Newcastle Knights Women
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Football Club
Blue
Red
Secondary:
White
Club: 1987
 | |||
| Club information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Newcastle Rugby League Football Club | ||
| Nickname | Novocastrians | ||
| Colours | Primary: Blue Red Secondary: White | ||
| Founded | Team: 2021 Club: 1987 | ||
| Website | newcastleknights.com.au | ||
| Current details | |||
| Ground |
| ||
| CEO | Phil Gardner | ||
| Coach | Ben Jeffries | ||
| Captain | Yasmin Clydsdale[1] | ||
| Competition | NRL Women's Premiership | ||
| 2025 season | 3rd | ||
 Current season | |||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| Records | |||
| Premierships | 2 (2022, 2023) | ||
| Runners-up | 0 | ||
| Minor premierships | 1 (2023) | ||
| Biggest win | Knights 46 – 10 Titans Cbus Super Stadium (14 Sep 2024) | ||
| Biggest loss | Knights 4 – 40 Dragons McDonald Jones Stadium (20 Mar 2022) | ||
| First game | Knights 12 – 13 Eels McDonald Jones Stadium (27 Feb 2022) | ||
| Most Recent game | Knights 6 – 30 Broncos Suncorp Stadium (28 Sep 2025) | ||
| Wooden spoons | 1 (2021) | ||
| Most capped | Yasmin Clydsdale, Shanice Parker – 41 | ||
| Highest try scorer | Sheridan Gallagher – 25 | ||
| Highest points scorer | Jesse Southwell – 232 | ||
The Newcastle Knights Women are an Australian rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales. The team is part of the Newcastle Knights club and competes in the National Rugby League Women's Premiership (NRLW). The team's home ground is McDonald Jones Stadium. The team has won two premierships over its history (2022 and 2023).
First Team
On 11 June 2021, the Newcastle Knights were granted a licence to compete in the 2021 National Rugby League Women's (NRLW) competition. Recently retired Knights player Blake Green was announced as the head coach.[2] The season was planned to commence in August 2021, postponed to October 2021 and further postponed to 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
On 1 July 2021, the Knights announced their first ever NRLW signing in Indigenous All Stars and Prime Minister's XIII representative Caitlan Johnston-Green, who was a foundation Tarsha Gale Cup player for the Knights in 2018 before spending two seasons with the Sydney Roosters NRLW side.[4]
On 25 November 2021, it was announced that Knights Tarsha Gale Cup coach Casey Bromilow would be taking on the head coach role after Green had been appointed into a specialist halves role alongside Andrew Johns with Newcastle's NRL side.[5] Jess Skinner was announced as the assistant coach.[6] On the same day, the Knights announced a further six Newcastle and Hunter based signings in Bobbi Law from the Sydney Roosters, Jayme Fressard from the Brisbane Broncos and Georgia Page from the St. George Illawarra Dragons, as well as Phoebe Desmond, Chantelle Graham and Kyra Simon from local teams. Six development players were also announced in Bree Chester, Sophie Clancy, Matilda Jones, Kayla Romaniuk, Jesse Southwell and Tylah Vallance.[7]
On 1 December 2021, the Knights signed nine Kiwi Ferns representatives in Ngatokotoru Arakua, Maitua Feterika, Annetta Nu'uausala, Charntay Poko, Krystal Rota, Charlotte Scanlan, Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly, Katelyn Vaha'akolo and Kararaina Wira-Kohu,[8] Two days later, the club signed Romy Teitzel from the Brisbane Broncos, AFLW player Paige Parker, rugby sevens player Emma Sykes and North Queensland Gold Stars players Rangimarie Edwards-Bruce, Katie Green, Emma Manzelmann and Tahlulah Tillett.[9]
In January 2022, the Knights signed Kirra Dibb from the New Zealand Warriors after Emma Sykes withdrew from the squad.[10] On 21 February, the 24-woman squad was finalised with the signing of Shannon Evans from the Central Coast Roosters[11] and Romy Teitzel was named team captain, Caitlan Johnston-Green and Krystal Rota named as club captains.[12]
The club played in 5 matches without a win in its inaugural season.[13]
In April 2022, Ronald Griffiths was announced as the new head coach for the upcoming season.[14]
On 18 May 2022, the Knights announced the signing of Australian Jillaroos players Millie Boyle and Tamika Upton for their second season in the competition.[15][16] Additional notable signings for the 2022 season were Sydney Roosters premiership winning players Yasmin Clydsdale, Olivia Higgins, Simone Karpani, Tayla Predebon, Hannah Southwell,[17][18] former Jillaroos player Caitlin Moran and former Roosters players Shanice Parker and Kiana Takairangi.[19]
