Who will step into keep Moana Pasifika afloat if the club's parlous financial state worsens?
There are question marks hanging over the owners of the franchise...the Pasifika Medical Association, with calls for an investigation into their use of government money.
The suggestion is that some of it may have found its way into the rugby club, when it should have been spent on protecting and promoting Pasifika health.
To make matters worse the PMA has just lost a government contract worth 45 million New Zealand dollars.
So against that background, does the association have the financial resources to support a team which New Zealand Rugby Analyst, Gregor Paul, says is still generating barely half of what it needs to keep it on an even financial keel.
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News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Suburbs where prices have been rising by $1k a day over five years
Home prices have been rising by an average of over $1,000 each day of the last five years in many areas as property industry experts slam governments for their sluggish response to critical housing shortages. The alarming price rises have occurred amid record population growth since the Covid pandemic started in 2020, coupled with slow progress on the home construction front. Government figures showed the country needed nearly 250,000 new homes built per year to keep pace with population growth but building activity has been well short in most years since 2020. ABS figures released Tuesday revealed Australia approved 181,643 new homes last year, up from 165,000 the year prior. It has meant the country is already 60,000 homes short of the number of new homes needed to meet housing targets just one year into the National Housing Accord plan to build 1.2 million homes by 2029. Analysis of PropTrack figures have laid bare the kind of price impact housing shortages have had in the last five years – a period marked by historic lows in interest rates and record home purchasing activity. Close to 200 suburbs nationally saw median prices rise by an average of more than $500 each day of the five years between May 2020 and May 2025. This included 19 suburbs where median price rises exceeded $1,000 a day during the five-year period, leaving local prices millions of dollars higher than they were just five years ago. The most significant rises were recorded in Sydney's inner regions, along with the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and parts of Adelaide. North Shore Sydney suburb Wollstonecraft had one of the most extreme price rises. The suburb median house price ballooned from $2.8 million in 2020 to $5.7 million today – an average rise of $1550 across each day over the last five years. There was a similar rise further north in the suburb of Warrawee, where the median house price grew from $2.45 million to $4.9 million, with prices rising an average of about $1,340 per day. Houses in Gold Coast hub Surfers Paradise had the largest gain in Queensland, going from $1.78 million five years ago to $4 million today – an average rate of about $1210 per day. Unley Park was the top growing market in South Australia, with rises equating to an average of $1,240 per day for first years. Economist and buyer's agent Rich Harvey of Property Buyer said many of the Sydney areas with the fastest price rises had major issues with the pipeline of new housing supply. 'Somewhere like Wollstonecraft is highly sought after and is slated for higher density. There should be more stock there but getting it approved and out the ground is difficult,' he said. 'Some sites are no longer viable for new projects even after being earmarked for higher density because of the huge increases in building costs.' He added that the country as a whole was failing to build enough housing to accommodate population increases from migration. 'There are numerous reasons prices have increased and all the forces work together, but perhaps the most significant is migration,' Mr Harvey said. 'We had close to zero migration at the start of Covid and then there was catch up migration and after that migration figures were essentially double (pre-Covid) numbers. 'Migration is still elevated and that's put massive pressure on rents and prices at a time when building activity is slow.' PropTrack economist Eleanor Creagh said the cycle of price rises was often self-fulfilling. Home seekers often bid up prices to secure homes faster out of fear they would eventually be priced out of their intended suburb, but this activity often ensured swifter market rises, Ms Creagh said. Prices rises also fuelled strong upgrader activity: home buyers were able to secure new properties with larger and larger offers because of the steep value gain in their existing homes, she explained. Housing Industry Association economist Tim Reardon said government taxes have exacerbated the problem. He pointed to recent industry data that showed close to half the cost of supplying new house and land packages in major markets, including Sydney, was now government taxes and red tape. Mr Reardon said taxes on foreign investment in new housing projects, including a doubling or tripling of stamp duty charges for foreign buyer in some states since 2017, had backfired. The increased taxes meant a key source of funding for new housing projects disappeared, he said. 'They taxed the capital not the people,' Mr Reardon said. 'The money dried up but people continued to come into the country through migration, putting more pressure on the housing market.' DAILY GROWTH IN HOUSE PRICES MAY 2020-2025 Suburb Avg. price rises per day Dover Heights NSW $1,781 Bellevue Hill NSW $1,589 Wollstonecraft NSW $1,547 Bronte NSW $1,342 Warrawee NSW $1,338 Double Bay NSW $1,281 Arcadia NSW $1,266 Centennial Park NSW $1,242 Unley Park SA $1,237 Surfers Paradise QLD $1,212 Vaucluse NSW $1,211 Northbridge NSW $1,110 Mosman NSW $1,110 Horsley Park NSW $1,099 Palm Beach NSW $1,063 Minyama QLD $1,063 North Bondi NSW $1,047 Waverton NSW $1,014 Woollahra NSW $989 Riverview NSW $974 South Coogee NSW $966 Hyde Park SA $934 Queens Park NSW $914 Putney NSW $911 Willoughby East NSW $905 Mermaid Beach QLD $896 Kensington NSW $893 Shelly Beach QLD $889 Greenwich NSW $884 East Lindfield NSW $882 Balgowlah Heights NSW $871 Tennyson Point NSW $863 Medindie SA $856 Burraneer NSW $852 …
