Tip sheet: The major NRLW talking points for 2023

It's a new year and for 10 NRL clubs in 2023 there will be a strong representation of female athletes showcasing their skill in an upcoming season that's expected to unearth more stars. 

The NRL Telstra Women's Premiership will be bigger than ever in 2023 with 10 teams, a finals series and an expanded State of Origin series, ensuring more rugby league is played than ever before for our NRLW contingent. 

NRL.com looks at 10 key talking points and burning questions for the NRLW in 2023.

Fantastic four enters comp

Four new teams, bigger squad sizes and new superstars to watch.

The introduction of the Cowboys, Wests Tigers, Raiders and Sharks will give another 23.5 per cent of the NRL fan base their favourite team to watch this year.

With all the head coaching roles confirmed at the four clubs, the next steps are for the rosters to be built once the green light is given following the CBA agreement.

It will be a much-anticipated entry for the Sharks in particular, who were originally denied an inaugural licence in 2018.

Recent history suggests a slow burn to start for new franchises with the Knights and Eels missing the finals in their inaugural campaigns. The positive? Both clubs turned things around five months later to feature in the 2022 NRLW decider.

Player merry-go-round to continue

Speaking of the CBA, once it is finalised, expect plenty of signing announcements to come your way, including new clubs unveiling their inaugural players.

Despite clubs not being able to officially sign anyone as yet, there has been plenty happening behind the scenes with players looking to sort out their futures. 

The NRLW has averaged around 50 per cent of player turnover each season at clubs and with the introduction of the four new franchises, that only looks set to continue with everyone a free agent. 

With young guns emerging last year, players will look to switch clubs in a bid for more game time while others will be lured by the increased salary cap in 2023.

So, expect the unexpected, and expect clubs to lock in those players as early as possible.

Stars set to return

The busy 2022 calendar wasn't without its heartbreak last year with key players Botille Vette-Welsh, Hannah Southwell and Brydie Parker all suffering season-ending knee injuries. 

The trio would've been pushing for World Cup selection with the Jillaroos last November but the injury gods had other ideas. 

They'll now be pushing to return ahead of the NRLW season kick-off and are sure to be picked up by clubs in the new year.

Broncos forward Nakita Sao, who missed a large portion of the year after also rupturing her ACL, is a bright player of the future and also one that is likely to be picked up by a club. 

On the maternity front, former Roosters captain Corban Baxter is due to give birth to her second child early in the new year and could make a return at the end of the season.

Can the Broncos bounce back?

It was a year to forget for the Broncos in 2022 after a start to the first NRLW season that had everyone believing they would continue their dominant ways.

A shock loss to the Roosters in April was the catalyst for a rough next six months for the three-time champions with just one win in six games. 

The results have seen former coach Kelvin Wright depart and Scott Prince come in to help get the Broncos back on track. 

Prince has been involved in the women's game in recent years and already has strong ties to several players in the current squad. 

The questions are which players will the club keep and who will Prince be able to turn things around?

Will anyone catch Tamika Upton?

It's a tight race to the top for the all-time try-scorer's list with Knights fullback Tamika Upton leading the way on 12 after a classy treble across two games in last year's finals series. 

Upton overtook Titans winger Madi Bartlett (11) with a try in the NRLW grand final but has plenty of competition with Teagan Berry (10), Isabelle Kelly (9) and Julia Robinson (9) close behind.

Five months of attrition

The schedule between NRLW seasons in 2022 gave an insight into what the future holds for our elite female athletes with workload management a topic that is likely to be a key talking point this year. 

For the NRLW athletes, who are all part-time, the nine-week regular rounds followed by a two-week finals series will be a good indication as to where the competition is at. 

Add in a mini pre-season and the possibility of Origin and club games in lower state competitions and players will be exposed to another busy schedule.

Parramatta went 0-4 before winning a final round game in 2022 and then shocking the Broncos in the semi-finals to reach the decider.

That sort of pathway to the grand final won't be on offer in 2023 and sides could realistically have a rough three months if they don't find any continuity. 

How the players, staff and clubs handle the tough times (as we know in the NRL, the scrutiny can be heavy) will be just as important as celebrating the good results.

International flavour arriving?

The World Cup final may have been a blowout result but with almost the entire Australian and New Zealand players who featured at the tournament likely to play in the NRLW, many are hoping more players follow suit from other nations. 

In particular, England, who have improved drastically since the 2017 World Cup. 

The likes of Tara Stanley, Emily Rudge, Jodie Cunningham and Fran Goldthorpe could be absolute hits down under if NRLW clubs are able to lure them to the southern hemisphere. 

More PNG and possibly Brazil players could also be on their way. Not only will the players who land at clubs benefit greatly from the professional environment, the NRLW competition will only go from strength-to-strength with their involvement.

Can Queensland strike a double blow?

The expected expansion of State of Origin to two games will mean Queensland have to win both to reclaim the shield in 2023 after NSW won the standalone fixture last year.

It's a decision that has divided many, the series going to two games and not three, but for now the Maroons will focus on how they can get back on track after surrendering the title. 

NSW will want to return serve and retain the shield, and make no mistake they'll want to do it with their own 2-0 series win. 

Milestones pending

The race to 1000 tackles in NRLW history is on, along with the race to 100 points, as players who have either been part of the competition's inception or not long after lead the way to pending milestones. 

Eels co-captain Simaima Taufa is closest to 1000 tackles with 711 in 21 appearances made in the competition. 

Others close to the target and capable of breaking the milestone include Brittany Breayley-Nati (610), Georgia Hale (599), Holli Wheeler (534) and Millie Boyle (482). 

Roosters playmaker Zahara Temara, who has played the most NRLW matches in history with 24, is five points shy of being the first player to reach a century. Knights five-eighth Kirra Dibb is next best on 62.

What's next

While most of the focus will be on-field for the NRLW in 2023, there will be plenty of planning behind the scenes about the competition's future beyond the new year. 

Many NRL clubs not yet in the NRLW have expressed an interest in entering the competition from 2024 with much likely to depend on how the four new teams settle in. 

Canterbury, South Sydney and Penrith are among those who are eager to be part of the next expansion process while NRLW foundation club the Warriors are also likely to be another club ready after knocking back the chance to re-enter in 2023. 

The Sea Eagles will field a Tarsha Gale Cup side in 2023, signalling their intentions to have an NRLW side long-term while the Storm and Dolphins have also declared an interest for the future.