On 16 August 2022, Millie Boyle and Hannah Southwell were appointed co-captains of the club.[20]
After winning 4 of its 5 regular season games, the Knights won their first premiership during the 2022 NRL Women's season, defeating the Parramatta Eels 32–12.[21]
The first ever Newcastle Knights team who played the Parramatta Eels on the 27th February 2022 at McDonald Jones Stadium. The Parramatta Eels won the match 13-12.[22]
Premiership Winning Teams
The Newcastle Knights premiership winning teams from the 2022 and 2023 NRL Women's Premiership Grand Final.[23][24]
2022 Grand Final v Parramatta Eels
FULLTIME SCORE: Newcastle Knights 32 def Parramatta Eels 12 at Accor Stadium, 2nd October 2022
2023 Grand Final v Gold Coast Titans
FULLTIME SCORE: Newcastle Knights 24 def Gold Coast Titans 18 at Accor Stadium, 1st October 2023
Players of the Year
The Newcastle Knights player of the year award winners since 2021.
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
| Annetta-Claudia Nu'uausala | 2021 |
| Shanice Parker & Jesse Southwell | 2022 |
| Tamika Upton | 2023 |
| Tamika Upton | 2024 |
| Yasmin Meakes | 2025 |
Seasons
| Season | Regular Season | Finals | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Top | Placing | |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 48 | 123 | 0 | 6th | 4 | — |
| 2022 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 112 | 68 | 8 | 2nd | 4 | Premiers |
| 2023 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 224 | 119 | 16 | 1st | 4 | Premiers |
| 2024 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 238 | 132 | 12 | 3rd | 4 | Semi-Finalist |
| 2025 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 258 | 203 | 14 | 3rd | 6 | Preliminary Finalist |
2026 Draw
The draw for the 2026 season was announced on 14 November 2025.[25][26][27]
| Round | Opponent | Score | Date | Time | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sharks | Thu 2 Jul 2026 | 7:45 PM | Away | Sharks Stadium | |
| 2 |  Roosters | Sat 11 Jul 2026 | 5:15 PM | Away | Allianz Stadium | |
| 3 |  Dragons | Sun 19 Jul 2026 | 6:15 PM | Home | McDonald Jones Stadium | |
| 4 |  Broncos | Sun 26 Jul 2026 | 1:45 PM | Away | Totally Workwear Stadium | |
| 5 |  Eels | Sun 2 Aug 2026 | 4:00 PM | Neutral | Geohex Stadium, Wagga Wagga | |
| 6 |  Warriors | Sat 8 Aug 2026 | 5:15 PM | Away | FMG Stadium Waikato | |
| 7 |  Raiders | Sun 16 Aug 2026 | 11:50 AM | Home | McDonald Jones Stadium | |
| 8 |  Tigers | Sat 22 Aug 2026 | 12:45 PM | Home | McDonald Jones Stadium | |
| 9 |  Cowboys | Sat 29 Aug 2026 | 5:15 PM | Away | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | |
| 10 |  Bulldogs | Sat 5 Sep 2026 | 5:15 PM | Home | McDonald Jones Stadium | |
| 11 |  Titans | Sun 13 Sep 2026 | 1:45 PM | Home | McDonald Jones Stadium | |
Head-to-head records
| Opponent | First meeting | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Win % | Share % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eels | 27 Feb 2022 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 166 | 51 | 83.33% | 84.66% |
| Broncos | 6 Mar 2022 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 140 | 194 | 50.00% | 72.16% |
| Roosters | 12 Mar 2022 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 88 | 115 | 33.33% | 76.52% |
 Dragons | 20 Mar 2022 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 136 | 110 | 66.67% | 123.64% |
| Titans | 27 Mar 2022 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 180 | 106 | 83.33% | 169.81% |
| Cowboys | 30 Jul 2023 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 84 | 43 | 66.67% | 195.35% |
| Sharks | 27 Aug 2023 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 52 | 47 | 33.33% | 110.6% |
| Raiders | 13 Aug 2023 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 32 | 100.00% | 200.00% |
| Tigers | 14 Sep 2023 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 20 | 100.00% | 460.00% |
| Bulldogs | 4 Jul 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 26 | 0% | 46.15% |
| Warriors | 20 Jul 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 20 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Totals | 27 Feb 2022 | 46 | 29 | 0 | 17 | 778 | 776 | 63.04% | 63.04% |
Notes
- Share % is the percentage of points For over the sum of points For and Against.