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Best I've seen': new faces, code-hoppers show Knights can contend for title
They were considered the team to beat entering the past two seasons, but how will a new-look Knights squad fare in an expanded 12-team competition in 2025? There is no denying the off-season losses have been big, most notably Dally M Medallist and two-time Karyn Murphy Medallist for player of the grand final Tamika Upton, and a wealth of experience has moved on. Coach Ben Jeffries, in his second year at the helm, looks to have turned to mostly untapped talent and home-grown prospects this campaign. They will be complemented by a core group of exceptional players, which includes prodigious halfback Jesse Southwell. Newcastle launch a new era against newcomers Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday night. In a short amount of time, the Knights have quickly become one of the competition heavyweights. After collecting the wooden spoon in their maiden campaign, they claimed grand final glory in 2022 with a host of high-profile signings. They backed it up in emphatic fashion in 2023, claiming the club's first NRLW minor title before defending their premiership crown. Last year, they had a huge target on their backs. They scraped into the top four after six wins and three losses and bowed out in the semi-finals to eventual champions the Sydney Roosters. This year, the competition expands from nine to 11 rounds with the additions of the Bulldogs and the New Zealand Warriors, and there will be a top-six finals series instead of top four. Upton is widely regarded as one of the best players in the women's game. The Queensland and Jillaroos fullback was at the heart of the Knights' back-to-back premiership double but was released at the end of last season on compassionate grounds. Also gone are former captain Hannah Southwell (St George Illawarra) and barnstorming forward Caitlan Johnston-Green (Cronulla), who have State of Origin and Jillaroos experience. The Knights also lost premiership-winning prop Rima Butler (Sydney Roosters), utility Nita Maynard (Dragons), second-rower Laishon Albert-Jones (New Zealand Warriors) and centre Abigail Roache (Queensland Cowboys). Premiership-winning middle forward and New Zealand international Tiana Davison returns to the Knights, where she played in 2022 and 2023, after winning last year's grand final with the Roosters. A bit-part player in her three NRLW seasons, the 24-year-old is aiming to cement a starting spot this campaign. Fullback Botille Vette-Walsh brings plenty of experience to the Knights. The New Zealand-born 28-year-old has played in NRLW since its inception. She has played at the Roosters, St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Wests Tigers and is a NSW and Australian representative. Other new faces include NSW under-19 representative lock Sienna Yeo, who was rookie of the year for NSW Women's Rugby League premiers Illawarra, and New Zealander Keighley Simpson, an outside back who played Super Rugby for Matatu. Joeli Morris returns to NRLW after a stand-out season in the Knights' second-tier NSW Premiership team last year and will start against the Bulldogs with Olivia Higgins out through suspension. She is widely regarded as the best second-rower in the women's game, and Cardiff South-raised Yasmin Clydsdale will captain her home-town team this year. The 31-year-old Scone-based school teacher has 39 NRLW appearances, and three premierships to her name, and leads by example. The NSW and Jillaroos forward is super fit, has an incredible work ethic and lifts those around her. Home-grown No.9 Higgins, also a NSW and Australian representative, New Zealand centre Shanice Parker and Gloucester-raised prop Tayla Predebon all have over 30 appearances in NRLW and are proven premiership-winners. Knights five-eighth Georgia Roche is an England international and will again form part of an experienced spine for Newcastle. She is only 20 years of age, but Jesse Southwell has long been earmarked for future greatness. And, the Kotara Bears junior showed why as she led NSW to a State of Origin triumph with stand-out performances throughout the three-match series in May. "We'll play a little bit differently this year, so I'm really happy with how she came back from Origin," Jeffries said. "She played with some real maturity and patience in that Origin space. I thought that was the best football I've ever seen her play." Knights pathways products Evah McEwen, Evie Jones and Lilly-Ann White all made their NRLW debuts last year, and Jules Kirkpatrick is set for hers in round one. "Going forward, there's going to be a lot more home-grown players coming through," Jeffries said. "This year, next year, the year after that and so forth. Someone like Evah McEwen ... I think you'll see a lot more of her. Then you've got Jules Kirkpatrick, Evie Jones, the Lilly Whites. They're all waiting to take their opportunities." There