Some of the nation's finest touch football players have today been announced as inaugural squad members for Wests Tigers NRL Touch Premiership team.
Headlining the women's team is Maddie Studdon — a contracted women's NRL player who still plays elite touch — while current Australian squad members Elin Mortimer (women's team) and Scott Buckley (men's team) were honoured as the Australian flagbearers and awarded the Ron Hanson Medals yesterday.
Other key faces in Wests Tigers men's team include Nick Good, the current Australian men's captain, while Steve Roberts has represented Australia at four World Cups (including as captain) and has been tasked with developing elite Touch Football in Japan by being the coach of the Australian Men's team. Justin Costello is the only Northern Territorian in the competition while Stuart Brierty has been a stalwart of the Australian Men's Open team since his debut in the 2009 Trans-Tasman; he has represented Australia in every international tournament since, including the 2011 and 2015 World Cups.
The inaugural Premiership will consist of six games plus a final.
Queensland teams and NSW teams will compete against each other in separate pools, with the winners from each pool progressing to the Premiership Final.
WESTS TIGERS MEN'S SQUAD
Nicholas Good
Madalitso Masache
James Blackwood
Edward Burrell
James Shute
Dean Springfield
Scott Buckley
Cameron Nicholls
Daniel Stone
Justin Costello
Ryan Goss
Stuart Brierty
Tjadyn Ashby
Robert Nakhla
Jake Grech
Steve Roberts
Coach: Troy Trad
Assistant: David Nolan
Manager: Robert Barakat
WESTS TIGERS WOMEN'S SQUAD
Ashleigh Quinlan
Toni Breeze
Kirstie Jenkins
Isabella Slattery
Paige Markey
Patricia Michaelopoulos
Maddie Studdon
Abbey Papenhuyzen
Claire Tandek
Elin Mortimer
Logan Flanagan
Hinerangi Andreassend
Chelsea Hindmarsh
Amy Webb
Tyla Gambell
Courtney Young
Coach: Paul Sfeir
Assistant: Matt Scranage
Manager: Kim Solman