- Clubs listed in the order than the Knights Women first played them.
- Last updated: 7 November 2025
Coaches
- Casey Bromilow (2021)
- Ronald Griffiths (2022–2023)
- Ben Jeffries (2024-present)
Captains
All players that have captained the Newcastle Knights Women's in first-grade.
| Cap No. | Name | Years As Captain | Debut Round | Games As Captain | Games for Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Romy Teitzel | 2021 | Round 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 2. | Millie Boyle | 2022 | Round 1 | 7 | 7 |
| 3. | Hannah Southwell | 2022-24 | Round 1 | 19 | 19 |
| 4. | Tamika Upton | 2023 | Round 1 | 3 | 26 |
| 5. | Yasmin Clydsdale | 2025-present | Round 1 | 13 | 41 |
Players
Current squad
Table last updated on 28 January 2026.
| J# | Player | Age | Position(s) | NRLW Seasons | NRLW Stats | Origin | Tests | All Stars | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debut | 2018-24 | 2025 | 2026 | M | T | G | Pts | Prems | |||||||
| – | Botille Vette-Welsh | 29 | Fullback, Halfback | 2018 | 3 4 5 16 |  11 | 0 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 24 | — |  3 |  1 |  5 |
| – | Cheyelle Robins-Reti | 28 | Centre, Fullback | 2023 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 20 | — | — |  1 | — |
| – | Evah McEwen | 19 | Second-row, Centre | 2024 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 16 | — | — |  3 |  1 |
| – | Evie Jones | 20 | Five-eighth | 2024 | 5 | R | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — |
| – | Georgia Roche | 25 | Five-eighth | 2023 | 18 | 13 | 0 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 36 | 1 | — |  13 | — |
| – | Joeli Morris | 24 | Lock | 2021 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — |
| – | Jules Kirkpatrick | 22 | Lock, Second-row | 2025 | — | 13 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 12 | — | — | — | — |
| – | Kayla Romaniuk | 23 | Lock, Prop | 2022 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 2 | — | — | — |
| – | Kirra Dibb | 28 | Five-eighth, Halfback | 2019 | 3 3 12 18 | 9 | 0 | 45 | 6 | 85 | 196 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| – | Lilly-Ann White | 20 | Fullback, Wing | 2024 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 24 | — | — | — | 1 |
| – | Nakia Davis-Welsh | 29 | Wing, Fullback | 2023 | 2 4 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 12 | — | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| – | Olivia Higgins | 33 | Hooker | 2021 | 7 28 | 12 | 0 | 47 | 14 | 0 | 56 | 1 2 | 3 | 5 | — |
| – | Shanice Parker | 27 | Centre, Fullback | 2019 | 5 28 | 13 | 0 | 46 | 11 | 0 | 44 | 2 | 1 | 11 |  1 4 |
| – | Sienna Yeo | 20 | Lock | 2025 | — | 13 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — |
| – | Simone Karpani | 28 | Prop, Lock | 2021 | 6 18 | 9 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 2 | — | 3 | 1 |
| – | Tayla Predebon | 25 | Prop | 2021 | 7 27 | 12 | 0 | 46 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 1 2 | — | — | — |
| – | Tenika Willison | 28 | Centre, Wing | 2024 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 24 | — | — | — | — |
| IS | Tess Staines | 24 | Wing, Centre | 2022 | 3 8 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 24 | — | — | — | — |
| – | Tiana Davison | 25 | Prop, Lock | 2022 | 8 8 | 13 | 0 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 1 | — | 5 | — |
| – | Yasmin Clydsdale | 31 | Second-row, Centre | 2020 | 11 28 | 13 | 0 | 52 | 14 | 0 | 56 | 1 2 | 11 | 13 | — |
| DV | Fane Finau | 19 | Second-row | 2025 | — | 4 | — | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | — | — |  2 | — |
| DV | Grace Giampino | 21 | Centre | 2025 | — | 4 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| DV | Mariah Brown | 19 | Centre | — | — | R | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| DV | Mercedez Taulelei-Siala | 19 | Wing, Centre | 2025 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | — | — | 4 | — |
Notes:
