2024 NRL Women's season
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25 July - 6 October
| NRL Telstra Women's Premiership | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 11 weeks (9 rounds; SF, GF)
25 July - 6 October |
| Teams | 10 |
| Premiers | |
| Minor premiers | |
| Highest attendance | 40,623 (Grand Final) |
| Broadcast partners | Nine Network Fox League Sky Sport (NZ) Sky Sports (UK) |
| Wooden spoon | |
| Dally M Medal | Olivia Kernick |
| Top point-scorer(s) | |
| Top try-scorer(s) | |
The 2024 NRL Women's season is the seventh professional season of the NRL Women's Premiership. The number of teams (ten), start date (25 July 2024) and duration of the season (eleven weeks) was confirmed by the NRL, with the release of the draw on 13 November 2023.[1] Possible expansion in the number of teams for 2024 had been discussed by the Australian Rugby League Commission during October 2023.[2][3]
The ten teams that participated in the 2023 season returned for the 2024 season.
Notes:
- In late August 2023 the NRL asked the seven other clubs for expressions of interest in joining an expanded NRLW competition.[13] Although expansion in the 2024 season is unlikely, it has not been ruled out by the NRL.[2]
- The release of the 2024 NRLW draw on 13 November 2023 confirmed that the number of teams would remain at ten for 2024.[1]
- In the Captain(s) column
- The number next to the name indicates the number of games played as captain
- The word and indicates joint captains. Of the four clubs that employed joint captains, for two both captains appeared in all their matches. In the other two clubs, the Raiders and Wests Tigers, only one of pair played in every game.
- At the six clubs with a single captain, those captains played in all their clubs' matches.
- New head coach appointments were
- Steve Georgallis (Eels) announced on 22 November 2023, in a dual role as their NRLW coach and Coaching Director of the Club’s Elite Pathways program.[7] The preceding (and inaugural) Eels coach, Dean Widders had announced his resignation in late September 2023.[14]
- Ben Jeffries (Knights) on 10 January 2024, on a three-year contract. Jeffries had coached the North Queensland Cowboys in the 2023 NRLW season.[5] Previously, on 2 November 2023, the Knights had announced that Ronald Griffiths, their NRLW coach for the 2022 and 2023 premiership-winning seasons, had been appointed to coach their NSW Cup team in 2024.[15]
- Ricky Henry (Cowboys on 19 February 2024, on a three-year contract.[6]
- Prior to the conclusion of their season, the Dragons announced that they would not be renewing the coaching contact of Jamie Soward.
Scheduling
Ten teams will play each other once across nine rounds, followed by a two-week final series involving the top four teams. First place on the ladder plays fourth-place and second-place plays third-place in semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the Grand Final.[16]
The start, duration, and conclusion of the 2024 season was influenced by several factors.
- A three-match Women's State of Origin series on 16 May, 6 June, and 27 June. All three matches were played on a Thursday night.
- A seven-week preparation period.[16]
- Two weeks of leave.
- An All Stars match on 16 February 2024.
- The State Competitions.
- Several articles reported a proposal to move the State Competitions from being run early in the season, prior to the NRLW season, to instead be run in at the same time as the NRLW season.
- The purpose of aligning the competitions to run in parallel would be:
- To cater for players who don't initially make the NRLW playing 18 at their club, by providing them with a high-standard secondary competition; and
- Ensuring players brought into the NRLW squads to cover injuries are match-fit.[2]
- An AAP article on 10 November 2023 reported that the New South Wales state competition would likely move, but the Queensland Women's Premiership would not.[3] This was subsequently confirmed by the Queensland Rugby League and New South Wales Rugby League.
- The QRL Women's Premiership — ran for 9 rounds and a two-week (top-four) Finals Series, from 2 March to 25 May 2024.