wasn't much McEwen didn't do in 2024. The 19-year-old was the Knights' Tarsha Gale (under 19s) player of the year, represented NSW in the under-19 State of Origin, made her NRLW debut, earned a call-up to the Samoan side and was nominated on the Golden Boot long list for international player of the year. But 2025 could prove even bigger for the powerful second-rower, who has been upgraded from development player to the top-24 roster and drawn plenty of similarities to Clydsdale. The St Marys junior starts on Friday night following the departure of Albert-Jones, and the club has backed her potential by locking down McEwen until the end of 2027. White, who was the NSW under-19 fullback last year, has also been promoted to the Knights' top squad and has been rewarded for some strong performances on the wing as a development player last season with a starting spot there for round one. Cross-code success stories probably don't come any better than that of Young Matildas captain-turned-NRLW tryscoring machine Sheridan Gallagher. The crossover from rugby union to rugby league seems an easier transition than the jump from soccer. But, Gallagher has proven an exceptional rugby league winger in just two seasons, scoring 16 tries in 19 games to be the Knights' leading tryscorer both campaigns. This year, after spending the NRLW off-season playing A-League with the Newcastle Jets, the 23-year-old is looking to be even more lethal. Tenika Willison's leap from rugby sevens has been equally impressive. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist was a late addition to the Knights squad in 2024. She joined the club from the Paris Olympics, where she was part of New Zealand's gold medal-winning rugby sevens campaign, and launched her rugby league career in sensational fashion by scoring on debut in round four. The athletic outside back retained her starting spot on the wing for the rest of the season, scoring four tries in seven appearances, producing two try assists and averaging 109 running metres per game before being named Knights' Rookie of the Year. Jeffries reckons there is plenty more to come from the Kiwi this year. The 27-year-old comes in with a full NRLW pre-season under her belt and has been shifted to the centres for round one. Expect to see more of Grace Kukutai in her second season in an NRLW environment. The Kiwi is another multi-code talent and made three appearances in NRLW last year, being concussed in a crunching tackle by Jillaroos prop Millie Elliott on debut in round one, and spent most of the season helping the Knights' reserve-grade team make the NSW Premiership grand final. The super fit 28-year-old played Super Rugby with Willison for Chiefs Manawa in the off-season and has an elite netball background. Last year, Kukutai played in the back row. This year, she shifts to a middle forward position and has been named on the bench against the Bulldogs. The addition of two more teams is going to make competition for top-six positions fierce. There will be no room for slip-ups. Consistency, squad depth and fitness are going to be key. Jeffries has put the Knights through a gruelling pre-season, saying: "It's obvious the game is getting faster, so you've got to be fitter." "We're pretty optimistic around what we can and can't do," Jeffries said as pre-season kicked off in May. "We haven't talked about it too much, but just understanding when you look at our group, there's people who have played Origin. There's back-to-back premiership winners. There's gold-medal winners. There's players that have played 19s Origin, so that's why we're quite optimistic. "We're not going to say we're going to win the comp and things like that. That's not how it works. We understand there's a lot of hard work to be done from them. "It's just a transition phase. We're not rebuilding. We're bringing our young ones through. Their time will come and they'll be projected into the spotlight when they're ready. "But the way they've come back through pre-season ... they're hungry to succeed." The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15 but Newcastle's performance on Friday night could prove more telling. There are six changes to the Knights' starting side from last year's semi-final loss to the Roosters. And three new faces on the bench. They were considered the team to beat entering the past two seasons, but how will a new-look Knights squad fare in an expanded 12-team competition in 2025? There is no denying the off-season losses have been big, most notably Dally M Medallist and two-time Karyn Murphy Medallist for player of the grand final Tamika Upton, and a wealth of experience has moved on. Coach Ben Jeffries, in his second year at the helm, looks to have turned to mostly untapped talent and home-grown prospects this campaign. They will be complemented by a core group of exceptional players, which includes prodigious halfback Jesse Southwell. Newcastle launch a new era against newcomers Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday night. In a short amount of time, the Knights have quickly become one of the competition heavyweights. After collecting the wooden spoon in their maiden campaign, they claimed grand final glory in 2022 with a host of high-profile signings. They backed it up in emphatic fashion in 2023, claiming the club's first NRLW minor title before defending their premiership crown. Last year, they had a huge target on their backs. They scraped into the top four after six wins and three losses and bowed out in the semi-finals to eventual champions the Sydney Roosters. This year, the competition expands from nine to 11 rounds with the additions of