NRLW Team List

Round 1, Thursday 7:45PM, Sharks Park

The NRLW season launches with the Parramatta Eels taking on the Cronulla Sharks on Thursday night in a blockbuster clash. Steve Georgallis has lifted the bar for his team after an excellent campaign in 2024 that fell painstakingly short of the finals. The crucial game that cost them last year? An 18-16 loss to the Sharks in Round 2. So you better believe our girls have this one circled.

We have some big time selections too starting with the meteoric rise of outstanding young talent Ryvvr-Lee Alo which has been capped by a debut in Round 1. Fresh off signing an extension that elevated her into the Top 24, Alo has been thrust into the starting lock role with injuries sidelining Kennedy Cherrington and Mahalia Murphy in the mean time. It is an exciting turn for the squad – even if it is brought on by injuries to core players – but it is the first of five debuts for the Blue & Gold on Thursday.

High profile recruits Martha Mataele and Paige Travis have earned selection in the starting team while fellow new face Fleur Ginn occupies a utility role on the interchange bench. Rysh’e Fa’amausili has won her maiden appearance in first grade after a strong campaign in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership last year and will be tasked with adding impact to the ruck against the Sharks.

Beyond that it is a list of familiar names as the Eels look to build on their efforts last season. Abbi Church, freshly anointed as a co-captain of the squad will lead the team from fullback. Zali Fay notches her 25th cap in the NRLW with another start on the wing and is joined in the backline by young stars Rory Owen and Lindsay Tui.

Rachael Pearson and Cassey Tohi-Hiku return in the halves as they look to take their combination to another level in 2025 and are joined in an outstanding spine by Rueben Cherrington. Breanna Eales moves into the front row to partner the powerful Elsie Albert with dynamic backrower Chloe Jackson rounding out the pack.

Cherrington will be deputised by Taneka Todhunter while Ruby-Jean Kennard-Ellis is the final piece in the middle rotation and completes a young and hungry bench configuration. Shout out to another prodigious young talent in Tess McWilliams who features as part of the extended bench. Like Ryvvr-Lee Alo she was in awesome nick this year and could figure at some point later in the NRLW season.

Cronulla present a challenging match-up for the Eels given some of the senior talent that is currently sidelined but Parramatta will still be looking to explode out of the blocks. Keep an eye out for the NRLW preview ahead of Thursday’s clash as well as the post game coverage on TCT!

NRL Team List

BYE

Injury Report

TBA

Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership Team List

Round 1, Thursday 5:30PM, Sharks Park

TBA

NSW Cup Team List

Round 18, Sunday 3:00PM, Wentworth Park

TBA

Jersey Flegg Cup Team List

Round 18, Sunday 1:00PM, Wentworth Park

TBA

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