- The NSWRL Women's Premiership — was scheduled for 11 rounds running from 6 July to 16 September 2024, to be followed by a two-week (top-four) Finals Series.[17]
Trial matches
On 12 June 2024, the Canberra Raiders announced a trial match against the Newcastle Knights.[18] On 18 June 2024, the Brisbane Broncos announced a trial match against the Wests Tigers.[19] On 3 July 2024, the NRL announced remaining trial fixtures.[20]
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 8–28 | Saturday 6 July 2024 2:00 PM | Juniors NRLW | McDonalds Park, Wagga Wagga | Isaac Cornell | [21] | |||
| 20–8 | Saturday 13 July 2024 1:00 PM | HNWP NRLW | Eric Tweedale Stadium | [22] | ||||
| 28–16 | Saturday 13 July 2024 5:15 PM | NRLW NRL | Suncorp Stadium | [23] | ||||
| 28–12 | Sunday 14 July 2024 11:00 AM | NRLW (Only) | Southern Suburbs Rugby League Grounds, Cairns | [24] | ||||
| 20–20 | Sunday 14 July 2024 1:30 PM | HNWP NRLW | PointsBet Stadium | [25] | ||||
Regular season
The first announcement of the 2024 NRLW season's fixtures was released by the NRL on 13 November 2023.[1]
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 272 | 156 | +116 | 14 | Advance to finals series | |
| 2 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 222 | 112 | +110 | 14 | ||
| 3 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 238 | 132 | +106 | 12 | ||
| 4 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 146 | 122 | +24 | 12 | ||
| 5 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 160 | 184 | −24 | 10 | ||
| 6 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 137 | 218 | −81 | 8 | ||
| 7 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 194 | 216 | −22 | 6 | ||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 128 | 191 | −63 | 6 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 178 | 234 | −56 | 4 | ||
| 10 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 108 | 218 | −110 | 4 |
Ladder progression
- Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top four.
- Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
- Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | |
| 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | |
| 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |
| 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | |
| 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Round 1
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[26] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 12–10 | Thursday 25 July 7:45 PM | NRLW (Only) | McDonald Jones Stadium | Belinda Sharpe | 3,921 | [27][28] | ||
| 14–0 | Saturday 27 July 11:05 AM | NRLW (Only) | PointsBet Stadium | Damian Brady | 1,257 | [29] | ||
| 10–22 | Saturday 27 July 12:45 PM | NRLW NRL | Suncorp Stadium | Rochelle Tamarua | 10,382 | [30] | ||
| 10–18 | Sunday 28 July 12:00 PM | NRLW NRL | WIN Stadium | Daniel Luttringer | 10,728 | [31][32] | ||
| 12–32 | Sunday 28 July 1:45 PM | HNWP NRLW | Campbelltown Sports Ground | Karra-Lee Nolan | 1,506 | [33] | ||
Note: Attendance at Suncorp Stadium was NRLW 10,382 and NRL 42,213. Attendance at WIN Stadium was NRLW 10,728 (per League Unlimited)[32] and NRL 18,988.
Round 2
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[34] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 20–26 | Saturday 3 August 11:05 AM | NRLW HNWP | GIO Stadium | Daniel Luttringer | 1,791 | [35][36] | ||
| 28–12 | Saturday 3 August 12:45 PM | NRLW NRL | Cbus Super Stadium | Nick Pelgrave | 11,105 | [37][36] | ||
| 16–18 | Sunday 4 August 12:00 PM | NRLW NRLW | Allianz Stadium | Luke Saldern | 1,166 | [38][36] | ||
| 28–12 | Sunday 4 August 1:45 PM | Belinda Sharpe | 2,899 | [39][36] | ||||
| 38–34 | Sunday 4 August 6:10 PM | NRLW (Only) | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | Karra-Lee Nolan | 2,427 | [40][36] | ||
Note: Attendance at Cbus Super Stadium was NRLW 11,105 (versus Wests Tigers) and NRL 25,278 (versus Brisbane Broncos).