the Bulldogs and the New Zealand Warriors, and there will be a top-six finals series instead of top four. Upton is widely regarded as one of the best players in the women's game. The Queensland and Jillaroos fullback was at the heart of the Knights' back-to-back premiership double but was released at the end of last season on compassionate grounds. Also gone are former captain Hannah Southwell (St George Illawarra) and barnstorming forward Caitlan Johnston-Green (Cronulla), who have State of Origin and Jillaroos experience. The Knights also lost premiership-winning prop Rima Butler (Sydney Roosters), utility Nita Maynard (Dragons), second-rower Laishon Albert-Jones (New Zealand Warriors) and centre Abigail Roache (Queensland Cowboys). Premiership-winning middle forward and New Zealand international Tiana Davison returns to the Knights, where she played in 2022 and 2023, after winning last year's grand final with the Roosters. A bit-part player in her three NRLW seasons, the 24-year-old is aiming to cement a starting spot this campaign. Fullback Botille Vette-Walsh brings plenty of experience to the Knights. The New Zealand-born 28-year-old has played in NRLW since its inception. She has played at the Roosters, St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Wests Tigers and is a NSW and Australian representative. Other new faces include NSW under-19 representative lock Sienna Yeo, who was rookie of the year for NSW Women's Rugby League premiers Illawarra, and New Zealander Keighley Simpson, an outside back who played Super Rugby for Matatu. Joeli Morris returns to NRLW after a stand-out season in the Knights' second-tier NSW Premiership team last year and will start against the Bulldogs with Olivia Higgins out through suspension. She is widely regarded as the best second-rower in the women's game, and Cardiff South-raised Yasmin Clydsdale will captain her home-town team this year. The 31-year-old Scone-based school teacher has 39 NRLW appearances, and three premierships to her name, and leads by example. The NSW and Jillaroos forward is super fit, has an incredible work ethic and lifts those around her. Home-grown No.9 Higgins, also a NSW and Australian representative, New Zealand centre Shanice Parker and Gloucester-raised prop Tayla Predebon all have over 30 appearances in NRLW and are proven premiership-winners. Knights five-eighth Georgia Roche is an England international and will again form part of an experienced spine for Newcastle. She is only 20 years of age, but Jesse Southwell has long been earmarked for future greatness. And, the Kotara Bears junior showed why as she led NSW to a State of Origin triumph with stand-out performances throughout the three-match series in May. "We'll play a little bit differently this year, so I'm really happy with how she came back from Origin," Jeffries said. "She played with some real maturity and patience in that Origin space. I thought that was the best football I've ever seen her play." Knights pathways products Evah McEwen, Evie Jones and Lilly-Ann White all made their NRLW debuts last year, and Jules Kirkpatrick is set for hers in round one. "Going forward, there's going to be a lot more home-grown players coming through," Jeffries said. "This year, next year, the year after that and so forth. Someone like Evah McEwen ... I think you'll see a lot more of her. Then you've got Jules Kirkpatrick, Evie Jones, the Lilly Whites. They're all waiting to take their opportunities." There wasn't much McEwen didn't do in 2024. The 19-year-old was the Knights' Tarsha Gale (under 19s) player of the year, represented NSW in the under-19 State of Origin, made her NRLW debut, earned a call-up to the Samoan side and was nominated on the Golden Boot long list for international player of the year. But 2025 could prove even bigger for the powerful second-rower, who has been upgraded from development player to the top-24 roster and drawn plenty of similarities to Clydsdale. The St Marys junior starts on Friday night following the departure of Albert-Jones, and the club has backed her potential by locking down McEwen until the end of 2027. White, who was the NSW under-19 fullback last year, has also been promoted to the Knights' top squad and has been rewarded for some strong performances on the wing as a development player last season with a starting spot there for round one. Cross-code success stories probably don't come any better than that of Young Matildas captain-turned-NRLW tryscoring machine Sheridan Gallagher. The crossover from rugby union to rugby league seems an easier transition than the jump from soccer. But, Gallagher has proven an exceptional rugby league winger in just two seasons, scoring 16 tries in 19 games to be the Knights' leading tryscorer both campaigns. This year, after spending the NRLW off-season playing A-League with the Newcastle Jets, the 23-year-old is looking to be even more lethal. Tenika Willison's leap from rugby sevens has been equally impressive. