Gold rush: King urges Kiwi great to join Olympic code hoppers

Dragons star Tyla King has been giving tips to Stacey Waaka and Tenika Willison ahead of their NRLW debuts as legendary Black Ferns team-mate Portia Woodman-Wickliffe considers joining them.

King, who was the 2023 World Rugby 7s player of the year, will make her NRLW return in Sunday night’s match against Newcastle and is preparing to face Willison, while Waaka will play for the Broncos against the Titans.

The 30-year bowed out of Rugby 7s alongside Woodman-Wickliffe after the pair each won a second consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris, but she will continue her career with the Dragons and hinted that the Kiwi great could join her.

“She's voiced that she'd love to come across and I'm pretty sure any team would love her, including us here at the Dragons, so when that time comes, I guess we'll see what happens with her,” King said of Woodman-Wickliffe.

“At the moment though, she's enjoying some downtime with her family, which is much deserved, and just enjoying retirement [from Rugby 7s].”

After initially making the switch last season, King has signed a two-year contract with St George Illawarra and she flew to Sydney with Willison last weekend to begin the next phase of their careers.

The dual international, who played five-eighth for the Kiwi Ferns in last year's Pacific Championships, said she had been spoken to both Willison and Waaka about what to expect in the NRLW.

“We spent almost a month away together and then Tenika and I sat next to each other on the plane,” King said. “We talked about it, we're opposite each other and we're going to smash each other.

“There's no love lost there, we're friends off the field but as soon as we go on the field, she's my opposition so if it comes to that … we had a good laugh about it and I'm looking forward to seeing her again.”

Waaka, who scored the match-winning try in New Zealand’s 19-12 defeat of Canada in the Olympic final, is expected to make her NRLW debut for the Broncos on the wing.

“I’ve been having conversations with her and Tenika, just giving them the heads up about what the game looks like and it helps that Stacey is probably starting on the wing,” King said.

“She hasn't ever played the sport before and it's her first time ever playing league, so like anything, you'll be nervous if it's your first time in a new sport but I’m excited.

“I'll be cheering for her personally and hoping that she does well.”

King proudly showed off her gold medal at Dragons training and at the school attended by coach Jamie Soward's daughters on Thursday.

Despite trailing for most of the match after Woodman-Wickliffe was sinbinned in the first half, she was always confident the Black Ferns would win back-to-back Olympics finals.

“I had the feeling, and I've only had it maybe a couple of times before, where it didn't matter what was going to happen, I knew we were going to come away with that win,” she said.

“It's not arrogance or anything like that, it's just that confidence in what we've done back home, all the training and effort that we put into everything, and then finally finding that flow state where everything was just happening.

“We were able to get the ball in front of each other, we were communicating really well and in defence, we were coming up hard and making those important tackles.

“We got a yellow card early on in that first half, but there was no panic. The girls were very calm, and we were like, ‘we've still got this, we've still got a whole second half to come back’ and that’s exactly what we did.

“Honestly, it’s the fairy tale ending. I couldn't ask for anything better. I've literally finished my 13-year 7s career on a high with the Olympic gold medal, my back-to-back medal, and now I'm here with the Dragons.

“I’m super excited. I saw the girls on Tuesday and was welcomed with massive hugs and smiles. It’s good to be back.”

With the likes of Evania Pelite, Emma Tonegato, Niall Williams-Guthrie and Gayle Broughton also successfully switching from Rugby 7s, it is perceived as an easy transition, but King said hard work and the professionalism was the key.

“I think it's just the mindset that we have coming into it. We are all from professional backgrounds, so we know what it takes to be at the top of our game

“Whenever any of us put our minds to it, we throw in 110 per cent, if not more, into our craft, and so I guess you do all the little one per centers, as people say.

“I was here two hours early to make sure I could chat with Sowie and learn about what's going on with the game plan, and make sure the moves that we did last year are kind of similar, so it's the things that people don't see behind the scenes.”