Round 3
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[41] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 20–4 | Saturday 10 August 11:05 AM | NRLW HNWP | Industree Group Stadium | Karra-Lee Nolan | 1,898 | [42][43] | ||
| 12–24 | Saturday 10 August 12:45 PM | NRLW NRL | GIO Stadium | Kasey Badger | 5,831 | [44] | ||
| 6–20 | Sunday 11 August 12:00 PM | NRLW NRLW | Totally Workwear Stadium | Daniel Luttringer | 1,393 | [45] | ||
| 44–4 | Sunday 11 August 1:45 PM | Nick Pelgrave | 1,788 | [46] | ||||
| 10–18 | Sunday 11 August 6:10 PM | NRL NRLW | McDonald Jones Stadium | Luke Saldern | 9,479 | [47] | ||
Note: Attendance at GIO Stadium was NRLW 5,831 (versus Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) and NRL 16,690 (versus Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles). Attendance at McDonald Jones Stadium was NRL 22,813 (versus Wests Tigers) and, after a portion of the crowd had left the venue, an estimated NRLW 9,479 (versus St. George Illawarra Dragons).
Round 4
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[48] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 28–22 | Saturday 17 August 11:05 AM | NRLW (Only) | Totally Workwear Stadium | Clayton Wills | [49][50] | |||
| 11–10 | Saturday 17 August 12:45 PM | NRLW Gap NRL | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | Nick Morel | 1,458 | [51][50] | ||
| 8–28 | Sunday 18 August 12:00 PM | NRLW NRL | WIN Stadium | Luke Saldern | [52][50] | |||
| 14–12 | Sunday 18 August 1:45 PM | NRLW NRL | PointsBet Stadium | Daniel Luttringer | [53][50] | |||
| 10–12 | Sunday 18 August 6:10 PM | NRLW (Only) | Campbelltown Sports Ground | Damian Brady | [50][54] | |||
- Attendance at Queensland Country Bank Stadium was NRLW 1,458 (versus Gold Coast Titans and NRL 17,920 (versus Canberra Raiders). During the three hour gap between the conclusion of the NRLW match at 2:20 PM and the NRL kick-off at 5:30 PM, an All Abilities game was played.[55]
- Both matches at PointsBet Stadium were Cronulla Sharks versus Newcastle Knights.
Round 5
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[56] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 16–36 | Saturday 24 August 11:38 AM | NRLW HNWP | Eric Tweedale Stadium | Belinda Sharpe | [57][58] | |||
| 18–28 | Saturday 24 August 12:45 PM | NRLW NRL | GIO Stadium | Luke Saldern | 4,177 | [59][58] | ||
| 26–6 | Sunday 25 August 12:00 PM | NRLW NRL | Cbus Super Stadium | Dan Schwass | 7,503 | [60][58] | ||
| 14–44 | Sunday 25 August 1:45 PM | HNWP NRLW | Leichhardt Oval | Daniel Luttringer | 1,022 | [61][58] | ||
| 4–28 | Sunday 25 August 6:10 PM | NRL NRLW | WIN Stadium | Clayton Wills | 3,741 | [58][62] | ||
- The kick-off at Eric Tweedale Stadium was delayed by over thirty minutes as a trauma paramedic was not present.[63]
- Attendance at GIO Stadium was NRLW 4,177 (versus North Queensland) and NRL 17,523 (versus Penrith).
- Attendance at Cbus Super Stadium was NRLW 7,503 and NRL 19,286, with both matches against Sydney Roosters.
- Attendance at WIN Stadium was NRL 17,754 and, after a portion of the crowd had left the venue, an estimated NRLW 3,741. Both matches were against Cronulla.
Round 6
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[64] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 6–22 | Saturday 31 August 11:05 AM | NRLW Only | Cbus Super Stadium | Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski | [65][66] | |||
| 14–42 | Saturday 31 August 12:45 PM | NRLW NRL | CommBank Stadium | Daniel Luttringer | [58][67] | |||
| 34–6 | Sunday 1 September 12:00 PM | NRLW NRL | McDonald Jones Stadium | Luke Saldern | [58][68] | |||
| 38–12 | Sunday 1 September 1:45 PM | NRLW Only | Totally Workwear Stadium | Daniel Schwass | [58][69] | |||
| 34–20 | Sunday 1 September 6:10 PM | NRL NRLW | Allianz Stadium | Belinda Sharpe | [58][70] | |||
Note: The matches at CommBank Stadium and Allianz Stadium feature the same opponents. At McDonald Jones Stadium Newcastle host Wests Tigers in NRLW and Gold Coast in NRL.