- The following players have been signed on a Development contract for 2026:
- Ella-Jaye Harrison-Leaunoa[28]
- The following players were signed on a Development contract for 2025:[29] Folp attendance
- Fane Finau
- Mariah Brown
- Grace Giampino
- Mercedez Taulelei-Siala
- Emily McArthur (added in September)[28]
The Newcastle Knights announced contract extensions in several instalments from September 2025.[28][30]
The Newcastle Knights announced player signings in several instalments from October 2025.[31][32]
2026 Gains and Losses
|
|
|
|
Club records
Win Loss Record since entering the NRLW in 2021
| Games | Wins | Drawn | Loss | Points For | Points Against | +/- | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 30 | 0 | 16 | 1,030 | 780 | +250 | 65.22 |
First Try and Last Try
Who scored the first try and most recent try for the Knights.
| Name | Round | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romy Teitzel | Round 1 | Parramatta Eels | McDonald Jones Stadium | 2021 |
| Jules Kirkpatrick | Preliminary Final | Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium | 2025 |
Individual records
Career
Lists and tables last updated: 28 September 2025.
|
Most Games for the Knights
|
Most Tries for the Knights
|
Most Goals for the Knights
|
Most points for the Knights (20+)
| Player | 2026 Club | M | T | G | FG | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Jesse Southwell | | 40 | 7 | 102 | 0 | 232 |
| 2. Sheridan Gallagher | | 32 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 114 |
| 3. Tamika Upton | | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 |
| 4. Olivia Higgins | | 40 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| 5. Yasmin Clydsdale | | 41 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| 5. Shanice Parker | | 40 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| 6. Kirra Dibb | | 12 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 42 |
| 7. Abigail Roache | | 20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 7. Georgia Roche | | 31 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 36 |
Most points in a game (10+)
Most Tries in a game
Most Goals in a game
Most Tries in a Season for the Knights
| Player | Season | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sheridan Gallagher | 2024 | 9 |
| 1. Sheridan Gallagher | 2025 | 9 |
| 2. Sheridan Gallagher | 2023 | 7 |
| 2. Tamika Upton | 2023 | 7 |
| 2. Tamika Upton | 2024 | 7 |
| 3. Shanice Parker | 2023 | 6 |
| 3. Abigail Roache | 2023 | 6 |
| 4. Tamika Upton | 2022 | 5 |
Most points in a season (16+)
| Player | Season | M | T | G | FG | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Jesse Southwell | 2025 | 13 | 2 | 41 | 0 | 90 |
| 2. Jesse Southwell | 2023 | 11 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 78 |
| 3. Jesse Southwell | 2024 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 44 |
| 4. Sheridan Gallagher | 2024 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 42 |
| 5. Sheridan Gallagher | 2025 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 5. Sheridan Gallagher | 2023 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 36 |
| 6. Kirra Dibb | 2022 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 34 |
| 7. Tamika Upton | 2023 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
Dally M Winners
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
| Tamika Upton | 2023 |
Season
Most Points
- Jesse Southwell (2025) 90
Most Tries
- Sheridan Gallagher (2024) 9
- Sheridan Gallagher (2025) 9
Match
Most Points
- Jesse Southwell (Round 10, 2025) 16 vs. Gold Coast Titans
Most Tries
- Sheridan Gallagher (Round 8, 2024) 3 vs. Gold Coast Titans
- Lilly-Ann White (Round 9, 2025) 3 vs. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
- Keighley Simpson (Round 11, 2025) 3 vs. St. George Illawarra Dragons
Most Goals
- Jesse Southwell (Round 3, 2025) 6 vs. New Zealand Warriors
Oldest and youngest players
The oldest and youngest players to represent the Newcastle Knights NRLW team.
