NRLW - 2024

[ALX25]

Sevens superstar Dominique du Toit signs with the Sharks

The Sharks are thrilled to confirm the signing of rugby sevens superstar Dominique du Toit for the remainder of 2024.

www.sharks.com.au

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Sevens superstar Dominique du Toit signs with the Sharks

The Sharks are thrilled to confirm the signing of rugby sevens superstar Dominique du Toit for the remainder of 2024.

www.sharks.com.au

Is there such a thing as a "Sevens superstar"?

How many NRL followers will have heard of Dominique du Toit? Including whoever wrote this for Sharks media.

I remember Nick du Toit at Wigan in the 80s.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Wests Tigers sign Montana Clifford

Wests Tigers are delighted to welcome former Panthers forward, Montana Clifford to the club for the remainder of the Telstra Women’s Premiership season.

www.weststigers.com.au

Several season-ending injuries across NRLW.

Begs a couple of questions. Are NRLW injuries greater in number than last year? And are they proportionately greater in number than NRL?

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

The second Cowboys try v Raiders was marred by the commentators wrongly suggesting a knock-on had been missed.

The Cowboys player was facing her own goal-line when she fumbled. How is it that so many people nowadays seem to think a bobble in any direction constitutes a knock-on?

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Only seen highlights of Round 5 so far, but first impressions are of a comp hitting new heights. Attacking games especially clicking into gear.

Re Titans/Roosters stoush -

Probably a delayed spill-over from last year's semi. Needs containing of course, but best seen as a salutary reflection of more stable rosters in 2024. Too many players changing clubs in previous seasons. Tribal histories and rivalries never had the chance to build.

Huge game next Saturday Titans/Sharks. Pity it's such an early kick-off.

 

[aqua_duck]

Is there such a thing as a "Sevens superstar"?

How many NRL followers will have heard of Dominique du Toit? Including whoever wrote this for Sharks media.

I remember Nick du Toit at Wigan in the 80s.

I don’t understand the point you’re trying to make, rugby 7s is a really high quality product especially in the women’s space and way more people world wide would’ve heard of say Ilona Maher, Portia Woodman and Charlotte Caslick than say Ali Briggenshaw or Raecene McGregor.

In terms of the quality of recruit from 7s, it’s by far the best recruitment ground for NRLW bar none.

 

[aqua_duck]

Only seen highlights of Round 5 so far, but first impressions are of a comp hitting new heights. Attacking games especially clicking into gear.

Re Titans/Roosters stoush -

Probably a delayed spill-over from last year's semi. Needs containing of course, but best seen as a salutary reflection of more stable rosters in 2024. Too many players changing clubs in previous seasons. Tribal histories and rivalries never had the chance to build.

Huge game next Saturday Titans/Sharks. Pity it's such an early kick-off.

Quality is definitely increasing though with a short season a lot of teams are going to have off days particularly early on as they’re still finding their feet. I think what would really make a big difference is if they designed a different football for the women.
The girls have considerably smaller hands so catching the football is a lot harder and kicking is also a big weakness. If they used a either a slightly smaller ball you’d see a far better product with a lot less errors and girls actually being able to contest high kicks better.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

I don’t understand the point you’re trying to make, rugby 7s is a really high quality product especially in the women’s space and way more people world wide would’ve heard of say Ilona Maher, Portia Woodman and Charlotte Caslick than say Ali Briggenshaw or Raecene McGregor.

In terms of the quality of recruit from 7s, it’s by far the best recruitment ground for NRLW bar none.

The narrow point is that 7s players lack significant name recognition among the NRL fanbase.

We'll have to agree to differ on the appraisal of 7s as a "really high quality product". The players might be fit and skilful, but the game itself is risibly shallow. Maybe useful as a training drill, nothing more.

Female RL is in a correction phase. Girls no longer have to stop playing aged 12. Fewer will be forced to opt for 7s at school or uni. NRLW clubs should be prioritizing players coming through their pathways. If 7s is the best route to an NRLW contract, why play League?

