable performance against the Cowboys, Kelly ran for an incredible 350 metres, an off the charts figure for the women’s game. She overcame a dislocated elbow to play in the finals, played all three Origin games for the Sky Blues and excelled for the Jillaroos at the Pacific Championships. 

Olivia Kernick

Kernick was a towering figure for the Roosters in their run to the NRLW premiership. Her size and strength allowed her to burst through tackles or to stand and deliver to support runners. She starred in her team’s grand final victory with two tries, including her crucial second half effort that quelled the Sharks’ comeback.

Stellar performances through the regular season carried her to the Dally M title and she also took out the Roosters NRLW Player of the Year title. Her omission from the Jillaroos’ squad for the Pacific Championships came as a major shock. 

Tiana Penitani

Experienced centre Tiana Penitani excelled at all levels in 2024, leading the Sharks to their first finals series, playing all three Origin games for the Sky Blues and then playing a leading role for the Jillaroos in their Pacific Cup success.

The spearhead of the Sharks’ withering grand final comeback, Penitani scored two tries to take her team to the brink of a stunning victory and was later rewarded with the club’s player of the year title for the second year running. She was named in the Dally M Team of the Year and Dally M Captain of the Year. 

Julia Robinson

Athletic winger Julia Robinson has starred on the Broncos’ left wing since the earliest days of the NRLW Premiership, but it would be hard to argue that the 26-year-old did not experience her best year in the game in 2024. She was a huge part of Brisbane’s drive to the minor premiership, topping the competition for run metres, tackle breaks, line breaks and tries.

She helped the Maroons to their historic series win over the Sky Blues and was a record-breaker for the Jillaroos, scoring six tries in the win over the Orchids and another in the Pacific Cup Final.