We preview our two junior representative girls sides before they kick off proceedings at Wests Tigers Club Day on Saturday.
TARSHA GALE CUP
Head Coach: Taiana Scanlan
Assistant Coach: David Fifita
Assistant Coach: Latu Fifita
Captains: Evie McGrath and Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua
The Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale Cup squad will be boosted in 2025 by the additions of several highly regarded Pathways players from last season’s U/17’s competition.
The Wests Tigers Lisa Fiaola Cup team reached the Grand Final in 2024, with many players from that side now moving on to Tarsha Gale Cup action this year.
One of these new squad members has been named co-captain, with dynamic back-rower, Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua, given the task of leading the side’s forward pack in the new campaign.
Luamanu-Leiataua will be joined in the captaincy role by 2024 NRLW debutant Evie McGrath, a half/fullback whose running game is always a threat.
New Tarsha Gale Cup Head Coach, Taiana Scanlan, is looking forward to season kick-off against the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy on Saturday, February 1.
“ They're flowing so well, the girls have bought in and created that team culture,” said Scanlan.
“ It's been so player-led, it's exciting to just step back and watch the weeks to come.
“ We're running with co-captains this year and I'm very pleased that it is one of our older girls [McGrath] and one of our younger ones [Luamanu-Leiataua] to mix together and lead from the front.
“ The girls are fit, they're physical, and they're tough, so we'll see where that takes us.”
LISA FIAOLA CUP
Head Coach: Scott Clark
Assistant Coach: Kristin Cawthorne
Assistant Coach: Luke Sherman
Captains: Jewel Faaui and Sienna Robertson
The Wests Tigers Lisa Fiaola Cup team will be looking to go one better than their 2024 Grand Final appearance and have retained some of their key players from last year’s campaign.
Sixty percent of last year’s squad have returned for another season of Lisa Fiaola Cup action, including the likes of Jewel Faaui and Sienna Robertson.
The pair have been elevated to co-captaincy status in 2025, with Head Coach Scott Clark full of praise when discussing their leadership qualities, as well as the squad’s hopes for the year ahead.
“They just bring straight-up leadership,” said Clark.
“They're the girls that bring our culture, our togetherness and accountability. They actually lead from the front, not just by their communication and how they get around the girls, but their efforts too.
“ My coaching philosophy is any player, anywhere, anytime. So the way we train is that any player, anytime, who might be called on to play a different position or fill in, they’ll know how to do that.
“ The girls are more skilful than last year, they’re fitter than last year, so those are the things that are going to get us through.”