| Name | Age | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Krystal Rota | 36 and 168 days | 2022 |
| Jesse Southwell | 17 and 189 days | 2022 |
Margins and streaks
Biggest winning margin
| Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 46–10 | Gold Coast Titans | Cbus Super Stadium | 14 September 2024 | |
| 34 | 38-4 | Parramatta Eels | Eric Tweedale Stadium | 06 August 2023 | |
| 32 | 38-6 | North Queensland Cowboys | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | 21 September 2024 | |
| 28 | 34-6 | Wests Tigers | McDonald Jones Stadium | 01 September 2024 | |
| 24 | 30-6 | Wests Tigers | McDonald Jones Stadium | 09 August 2025 | |
| 24 | 30-6 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Suncorp Stadium | 25 September 2022 | 2022 Semi Final |
| 24 | 30-6 | Parramatta Eels | Eric Tweedale Stadium | 27 July 2025 | |
| 22 | 30-8 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | Central Coast Stadium | 18 September 2022 | |
| 20 | 32-12 | Parramatta Eels | Accor Stadium | 2 October 2022 | 2022 Grand Final |
| 20 | 28-8 | Wests Tigers | Leichhardt Oval | 14 September 2023 | |
| 20 | 26-6 | North Queensland Cowboys | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | 12 July 2025 | |
| 20 | 36-16 | Parramatta Eels | Eric Tweedale Stadium | 24 August 2024 |
Biggest losing margin
| Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 4–40 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | McDonald Jones Stadium | 20 March 2022 | |
| 30 | 16-46 | Brisbane Broncos | McDonald Jones Stadium | 24 August 2025 | |
| 24 | 6-30 | Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium | 28 September 2025 | 2025 Preliminary Final |
| 18 | 10-28 | Brisbane Broncos | WIN Stadium | 06 March 2022 | |
| 16 | 12-28 | Sydney Roosters | Sydney Cricket Ground | 12 March 2022 | |
| 16 | 14-30 | Sydney Roosters | Polytec Stadium | 17 August 2025 | |
| 14 | 12-26 | Canterbury Bulldogs | Accor Stadium | 04 July 2025 | |
| 11 | 20-31 | North Queensland Cowboys | Belmore Sports Ground | 30 July 2023 | |
| 9 | 16-25 | Sydney Roosters | Allianz Stadium | 29 Sept 2024 | 2024 Semi Final |
| 8 | 10-18 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | McDonald Jones Stadium | 11 Aug 2024 |
Most consecutive wins
- 11 – (6 August 2023 – 3 August 2024)
Most consecutive losses
- 5 – (27 February 2022 – 27 March 2022)
Biggest Comeback
- Recovered from 12 point deficit (twice).
- Trailed Brisbane Broncos 4-16 after 57 minutes at McDonald Jones Stadium on August 20 2023 and won 22-20.
- Trailed St George Illawarra Dragons 4-16 after 34 minutes at McDonald Jones Stadium on September 14 2025 and won 30-22.
Worst Collapse
- Surrendered 14 point lead (twice)
- Led Brisbane Broncos 18-4 after 46 minutes at McDonald Jones Stadium on September 8 2024 and lost 24-32
- Led Cronulla Sharks 18-4 after 61 minutes at Sharks Stadium on August 31 2025 and lost 18-19.
First game
| Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12–13 | Parramatta Eels | McDonald Jones Stadium | 27 Feb 2022 |
Grand Final appearances
| Margin | Score | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 32–12 | Parramatta Eels | Accor Stadium | 2 October 2022 |
| 6 | 24–18 | Gold Coast Titans | Accor Stadium | 1 October 2023 |
