All the Late Mail for Round 1 of the 2021 Telstra Women's Premiership.
Late Mail: NRLW Round 1
Dragons v Titans, Sunday 12:00pm at McDonald Jones Stadium
Dragons: The Dragons are 1-17 in their game-day team list.
Australian rugby sevens star Emma Tonegato has been handed the No.1 jersey by Jamie Soward as part of a quality backline which features two-time Indigenous All Star Taliah Fuimaono at five-eighth and Karina Brown on the wing. Kezie Apps captains the side.
Keele Brown, Aliti Namoce-Sagano, Alexandra Sulusi and Matilda Power dropped out of the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off.
Titans: In the final team list, Georgia Hale moved into the starting lock role with Destiny Brill reverting to the bench.
There was a change for the Titans 24 hours before kick-off with centre Jasmine Peters out of the side and her place taken by Lauren Dam in jersey No.18. Cobie-Jane Morgan, Laikha Clarke and Karli Hansen also dropped out of the extended squad on Saturday.
Former premiership-winning Bronco and 2018 Dally M winner Brittany Breayley-Nati captains the side from hooker. Her wife, New Zealand international and 2018 grand final player of the match Kimiora Breayley-Nati, is the halfback. Rugby convert and 2020 NRLW sensation Evania Pelite starts at fullback with veteran Karina Brown adding star power on the wing.
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Roosters v Broncos, Sunday 1.50pm at McDonald Jones Stadium
Roosters: Skipper Corban Baxter was ruled out on Saturday and her place at fullback is taken by Brydie Parker with Taylor-Adeline Mapusua coming into the starting side in jersey No.24 on the wing. Hannah Southwell will assume the captaincy.
Raecene McGregor comes onto the interchange bench to make her Roosters NRLW debut, while Joeli Morris becomes 18th player. There were no further changes in the Roosters' final game-day squad.
The other players omitted from the squad on Saturday were Samantha Economos, Otesa Pule, Claire Reed and Mya Hill-Moana.
Rep stars Isabelle Kelly and Jess Sergis will form a dynamic centre combination. Zahara Temara has been named at five-eighth with 22-year-old Jocelyn Kelleher getting the nod at halfback. Olivia Higgins makes her NRLW debut at hooker as do Gloucester product Tayla Predebon at prop and back-rower Olivia Kernick.
Broncos: The three-time champs again have a formidable look about them with halves Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken, fullback Tamika Upton and hooker Lauren Brown making up a spine that will be the envy of the competition. Winger Emily Bass, lock Nakita Sao and bench players Jada Ferguson, Sara Sautia and Roxette Murdoch have been handed their debuts and will be keen to make a big impression.
Toni Hunt, Lavinia Gould, Lesa Kaleti Mata'afa and China Polata dropped out of the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off.
The Broncos' final team sheet is 1-17.
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Knights v Eels, Sunday 3.40pm at McDonald Jones Stadium
Knights: Romy Teitzel will captain the Knights in her first game for the club. The competition newcomers have named a powerful squad which includes her North Queensland Gold Stars team-mate Tahlulah Tillett at halfback alongside exciting Kiwi Autumn-Rain Stephens Daly in the No.6.
Ngatokutoru Arakua, Chantelle Graham, Kararaina Wira-Kohu and Paige Parker were omitted from the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off. Maitua Feterika is the 18th player.
The Knights' final side is 1-17.
Eels: Fullback Botille Vette-Welsh plus props Kennedy Cherrington and Tommaya Kelly-Sines are coming off mighty efforts in the recent All Stars clash while hooker Nita Maynard and centre Jocephy Daniels also acquitted themselves well. Centre Tiana Penitani, halfback Maddie Studdon, winger Rikeya Horne, bench prop Filomina Hanisi and lock and captain Simaima Taufa are the other big-name recruits.
The Eels are 1-17 on game day, although back-rower Ellie Johnston will wear jersey number 20.
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