There's a renewed sense of excitement and optimism in the Hunter with the start of a new Telstra Women's Premiership season bringing it with it the hope of improved fortunes for Newcastle faithful.
Having gone winless through the 2021 season, the Knights enter 2022 with a new coach in Ronnie Griffiths and a host of new recruits, headlined by former Broncos duo Millie Boyle and Tamika Upton who will now face their former club.
Brisbane may have re-signed a number of their key players, but there were several notable departures over the off-season with Boyle and Upton joined by Lauren Brown, Hagiga Mosby and Roxy Murdoch — who all joined the Titans — in leaving the Broncos. Coach Kelvin Wright will see it as an opportunity to bring several new players in to the fold, however, with the likes of Jaime Chapman, Nita Maynard, Annetta Nu'uausala and Shakiah Tungai all set to line up for Brisbane this year.
Dominant in the regular season last year, the Broncos were a shock semi final exit for the first time in their history — bowing out to eventual premiers in the Roosters — and they'll be hoping to go at least one step further this time around.
How they begin their campaign against a Newcastle outfit that many are tipping to be a genuine threat this year will lay a great marker for whether those hopes are justified or not in 2022.
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The Rundown
Team News
Knights: There are no late changes for the home side. Jesse Southwell has won the race to partner Kirra Dibb in the halves and will become the youngest ever NRLW debutante at 17. Southwell's older sister Hannah, who has 16 NRLW appearances to her name, starts at lock. Big-name recruits Tamika Upton and Millie Boyle will make their club debut at fullback and prop respectively. Caitlin Moran is the 18th player.
Broncos: There are no late changes for the visitors. New signings Jaime Chapman and Nita Maynard are part of the club's new-look spine, while fellow off-season recruit Crystal Tamarua is named to come off the bench.
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Player to watch: Millie Boyle
With an average of 75.7 post-contact metres and 198.6 metres per game in 2021, there's no doubting the impact that Millie Boyle can have on a game, and her performance on Sunday could well be the difference between the two sides — such is her talent. Moreover, what impact Boyle's absence will have for the Broncos will also be fascinating to watch as Kelvin Wright's side adjust to coming up against the reigning co-Dally M Medallist for the first time. Brisbane remain the most experienced team in the NRLW with a combined experience of 203 games.
Stat Attack
The Knights had the worst completion rate in the competition last year (62 percent) while the Broncos ranked first with 80. Unsurprisingly, that resulted in Brisbane having 57 percent of the ball in matches last year while Newcastle managed just 45 percent possession — a statistic they'll need to turn around in a hurry if they're any chance of springing an upset on Sunday night.
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