Round 7
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[71] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 24–22 | Saturday 7 September 11:05 AM | NRLW (Only) | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | Dan Schwass | 1,314 | [72][73] | ||
| 34–38 | Saturday 7 September 12:45 PM | NRLW NRL | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium | Karra-Lee Nolan | 5,570 | [74][73] | ||
| 0–40 | Sunday 8 September 12:00 PM | NRLW (Only) | PointsBet Stadium | Belinda Sharpe | 1,901 | [75][73] | ||
| 24–14 | Sunday 8 September 1:45 PM | NRLW HNWP | Eric Tweedale Stadium | Luke Saldern | 734 | [73][76] | ||
| 24–32 | Sunday 8 September 6:10 PM | NRL NRLW | McDonald Jones Stadium | Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski | [73][77] | |||
Note: The matches at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium feature the same opponents. At McDonald Jones Stadium Newcastle host the Dolphins in NRL and Brisbane Broncos in NRLW.
Round 8
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 16–14 | Thursday 12 September 7:45 PM | NRLW (Only) | Leichhardt Oval | Luke Saldern | 506 | [78] | ||
| 20–16 | Saturday 14 September 12:00 PM | NRLW NRLW | Cbus Super Stadium | Daniel Schwass | [79] | |||
| 10–46 | Saturday 14 September 1:45 PM | Belinda Sharpe | 2,219 | [80] | ||||
| 24–12 | Sunday 15 September 12:00 PM | HNWP NRLW | Industree Group Stadium | Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski | 2,927 | [81] | ||
| 16–18 | Sunday 15 September 1:45 PM | NRLW (Only) | GIO Stadium | Karra-Lee Nolan | 1,928 | [82] | ||
Round 9
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[83] | Attendance | Reports | |||
| 10–12 | Thursday 19 September 7:45 PM | NRLW (Only) | PointsBet Stadium | Karra-Lee Nolan | [84] | |||
| 14–44 | Saturday 21 September 1:30 PM | NRLW NRLW | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | Dan Schwass | 1,224 | [85] | ||
| 6–38 | Saturday 21 September 3:15 PM | Belinda Sharpe | [86] | |||||
| 16–12 | Sunday 22 September 1:30 PM | NRLW NRLW | CommBank Stadium | Luke Saldern | [87] | |||
| 18–32 | Sunday 22 September 3:15 PM | Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski | 1,425 | [88] | ||||
Finals series
Within two hours of full time in the last regular season match, the NRL announced the kick-off times of the semi-finals and confirmed the venues.[89] The matches are 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd.
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referees[90] | Attendance | Reports | ||||
| 0–14 | Sunday. 29 September 2:05 PM | NRLW (Only) | Totally Workwear Stadium | Belinda Sharpe | 2,327 | [91][92] | |||
| 25–16 | Sunday, 29 September 4:15 PM | NRLW (Only) | Allianz Stadium | Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski | 2,271 | [91][93] | |||
Grand Final
| Home | Score | Away | Match information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Format | Venue | Referee[94] | Attendance | Reports | ||||
| 32–28 | Sunday, 6 October 3:55 PM | NRLW NRL | Accor Stadium | Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski | 40,623 | ||||
Weekly awards
After each round, the NRL announces via social media four weekly awards.
