Jillaroos, Queensland and Knights fullback, Tamika Upton, has already conquered the major milestones in women’s Rugby League. Yet the four-time NRLW Premiership winner and 2023 Dally M Player of the year has been working behind the scenes this season with a new valued mentor to take her impressive game to a new level.
The guidance of Newcastle Knights assistant coach and former NRL player, Blake Green, has proved to be a welcome addition to her already formidable game preparation.
“He is one of the most incredible mentors I’ve come across, especially his passion for the game, and his generosity with his time,” Upton said.
“He is the assistant coach for the men’s Knights team, but he also watches a lot of the women’s game and knows what the other teams are doing, and it’s been very special for me and the team to have him around.
“I talk to him a lot about where in my individual game I can improve and get better. That planning has really helped me grow this year – targeting specific areas against other teams and knowing where to inject myself in the game.”
While Upton and Knights fell short of a third straight premiership, going down to eventual Premiers the Roosters in this year’s semi-final, Upton continued to impress and was ultimately awarded Newcastle’s player of the year. The 2023 Kayrn Murphy medalist credits Green with giving her a license to roam and make even more of an impact in her attacking raids.
“A massive influence from working with him has been the play-making in my game,” Upton said.
“He is someone who works with Kalyn Ponga in his team at fullback, and Ponga is obviously someone who comes in and directs the play, and Blake has brought that direction to my game. It’s about not sticking to standard fullback plays, and not becoming stuck in a predictable box.
“He is from a touch footy background like I am, and comes up with new ways to create chances in attack, coming from different angles and seeing the game differently.”
The Knights faced new challenges this season, injury setbacks and a hotly contested NRLW competition that saw teams lift their game against the 2023 Premiers. Upton however, sees plenty of positives after another finals campaign.
“This season I feel like my game had a lot of growth in areas people might not necessarily see,” she said.
“ I was happy with my game and the team’s game this year. I think we continue to build upon our past successes as a team. It’s exciting with longer contracts that we have the chance to do that building now, even though this season we fell short. Despite the disappointment, I was proud of our season.”
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