Round 1 Vs Dragons

[HarVeeGee13]

Team list to come on Tuesday.

Looking forward to a big win.

 

[mullenmagic]

News from the season launch via Max McKinney on twitter;

Hannah Southwell captain, Tamika Upton vice-captain
Sheridan Gallagher to debut on the wing in round 1
Caitlin Moran 5/8 round 1

 

[BTP]

Gallagher is an interesting one, she doesn't look a speedster but very solid, so strong runs will be a +

Parker and Abigail Roach centres with Strange other winger im guessing.

Really looking forward to game., wish I cold make it, hope plenty do!

 

[mullenmagic]

Don’t see many strong yardage running wingers in the women’s game yet but Strange & Gallagher look like they both could be that.

 

[mullenmagic]

Team for round 1 was announced at the launch

1. Tamika Upton (C)
2. Sheridan Gallagher
3. Shanice Parker
4. Abigail Roache
5. Jasmin Strange
6. Caitlin Moran
7. Jesse Southwell
8. Tayla Predebon
9. Olivia Higgins
10. Rima Butler
11. Yasmin Clydsdale
12. Caitlan Johnston
13. Laishon Albert-Jones

14. Nita Maynard
15. Simone Karpani
16. Viena Tinao
17. Kayla Romaniuk

Hannah aiming for round 2 or 3
Johnston may face a fitness test later in the week
Clydsdale confident of playing

Southwell named Knights captain but not quite ready for NRLW return

Tamika Upton (vc) will lead the team out at home on Saturday.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

 

[Billy]

I hope Caitlan Moran has had enough time to get her playmaking skills up to par.
Last year you could see her trying things all the time, but they rarely worked.

 

[BTP]

I hope Caitlan Moran has had enough time to get her playmaking skills up to par.
Last year you could see her trying things all the time, but they rarely worked.

Didn't look it. Laisho-Albert Jones (now known as LAJ) had better ball movement then Moran.

Hopefully Southwell has worked on her fitness since Origin games as she looked unfit. Will all be on the forwards in early rounds

 

[Billy]

Moran primed to make most of Knights starting role

Moran will start in the halves in Newcastle's season-opener.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

Article on Moran.
Says she played well for Australia and kicked a field goal to win a world cup final before signing for the Broncos as a marquee signing before the first NRLW, but injured her knee and basically missed 3 years.
She says she has worked really hard and is now as fit as she was when playing for Australia.
She also says she has had offers to join the new teams but the Hunter is always her first choice.

 

[HarVeeGee13]

It’s really rough what happened to Moran. Always rooting for her.

 

[mullenmagic]

Full squad

1. Tamika Upton (C)
2. Sheridan Gallagher
3. Shanice Parker
4. Abigail Roache
5. Jasmin Strange
6. Caitlin Moran
7. Jesse Southwell
8. Tayla Predebon
9. Olivia Higgins
10. Rima Butler
11. Caitlan Johnston
12. Yasmin Clydsdale
13. Laishon Albert-Jones

14. Nita Maynard
15. Kayla Romaniuk
16. Simone Karpani
17. Viena Tinao

18. Tiana Davison
19. Tamerah Leati
20. Jayde Herdegen
21. Felila Kia
22. Georgia Roche

 

[BTP]

Good squad. Will all depend on how well Southwell and Moran can let the ball sing.

Higgins back at 9 will get the forward really rolling.

I know little about the Dragon side. Don't wanna discount them until end of the game! Ha!

 

[mullenmagic]

I’d be surprised if Dragons aren’t favourites for the spoon.

McGregor has arguably the best attacking kicking game in the comp so I’d expect she’ll be testing Gallagher out often in her first ever game on the wing. Jakiya Whitfeld was in the same boat for us last year and looked completely lost. Such a vulnerable position to defend for someone brand new to the sport.

Romaniuk/Karpani/Tinao is a pretty small bench, think one of them will switch with Butler on game day. She was named at #10 and started on the bench in the trial as well.

 

[mullenmagic]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1680910226218786819

Interesting that Hannah says there were a few egos in the team last year that aren't around anymore.

 

[Matty James]

I’m guessing the plan is to ease Georgia Roche into the team? Also, what position does she mainly play?.

 

[Thailands Novacastrian]

I’m guessing the plan is to ease Georgia Roche into the team? Also, what position does she mainly play?.

Halfback or lock, mostly halfback
She won't be getting the halfback roll so my guess is she will slot into lock or 5/8th and Moran could end up as a utility on the bench if it goes that way
I'd say lock is were we could be looking at playing her to start with

 

[HarVeeGee13]

She played five-eighth in the World Cup. That’s where I was assuming she’d end up for us.

 

[mullenmagic]

Yeah reckon she'll be straight in at 6 within a few weeks. Hopefully Griffiths doesn't shoehorn Moran onto the bench again at the expense of a forward, we don't have Boyle playing big minutes anymore to cover for it.

Southwell said she's finished all her rehab but is only just starting to do contact work so round 2 or 3 might be an optimistic view. Griffiths specified that it would be one of those rounds "at the earliest."

 

[Billy]

Roche has only been with us for a few weeks and Moran played 1 season of NRLW and 2 seasons of NSW cup now I think.
In that herald article the other day, Moran talks about being fully fit for the first time since she played for Australia.
I'm excited to see what Roche brings to the side, but she'll still be learning the names of her team mates, while Moran will be all over the gameplan and team systems after a couple of years, so the position is Moran's to lose I'd say.
I'm sure I've seen highlights where Roche has played hooker, halfback, 5/8 and lock, so if Moran and Southwell kill it in the halves, we should be able to find a role for Roche till she is up to speed with the side.
On the other hand, if Moran doesn't play any better than she did last year - Roche at 5/8 next week.

 

[Billy]

Funny that the NRLW side has Hotel Delany as back of jersey sponsor by the training pics. they must be trying to repay us for all the publicity they got from Ponga and Mann.

 

[Billy]