Wests Tigers is delighted to announce the signing of a further nine players ahead of the club’s inaugural NRLW season, all of whom were members of last season’s premiership-winning Harvey Norman Women’s squad.
Five of the nine players are Wests Tigers local juniors. Four of them, including the Curtain twins, played their junior rugby league in the Macarthur region.
There are now 17 players signed to Wests Tigers 2023 NRLW squad, including the latest additions Emily and Sophie Curtain, Bianca Bennetts, Rebecca Pollard, Imogen Gobran, Hope Tevaga, Josie Lenaz, Ebony Prior and Jessica Kennedy.
The Curtain sisters began playing rugby league as 9-year-olds in the boys’ team at Eagle Vale St Andrews, progressing through Wests Tigers women’s pathways teams to the NRLW.
Emily kicked the winning golden-point field goal at Campbelltown Sports Stadium in last year’s grand final while both sisters are world champions in Muay Thai.
Also from Eagle Vale St Andrews is 22-year-old, Bennetts. The Campbelltown-born prop played two seasons in Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale Cup team, and a further two seasons in the club’s NSW Women’s Premiership side.
Liverpool-born winger, Pollard found her way to Wests Tigers via Narellan Jets. The 23-year-old has played the past three seasons in Wests Tigers Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership team, after starting out playing League Tag at Group 6 club, Oaks Tigers.
Gobran is another local junior, from the Balmain district. The 19-year-old prop played touch football for 10 years before joining the club’s Lisa Fiaola Cup team (Under 17s) in 2019, later progressing through Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale team (Under 19s), and Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership side.
Tevaga joined Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale team in 2021, before playing two seasons in the club’s HNWP side. The 21-year-old second rower made the NSW Under 19 Origin team in her first season with Wests Tigers and is studying to become a primary school teacher.
Prior also joined Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale team in 2021, and then stepped up to the club’s HNWP side. The 20-year-old number 9 is a former Hills Sports High student who has represented Australia in Oztag.
Kennedy started playing in the Tarsha Gale Cup with Wests Tigers in 2019 and two years later was appointed captain of the team. The 20-year-old middle forward played her first season of rugby league at the age of 14 in the Under 18s competition for Lower Blue Mountains Eagles.
Lenaz is a 23-year-old outside back of Italian heritage who joined Wests Tigers HNWP team in 2019. The Parramatta junior will combine her NRLW duties with her day job as a teacher.
Head coach Brett Kimmorley says it was always the plan for Wests Tigers NRLW team to have a strong local identity.
“What you see here is the result of many years development work here at Wests Tigers,” said Kimmorley.
It’s brilliant that the vast majority of this team has been playing with our club for a few years now, getting ready for the NRLW.
Brett Kimmorley
“The squad has a great balance of players with NRLW experience, Tarsha Gale and Harvey Norman Women’s experience, and so many are local juniors.
“I love the way our inaugural squad is coming together.”
Matthew Betsey is Wests Tigers General Manager, Womens and Pathways. He says the club has achieved a lot in recent years in developing female talent.
"We can now see a clear pathway for young girls who aspire to become NRLW players with Wests Tigers," said Betsey.
"The Curtain sisters are just one example of what can now be achieved at our club, with programs in place to progress through our pathways’ teams to the elite NRLW.
It is a strategic priority for Wests Tigers to drive a successful female pathways program so that any young girl can now aspire to play NRLW at our club.
Matthew Betsey
"We can already see that our inaugural squad has strong Wests Tigers DNA and local identity."
All nine players will be presented to the crowd before kick-off of the NRL ANZAC Round match between Wests Tigers and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Sunday.