Excessive recruitment of readymade "stars" from another sport is fool's gold. Check out the history of English pro clubs and their addiction to Welsh RU "converts".

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Quality is definitely increasing though with a short season a lot of teams are going to have off days particularly early on as they’re still finding their feet. I think what would really make a big difference is if they designed a different football for the women.
The girls have considerably smaller hands so catching the football is a lot harder and kicking is also a big weakness. If they used a either a slightly smaller ball you’d see a far better product with a lot less errors and girls actually being able to contest high kicks better.

According to Allana Ferguson, a smaller football is being trialled.

 

[Haffa]

Tigers need to punt Kimmorley at the end of the year. His use of interchanges were abysmal and then he blamed conditioning and effort for their collapse.

 

[aqua_duck]

The narrow point is that 7s players lack significant name recognition among the NRL fanbase.

We'll have to agree to differ on the appraisal of 7s as a "really high quality product". The players might be fit and skilful, but the game itself is risibly shallow. Maybe useful as a training drill, nothing more.

Female RL is in a correction phase. Girls no longer have to stop playing aged 12. Fewer will be forced to opt for 7s at school or uni. NRLW clubs should be prioritizing players coming through their pathways. If 7s is the best route to an NRLW contract, why play League?

Excessive recruitment of readymade "stars" from another sport is fool's gold. Check out the history of English pro clubs and their addiction to Welsh RU "converts".

The girls who have been able to play league all the way through are still young and developing, recruiting high level 7s girls who don’t forget a full time athletes provides a welcome boost to the quality of the game which is still lacking in depth atm. 7s rugby obviously isn’t the in depth, all encompassing game that league is but there are some high level athletes in that pool, you look at Stacey Waaka who’s come in with no pre season, barely any league experience, no team and she’s been one of the broncos better players right away.
If you’re looking for name recognition then I really don’t know what the solution is, NRLW is so new that most of the NRL fan base barely know who Julia Robinson, Shannon Mato or Lauren Brown are let alone 7s girls. If you’re looking for name recognition maybe they should be recruiting Matilda’s players of tik tokkers?
What the 7s girls bring especially the kiwi girls is brand connection, take a girl like Waaka for example, you might not have heard of her but when the description is Olympic gold medalist and black ferns 7s star it kind of trumps the name.

 

[Nutz]

Tigers need to punt Kimmorley at the end of the year. His use of interchanges were abysmal and then he blamed conditioning and effort for their collapse.

They started off with a bang last year and started off with a fart this year.
Gone backwards

 

[ALX25]

They started off with a bang last year and started off with a fart this year.
Gone backwards

Recruited poorly and the loss of Whitfeld has hurt.

 

[Nutz]

Recruited poorly and the loss of Whitfeld has hurt.

Yeh winger of the year and she made rep teams in our first year then buzzes off. Frustrating to say the least.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

If you’re looking for name recognition then I really don’t know what the solution is, NRLW is so new that most of the NRL fan base barely know who Julia Robinson, Shannon Mato or Lauren Brown are let alone 7s girls. If you’re looking for name recognition maybe they should be recruiting Matilda’s players of tik tokkers?

Extensive name recognition for NRLW players will take time. No short cuts. Club affinities are probably more valuable to the comp at this stage.

Women's Origin has a big part to play. This year's TV ratings indicated far-reaching appeal.

What the 7s girls bring especially the kiwi girls is brand connection, take a girl like Waaka for example, you might not have heard of her but when the description is Olympic gold medalist and black ferns 7s star it kind of trumps the name.

This is precisely the concern. Leeching off Olympics or Black Ferns brand recognition demeans NRLW. It also completely undermines domestic comps and development in NZRL. Krystal Rota, ex Kiwi Fern and current coach of Papakura, has echoed the point I made in an earlier post i.e. if playing Union is the best route to an NRLW contract, why play League?