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist was a late addition to the Knights squad in 2024. She joined the club from the Paris Olympics, where she was part of New Zealand's gold medal-winning rugby sevens campaign, and launched her rugby league career in sensational fashion by scoring on debut in round four. The athletic outside back retained her starting spot on the wing for the rest of the season, scoring four tries in seven appearances, producing two try assists and averaging 109 running metres per game before being named Knights' Rookie of the Year. Jeffries reckons there is plenty more to come from the Kiwi this year. The 27-year-old comes in with a full NRLW pre-season under her belt and has been shifted to the centres for round one. Expect to see more of Grace Kukutai in her second season in an NRLW environment. The Kiwi is another multi-code talent and made three appearances in NRLW last year, being concussed in a crunching tackle by Jillaroos prop Millie Elliott on debut in round one, and spent most of the season helping the Knights' reserve-grade team make the NSW Premiership grand final. The super fit 28-year-old played Super Rugby with Willison for Chiefs Manawa in the off-season and has an elite netball background. Last year, Kukutai played in the back row. This year, she shifts to a middle forward position and has been named on the bench against the Bulldogs. The addition of two more teams is going to make competition for top-six positions fierce. There will be no room for slip-ups. Consistency, squad depth and fitness are going to be key. Jeffries has put the Knights through a gruelling pre-season, saying: "It's obvious the game is getting faster, so you've got to be fitter." "We're pretty optimistic around what we can and can't do," Jeffries said as pre-season kicked off in May. "We haven't talked about it too much, but just understanding when you look at our group, there's people who have played Origin. There's back-to-back premiership winners. There's gold-medal winners. There's players that have played 19s Origin, so that's why we're quite optimistic. "We're not going to say we're going to win the comp and things like that. That's not how it works. We understand there's a lot of hard work to be done from them. "It's just a transition phase. We're not rebuilding. We're bringing our young ones through. Their time will come and they'll be projected into the spotlight when they're ready. "But the way they've come back through pre-season ... they're hungry to succeed." The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15 but Newcastle's performance on Friday night could prove more telling. There are six changes to the Knights' starting side from last year's semi-final loss to the Roosters. And three new faces on the bench. They were considered the team to beat entering the past two seasons, but how will a new-look Knights squad fare in an expanded 12-team competition in 2025? There is no denying the off-season losses have been big, most notably Dally M Medallist and two-time Karyn Murphy Medallist for player of the grand final Tamika Upton, and a wealth of experience has moved on. Coach Ben Jeffries, in his second year at the helm, looks to have turned to mostly untapped talent and home-grown prospects this campaign. They will be complemented by a core group of exceptional players, which includes prodigious halfback Jesse Southwell. Newcastle launch a new era against newcomers Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday night. In a short amount of time, the Knights have quickly become one of the competition heavyweights. After collecting the wooden spoon in their maiden campaign, they claimed grand final glory in 2022 with a host of high-profile signings. They backed it up in emphatic fashion in 2023, claiming the club's first NRLW minor title before defending their premiership crown. Last year, they had a huge target on their backs. They scraped into the top four after six wins and three losses and bowed out in the semi-finals to eventual champions the Sydney Roosters. This year, the competition expands from nine to 11 rounds with the additions of the Bulldogs and the New Zealand Warriors, and there will be a top-six finals series instead of top four. Upton is widely regarded as one of the best players in the women's game. The Queensland and Jillaroos fullback was at the heart of the Knights' back-to-back premiership double but was released at the end of last season on compassionate grounds. Also gone are former captain Hannah Southwell (St George Illawarra) and barnstorming forward Caitlan Johnston-Green (Cronulla), who have State of Origin and Jillaroos experience. The Knights also lost premiership-winning prop Rima Butler (Sydney Roosters), utility Nita Maynard (Dragons), second-rower Laishon Albert-Jones (New Zealand Warriors) and centre Abigail Roache (Queensland Cowboys). Premiership-winning middle forward and New Zealand international Tiana Davison returns to the Knights, where she played in 2022 and 2023, after winning last year's grand final with the Roosters. A bit-part player in her three NRLW seasons, the 24-year-old is aiming to cement a starting spot this campaign. Fullback Botille Vette-Walsh brings plenty of experience to the Knights. The New Zealand-born 28-year-old has played in NRLW since its inception. She has played at the Roosters, St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Wests Tigers and is a NSW and Australian representative. Other new faces include NSW under-19 representative lock Sienna Yeo, who was rookie of the year for NSW Women's Rugby League premiers Illawarra, and New Zealander Keighley Simpson, an outside back who played Super Rugby for Matatu. Joeli Morris returns to NRLW after a stand-out season in the Knights' second-tier NSW Premiership team last year and will start against the Bulldogs with Olivia Higgins out through suspension. She is widely regarded as the best second-rower in the women's game, and Cardiff South-raised Yasmin Clydsdale will captain her home-town team this year. The 31-year-old Scone-based school teacher has 39 NRLW appearances, and three premierships to her name, and leads by example. The NSW and Jillaroos forward is super fit, has an incredible work ethic and lifts those around her. Home-grown No.9 Higgins, also a NSW and Australian