| Round | Player of the Round | Next Gen Player | Try of the Week | Tackle of the Week | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try-scorer | Assisting Players | |||||
| Sponsor | Bundy Mixer | Harvey Norman | Drinkwise | youi | ||
| 1 | Tarryn Aiken, Jessica Sergis | [95] | ||||
| 2 | Kezie Apps | [96] | ||||
| 3 | Destiny Brill | [97][98] | ||||
| 4 | Intercepted opponent's pass | [99] | ||||
| 5 | Ran from dummy-half | [100] | ||||
| 6 | Kirra Dibb | [101] | ||||
| 7 | Collected loose pass and ran 60m | [102] | ||||
| 8 | Jocelyn Kelleher | [103] | ||||
| 9 | Rachael Pearson | [104] | ||||
Team of the Year
Dally M Team of the Year
Announced on the evening of 2 October 2024.[105]
| Jersey | Position | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fullback | |
| 2 | Wing | |
| 3 | Centre | |
| 4 | Centre | |
| 5 | Wing | |
| 6 | Five-eighth | |
| 7 | Halfback | |
| 8 | Prop | |
| 9 | Hooker | |
| 10 | Prop | |
| 11 | Second-row | |
| 12 | Second-row | |
| 13 | Lock |
Players' Dream Team
The Rugby League Players Association announced the 2024 Players' Dream team on 30 September 2024.[106]
| Jersey | Position | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fullback | |
| 2 | Wing | |
| 3 | Centre | |
| 4 | Centre | |
| 5 | Wing | |
| 6 | Five-eighth | |
| 7 | Halfback | |
| 8 | Prop | |
| 9 | Hooker | |
| 10 | Prop | |
| 11 | Second-row | |
| 12 | Second-row | |
| 13 | Lock | |
| 13 | Impact |
Individual Awards
Dally M Medal Awards Night
Announced on the evening of 2 October 2024.[105]
Dally M Medal Player of the Year:
Olivia Kernick (
Sydney Roosters)
Veronica White Medal:
Kimberley Hunt (
St George Illawarra Dragons).
Captain of the Year:
Tiana Penitani (
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks).
Coach of the Year:
Scott Prince (
Brisbane Broncos).
Rookie of the Year:
Kasey Reh (
St George Illawarra Dragons).
Try of the Year:
Zali Fay (
Parramatta Eels)
vs Sydney Roosters in Round 9.[107]
Tackle of the Year:
Abigail Roache (
Newcastle Knights)
vs Parramatta Eels in Round 5.[107]
RLPA Players' Champion Awards
The following awards are voted for by NRLW players and announced at the end of the season.
The Players' Champion:
Isabelle Kelly (
Sydney Roosters)[108]
Rookie of the Year:
Rory Owen (
Parramatta Eels)[109]
The following award, selected from five nominees, was announced at the end of the season.
Dennis Tutty Award:
Kennedy Cherrington (
Parramatta Eels)[110]
Statistical Awards
Highest Point Scorer in Regular-season: Romy Teitzel (
Brisbane Broncos) 64 (4t 24g)
Top Try Scorer in Regular-season:
- Sheridan Gallagher (
Newcastle Knights) 9 - Julia Robinson (
Brisbane Broncos) 9
Club Awards
As clubs each define their own award categories there are awards that do not fit into the above categories:
Brisbane Broncos
- Most Consistent: Julia Robinson
- Best Back: Julia Robinson
- Best Forward: Keilee Joseph
- Play of the Year: Chelsea Lenarduzzi last minute try in Round 8 versus Cronulla Sharks[124]
Canberra Raiders
- Junior Representative Player of the Year: Claudia Finau
Cronulla Sharks
- Education Excellence Award: Tiana Penitani
Newcastle Knights
- Gladiator of the Year: Olivia Higgins
- Knight in Shining Armour: Yasmin Clydsdale
- NSWRL Women's Premiership Player of the Year: Joeli Morris
- NSWRL Women's Premiership Players' Player: Evah McEwen & Melanie Howard
Parramatta Eels
- NSWRL Women's Premiership Player of the Year: Losalio Sita Payne
- NSWRL Women's Premiership Coaches Award: Ryshe Fa'amausili
Sydney Roosters
- Wellbeing & Education Award: Brydie Parker[125]
- Try of the Year: Tarryn Aiken in Round 6 versus Canberra Raiders[126][127]
Wests Tigers
- NSWRL Women's Premiership Player of the Year: Claudia Brown
- NSWRL Women's Premiership Players' Player: Darcy Eade