The introduction of two new teams means more talent than ever before will feature on the NRLW stage in 2025.
The NRL.com writers scan the 12 sides in search of a rising star set to emerge when the new season kicks off in July.
Brad Walter: Teenage Wests Tigers five-eighth Evie McGrath played the last two NRLW matches of the 2024 season and after scoring a try on debut against the Cowboys and helping her team to a win against the Dragons she is likely to become a regular feature in the No.6 jersey. A Shellharbour Stingrays product, McGrath was a member of Illawarra's undefeated Tarsha Gale Cup team but with Kiwi Ferns stars Raecene McGregor and Tyla King in the halves she made the move to Wests Tigers. McGrath also played for NSW U19s last season, partnering Steelers team-mate Kasey Reh in the halves, and scored a try in the 46-4 triumph.
Cameron Mee: Illawarra youngster Indie Bostock has dominated at every level she's played throughout her junior years and expect the centre to make an instant impact in her first season in the Dragons NRLW squad. The younger sister of 2024 NRL Rookie of the Year Jack Bostock, the 18-year-old boasts the same mix of speed, skill and athleticism as the Dolphins winger. Indie played a key role in the Steelers' Tarsha Gale Cup and NSWRL Harvey Norman Premiership titles, while she also starred for the NSW Under 19s team and the Australian Schoolgirls in 2024. An NRLW debut appears imminent in 2025 and Bostock is on track to replicate her brother's feats as a Rookie of the Year.
Indie Bostock scores for Australia
Colleen Edwards: Knights back-rower Evah McEwen caught the eye in her NRLW debut earlier this year, coming off the bench to run 144 metres with nine tackle breaks as the Knights downed the Cowboys. In her second game - the last game of the regular season - she scored a try and continued to show the spark that saw her win the Tarsha Gale Cup Player of the Year award for the club in the Under 19 competition. Capping off her year with selection for Samoa in the Pacific Championships campaign, the 18-year-old St Mary's junior will push for a starting second row position in Ben Jeffries' line-up, with the departure of Laishon Albert-Jones to the Warriors next season.
Corey Rosser: Across her first four appearances as an NRLW player in 2024 Lavinia Tauhalaliku showed some real promise, averaging five tackle busts and 126 run metres per game for the Cowboys. Back home in Auckland for 2025, I'm tipping she will find another gear and become one of the game's top wingers thanks to her potent combination of power and speed. Having earned her lone Kiwi Ferns cap back in 2020, the 25-year-old should be right back in the frame for New Zealand selection by the end of the year.
Sarina Masaga 2nd Try
Martin Lenehan: The Titans boast a quality crop of youngsters and the pick of the bunch could well be Sarina Masaga, who made her NRLW debut against the Eels in Round 7 and went on to average 113 running metres per game in three appearances. The classy centre then celebrated her international debut with a double in Samoa's 30-16 win over Tonga in the Pacific Championships clash in Fiji. She played all three Tests for Samoa as they earned promotion to next year's Pacific Cup qualified for the 2026 World Cup across a magical three-week campaign. Equally at home in the back row, the Keebra Park Girls' Sport Academy graduate looks set for a massive season in 2025 as the Titans look to rebound from a disappointing eighth-placed finish in 2024.