representative, New Zealand centre Shanice Parker and Gloucester-raised prop Tayla Predebon all have over 30 appearances in NRLW and are proven premiership-winners. Knights five-eighth Georgia Roche is an England international and will again form part of an experienced spine for Newcastle. She is only 20 years of age, but Jesse Southwell has long been earmarked for future greatness. And, the Kotara Bears junior showed why as she led NSW to a State of Origin triumph with stand-out performances throughout the three-match series in May. "We'll play a little bit differently this year, so I'm really happy with how she came back from Origin," Jeffries said. "She played with some real maturity and patience in that Origin space. I thought that was the best football I've ever seen her play." Knights pathways products Evah McEwen, Evie Jones and Lilly-Ann White all made their NRLW debuts last year, and Jules Kirkpatrick is set for hers in round one. "Going forward, there's going to be a lot more home-grown players coming through," Jeffries said. "This year, next year, the year after that and so forth. Someone like Evah McEwen ... I think you'll see a lot more of her. Then you've got Jules Kirkpatrick, Evie Jones, the Lilly Whites. They're all waiting to take their opportunities." There wasn't much McEwen didn't do in 2024. The 19-year-old was the Knights' Tarsha Gale (under 19s) player of the year, represented NSW in the under-19 State of Origin, made her NRLW debut, earned a call-up to the Samoan side and was nominated on the Golden Boot long list for international player of the year. But 2025 could prove even bigger for the powerful second-rower, who has been upgraded from development player to the top-24 roster and drawn plenty of similarities to Clydsdale. The St Marys junior starts on Friday night following the departure of Albert-Jones, and the club has backed her potential by locking down McEwen until the end of 2027. White, who was the NSW under-19 fullback last year, has also been promoted to the Knights' top squad and has been rewarded for some strong performances on the wing as a development player last season with a starting spot there for round one. Cross-code success stories probably don't come any better than that of Young Matildas captain-turned-NRLW tryscoring machine Sheridan Gallagher. The crossover from rugby union to rugby league seems an easier transition than the jump from soccer. But, Gallagher has proven an exceptional rugby league winger in just two seasons, scoring 16 tries in 19 games to be the Knights' leading tryscorer both campaigns. This year, after spending the NRLW off-season playing A-League with the Newcastle Jets, the 23-year-old is looking to be even more lethal. Tenika Willison's leap from rugby sevens has been equally impressive. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist was a late addition to the Knights squad in 2024. She joined the club from the Paris Olympics, where she was part of New Zealand's gold medal-winning rugby sevens campaign, and launched her rugby league career in sensational fashion by scoring on debut in round four. The athletic outside back retained her starting spot on the wing for the rest of the season, scoring four tries in seven appearances, producing two try assists and averaging 109 running metres per game before being named Knights' Rookie of the Year. Jeffries reckons there is plenty more to come from the Kiwi this year. The 27-year-old comes in with a full NRLW pre-season under her belt and has been shifted to the centres for round one. Expect to see more of Grace Kukutai in her second season in an NRLW environment. The Kiwi is another multi-code talent and made three appearances in NRLW last year, being concussed in a crunching tackle by Jillaroos prop Millie Elliott on debut in round one, and spent most of the season helping the Knights' reserve-grade team make the NSW Premiership grand final. The super fit 28-year-old played Super Rugby with Willison for Chiefs Manawa in the off-season and has an elite netball background. Last year, Kukutai played in the back row. This year, she shifts to a middle forward position and has been named on the bench against the Bulldogs. The addition of two more teams is going to make competition for top-six positions fierce. There will be no room for slip-ups. Consistency, squad depth and fitness are going to be key. Jeffries has put the Knights through a gruelling pre-season, saying: "It's obvious the game is getting faster, so you've got to be fitter." "We're pretty optimistic around what we can and can't do," Jeffries said as pre-season kicked off in May. "We haven't talked about it too much, but just understanding when you look at our group, there's people who have played Origin. There's back-to-back premiership winners. There's gold-medal winners. There's players that have played 19s Origin, so that's why we're quite optimistic. "We're not going to say we're going to win the comp and things like that. That's not how it works. We understand there's a lot of hard work to be done from them. "It's just a transition phase. We're not rebuilding. We're bringing our young ones through. Their time will come and they'll be projected into the spotlight when they're ready. "But the way they've come back through pre-season ... they're hungry to succeed." The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15 but Newcastle's performance on Friday night could prove more telling. There are six changes to the Knights' starting side from last year's semi-final loss to the Roosters. And three new faces on the bench. They were considered the team to beat entering the past two seasons, but