Generation next: The players to watch at National Championships
The next generation of NRLW talent will be on full display across four days when the Harvey Norman National Championships kicks off in Burleigh on Thursday.
A total of 12 teams across Australia and New Zealand will compete in three pools and here are just some of the names to keep an eye on.
Players to watch: National Championships
Dannii Perese (Queensland Rubys)
An emerging forward who the Titans have picked up and promoted to the top 24 for the NRLW this season, Perese is tipped for big things in the women's game in the coming years. A hard-running prop, Perese played in last year's tournament and has again shown consistency this season, averaging 106 metres in the BMD Premiership this year for Burleigh with 15 tackle busts and five offloads.
Ahlivia Ingram (Firsts Nation Gems)
Canberra's newest NRLW signing, Ahlivia Ingram, will return to the Firsts Nations Gems line-up this year after taking part in the Championships last season. Ingram has enjoyed a rapid rise to representative football in the past 12 months, more recently playing in the PM's XIII side last September before coming off the bench for the Indigenous All Stars in February.
Summer Van Gelder (Ahi Ka Aotearoa)
A national netball prodigy who will captain the New Zealand side in their first appearance at the National Championships. There's plenty of hope that Van Gelder can translate her netball skills onto the rugby league field at the Championships. Van Gelder has spent a year at the Warriors through the club's junior pathway programme and starred at a World Sevens tournament in December.
Leah Ollerton (NSW Country)
Knights Tarsha Gale Cup hooker Leah Ollerton captained her side to the semi-finals this season and is looking to make the next step of her young career with her first taste of a NSW Country jersey. Ollerton has built her game around running first through the middle and is a constant try scorer close to the line.
Libby Surha (Queensland Sapphires)
A promising utility player from the North Queensland system who along with Perese represented the PM's XIII side against PNG last year. The teenager played hockey as a child before switching to rugby league. After suffering an ACL injury in 2021, Surha has made her way back into NRLW calculations this season and spent time in Canberra last year through the Women's Indigenous Academy. She will be part of the Cowboys' development list for the NRLW in 2023.
Alexis Tauaneai (NSW City)
The Dragons NRLW recruit, snapped up by Jamie Soward for his top squad last month. A tall, hard-running forward, Tauaneai has spent time in rugby union previously before moving to Australia this season. She was crowned Tarsha Gale Cup player of the year while representing the Bulldogs before being quickly promoted to Canterbury's Harvey Norman NSW Premiership side, such has been her rapid rise in the lower grades.
Mikaela Trbojevich (Australian Defence Force)
The younger cousin of Manly's Trbojevic brothers, Mikaela makes the switch to rugby league after coming through the rugby union system on the northern beaches. Trbojevich's career in the Australian Defence Force sees her eligible to use the National Championships as an opportunity to test herself in a new code as a middle forward.
Krystal Blackwell (NSW Emerging Country)
ACT product Krystal Blackwell gets her chance to impress at the tournament after recently starring for the Monaro Colts in the NSWRL Country Championships, where she claimed player of the match honours after a first-half double. With the ability to play at fullback or in the halves, Blackwell is among those in the mix of future honours at the Raiders following their introduction into the NRLW.
Mena Layfield (Victoria)
A promising playmaker coming through the Victorian ranks, Mena Layfield returns to the Championships after a successful two years playing at the representative level for her state. After a brief stint playing AFL during her teenage years, Layfield has been a consistent performer after her code switch and can play in the halves or anywhere in the backline in a boost for coach Jason Warr.
Zakiya Kereopa (Western Australia)
Rugby convert Zakiya Kereopa is another player who will make the switch to league for the tournament after previously representing the Western Force in Super W. Kereopa is no stranger to league as a member of the Ellenbrook Rabbitohs side in Perth. She is a specialist left edge player who should suit in the back-row or on the wing/centre.
Courtney Tamati (Northern Territory)
A familiar name in the Queensland ranks, Tamati will play for Northern Territory at the National Championships after moving to the state this year. Tamati, a promising halfback who represented Queensland in the under 19s Origin clash in 2021, also had a brief stint with the North Sydney Bears after playing for the Sydney Roosters in the Tarsha Gale Cup. Her light footwork and kicking game will be beneficial for the Northern Territory side as they look to improve on last year's campaign.
The 2023 Harvey Norman National Championship will be live streamed on NRL.com across all four days. The tournament is proudly supported by Major Events Gold Coast.
