Wests Tigers Coach Brett Kimmorley has named his 22-player squad ahead of Sunday's historic opening round match against Parramatta Eels in the 2023 NRLW Premiership.
Match: Eels v Wests Tigers
Round 1 -
home Team
Eels
10th Position
away Team
Wests Tigers
1st Position
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Wests Tigers inaugural NRLW team features 13 players who were part of the club’s 2022 Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership squad, including co-captains Kezie Apps and Botille Vette-Welsh.
Campbelltown juniors Emily and Sophie Curtain were also part of that premiership-winning team from last year and will become the first twins to play NRLW.
Pauline Piliae-Rasabale is one of eight players in line to make her NRLW debut. The former Wallaroo has been handed the number six jersey for the season-opener against the Eels, with NSW Under 19s-star Losana Lutu named on the interchange bench.
Eighteen of the 22 players in the extended squad to face the Eels have played in Wests Tigers pathways teams.
Team List:
1. Botille Vette-Welsh - sponsored by Australian Track Services
2. Jakiya Whitfeld - sponsored by Village Florist
3. Rikeya Horne - sponsored by Pro Wrestling Australia
4. Leianne Tufuga - sponsored by Club Menangle
5. Josie Lenaz - sponsored by Sydney West Furniture Repairs
6. Pauline Piliae-Rasabale - sponsored by Jamalle Homewares
7. Emily Curtain - sponsored by Georgiemane
8. Sarah Togatuki - sponsored by Zurich Insurance
9. Ebony Prior - sponsored by Forcast
10. Christian Pio - sponsored by Brydens Lawyers
11. Kezie Apps - sponsored by LC Wealth
12. Eliza Siilata - sponsored by Exclusive Estate Agents
13. Najvada George - sponsored by Tidda Workforce
Interchange:
14. Sophie Curtain - sponsored by KFC
15. Losana Lutu - sponsored by FAB Industrial Logistics
16. Taylor Osborne - sponsored by Wests Tigers Foundation
17. Folau Vaki - sponsored by Wests Tigers Foundation
Reserves:
18. Jessica Kennedy - sponsored by Wests Tigers Foundation
19. Rebecca Pollard - sponsored by Wests Tigers Foundation
20. Bianca Bennetts - sponsored by Wests Tigers Foundation
21. Salma Nour - sponsored by Wests Tigers Foundation
22. Imogen Gobran - sponsored by Wests Tigers Foundation