how will a new-look Knights squad fare in an expanded 12-team competition in 2025? There is no denying the off-season losses have been big, most notably Dally M Medallist and two-time Karyn Murphy Medallist for player of the grand final Tamika Upton, and a wealth of experience has moved on. Coach Ben Jeffries, in his second year at the helm, looks to have turned to mostly untapped talent and home-grown prospects this campaign. They will be complemented by a core group of exceptional players, which includes prodigious halfback Jesse Southwell. Newcastle launch a new era against newcomers Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday night. In a short amount of time, the Knights have quickly become one of the competition heavyweights. After collecting the wooden spoon in their maiden campaign, they claimed grand final glory in 2022 with a host of high-profile signings. They backed it up in emphatic fashion in 2023, claiming the club's first NRLW minor title before defending their premiership crown. Last year, they had a huge target on their backs. They scraped into the top four after six wins and three losses and bowed out in the semi-finals to eventual champions the Sydney Roosters. This year, the competition expands from nine to 11 rounds with the additions of the Bulldogs and the New Zealand Warriors, and there will be a top-six finals series instead of top four. Upton is widely regarded as one of the best players in the women's game. The Queensland and Jillaroos fullback was at the heart of the Knights' back-to-back premiership double but was released at the end of last season on compassionate grounds. Also gone are former captain Hannah Southwell (St George Illawarra) and barnstorming forward Caitlan Johnston-Green (Cronulla), who have State of Origin and Jillaroos experience. The Knights also lost premiership-winning prop Rima Butler (Sydney Roosters), utility Nita Maynard (Dragons), second-rower Laishon Albert-Jones (New Zealand Warriors) and centre Abigail Roache (Queensland Cowboys). Premiership-winning middle forward and New Zealand international Tiana Davison returns to the Knights, where she played in 2022 and 2023, after winning last year's grand final with the Roosters. A bit-part player in her three NRLW seasons, the 24-year-old is aiming to cement a starting spot this campaign. Fullback Botille Vette-Walsh brings plenty of experience to the Knights. The New Zealand-born 28-year-old has played in NRLW since its inception. She has played at the Roosters, St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Wests Tigers and is a NSW and Australian representative. Other new faces include NSW under-19 representative lock Sienna Yeo, who was rookie of the year for NSW Women's Rugby League premiers Illawarra, and New Zealander Keighley Simpson, an outside back who played Super Rugby for Matatu. Joeli Morris returns to NRLW after a stand-out season in the Knights' second-tier NSW Premiership team last year and will start against the Bulldogs with Olivia Higgins out through suspension. She is widely regarded as the best second-rower in the women's game, and Cardiff South-raised Yasmin Clydsdale will captain her home-town team this year. The 31-year-old Scone-based school teacher has 39 NRLW appearances, and three premierships to her name, and leads by example. The NSW and Jillaroos forward is super fit, has an incredible work ethic and lifts those around her. Home-grown No.9 Higgins, also a NSW and Australian representative, New Zealand centre Shanice Parker and Gloucester-raised prop Tayla Predebon all have over 30 appearances in NRLW and are proven premiership-winners. Knights five-eighth Georgia Roche is an England international and will again form part of an experienced spine for Newcastle. She is only 20 years of age, but Jesse Southwell has long been earmarked for future greatness. And, the Kotara Bears junior showed why as she led NSW to a State of Origin triumph with stand-out performances throughout the three-match series in May. "We'll play a little bit differently this year, so I'm really happy with how she came back from Origin," Jeffries said. "She played with some real maturity and patience in that Origin space. I thought that was the best football I've ever seen her play." Knights pathways products Evah McEwen, Evie Jones and Lilly-Ann White all made their NRLW debuts last year, and Jules Kirkpatrick is set for hers in round one. "Going forward, there's going to be a lot more home-grown players coming through," Jeffries said. "This year, next year, the year after that and so forth. Someone like Evah McEwen ... I think you'll see a lot more of her. Then you've got Jules Kirkpatrick, Evie Jones, the Lilly Whites. They're all waiting to take their opportunities." There wasn't much McEwen didn't do in 2024. The 19-year-old was the Knights' Tarsha Gale (under 19s) player of the year, represented NSW in the under-19 State of Origin, made her NRLW debut, earned a call-up to the Samoan side and was nominated on the Golden Boot long list for international player of the year. But 2025 could prove even bigger for the powerful second-rower, who has been upgraded from development player to the top-24 roster and drawn plenty of similarities to Clydsdale. The St Marys junior starts on Friday night following the departure of Albert-Jones, and the club has backed her potential by locking down McEwen until the end of 2027. White, who was the NSW under-19 fullback last year, has also been promoted to the Knights' top squad and has been rewarded for some strong performances on the wing as a development player last season with a starting spot there for round one. Cross-code success stories probably don't come any better than that of Young Matildas captain-turned-NRLW tryscoring machine Sheridan Gallagher. The crossover from rugby union to rugby league seems an easier transition than the jump from soccer. But, Gallagher has proven an exceptional rugby league winger in just two seasons, scoring 16 tries in 19 games to be the Knights' leading tryscorer both campaigns. This year, after spending the NRLW off-season playing A-League with the Newcastle Jets, the 23-year-old is looking to be even more lethal. Tenika Willison's leap from rugby sevens has been equally impressive. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist was a late addition to the Knights squad in 2024. She joined the club from the Paris Olympics, where she was part of New Zealand's gold medal-winning rugby sevens campaign, and launched her rugby league career in sensational fashion by scoring on debut in round four. The athletic outside back retained her starting spot on the wing for the rest of the season, scoring four tries in seven appearances, producing two try assists and averaging 109 running metres per game before being named Knights' Rookie of the Year. Jeffries reckons there is plenty more to come from the Kiwi this year. The 27-year-old comes in with a full NRLW pre-season under her belt and has been shifted to the centres for round one. Expect to see more of Grace Kukutai in her second season in an NRLW environment. The Kiwi is another multi-code talent and made three appearances in NRLW last year, being concussed in a crunching tackle by Jillaroos prop Millie Elliott on debut in round one, and spent most of the season helping the Knights' reserve-grade team make the NSW Premiership grand final. The super fit 28-year-old played Super Rugby with Willison for Chiefs Manawa in the off-season and has an elite netball background. Last year, Kukutai played in the back row. This year, she shifts to a middle forward position and has been named on the bench against the Bulldogs. The addition of two more teams is going to make competition for top-six positions fierce. There will be no room for slip-ups. Consistency, squad depth and fitness are going to be key. Jeffries has put the Knights through a gruelling pre-season, saying: "It's obvious the game is getting faster, so you've got to be fitter." "We're pretty optimistic around what we can and can't do," Jeffries said as pre-season kicked off in May. "We haven't talked about it too much, but just understanding when you look at our group, there's people who have played Origin. There's back-to-back premiership winners. There's gold-medal winners. There's players that have played 19s Origin, so that's why we're quite optimistic. "We're not going to say we're going to win the comp and things like that. That's not how it works. We understand there's a lot of hard work to be done from them. "It's just a transition phase. We're not rebuilding. We're bringing our young ones through. Their time will come and they'll be projected into the spotlight when they're ready. "But the way they've come back through pre-season ... they're hungry to succeed." The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15 but Newcastle's performance on Friday night could prove more telling. There are six changes to the Knights' starting side from last year's semi-final loss to the Roosters. And three new faces on the bench.
ABC News
18 hours ago
- ABC News
Wallaroos pick 17-year-old Waiaria Ellis ahead of New Zealand and Wales Tests
Teenager Waiaria Ellis has been given the chance to push her case for a World Cup call-up after being named in the Wallaroos' 32-player squad for upcoming Tests against New Zealand and Wales. Seventeen-year-old Waratahs fullback Ellis and Queensland Reds winger Caitlin Urwin were the only two uncapped players to feature in the Wallaroos' squad. Their inclusion follows strong displays for Australia A in last Saturday's 50-22 victory over Samoa in Canberra. Ellis toured with the Wallaroos in South Africa last year but was unable to earn a Test cap, while Urwin joins the national squad for the first time. Western Force star Samantha Wood and Waratahs quartet Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Brianna Hoy and Maya Stewart have also been included in the Wallaroos' squad following the recent Pacific Four series. Wood, Duck, Hoy and Stewart all return from injury in a boost ahead of the Rugby World Cup in England, which starts in August. Codey earns a recall to the Wallaroos squad for the first time since 2023, while Siokapesi Palu will continue to captain the side with Emily Chancellor as her vice-captain. The Wallaroos take on the Black Ferns in Wellington on July 12 for their second O'Reilly Cup clash of the year. They will host Wales on July 26 in Brisbane and August 1 at North Sydney Oval. A squad of 32 will be selected for the World Cup following the clash at North Sydney before the Wallaroos depart for the United Kingdom on August 11. The Wallaroos' first World Cup match is against Samoa on August 23 in Manchester. Wallaroos squad: Katalina Amosa, Bree-Anna Browne, Charlotte Caslick, Emily Chancellor, Annabelle Codey, Lori Cramer, Piper Duck, Waiaria Ellis, Ashley Fernandez, Caitlyn Halse, Georgina Friedrichs, Tia Hinds, Brianna Hoy, Asoiva Karpani, Lydia Kavoa, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Ashley Marsters, Desiree Miller, Faitala Moleka, Layne Morgan, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman, Siokapesi Palu, Faliki Pohiva, Trilleen Pomare, Cecilia Smith, Maya Stewart, Adiana Talakai, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Caitlin Urwin, Samantha Wood AAP
