NRL 2024, NRLW signings, player signings, contracts, movement, recruits, latest details ahead of the 2024 Telstra Women’s Premiership season

The Knights have signed former New Zealand netball star Grace Kukutai and fellow Super Rugby convert Isabella Waterman for the upcoming NRLW season.

New Knights coach Ben Jeffries has finalised his roster, which comprises largely of players who helped Newcastle to back-to-back premierships last season, along with Kukutai, Waterman and teenage five-eighth Evie Jones.

Kukutai began her professional sports career as a netballer with Northern Mystics before switching to rugby sevens in 2019.

She spent this season playing Super W with Chiefs but will now make another code switch, along with Waterman, who played fullback for the Hurricanes.  

“When I arrived, most NRLW spots were already determined, with a strong contingent of contracted players retained and some pathway’s players pushing through to the top squad,” Jeffries said.

“My immediate focus was adding some specific new talent to compliment the current list, Grace and Isabella fitted this profile perfectly, along with promoting Evah McEwen to the development list.

“One of our key objectives is nurturing local players through our pathways systems, whilst evolving and retaining existing NRLW talent like Tayla Predebon, who has extended her contract until 2026 and we look forward to announcing more in the near future.”

The Knights kick off their premiership defence on July 25 against the Roosters, at McDonald Jones Stadium. 

“We expect to be the hunted and acknowledge we will need to evolve,” Jeffries said. “Being the hunted is a privilege not a limitation.

“This will challenge our playing group individually and collectively to prepare for whatever comes at us.”

Meanwhile, the Titans have signed four rising female stars on their 2024 development list ahead of the upcoming season.

Georgia Grey, Tiresa Elika and Sarina Masaga are all fresh new faces for the club, whilst Estanoa Faitala is back after a devastating season-ending knee injury in 2023.

The news comes after the club extended the contracts of veterans Brittany Breayley-Nati and Karina Brown for the upcoming NRLW campaign, while also picking up former Kiwi Ferns front-rower Ngatokotoru Arakua.

Meanwhile Arakua, who has previously played for the Broncos, Dragons and Knights but sat out the 2022 and 2023 NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership seasons, will also join the Gold Coast alongside rugby sevens convert Georgia Sim.

The Raiders have rounded out their roster for 2024 with the addition of rookie trio Jaida Faleono, Tatiana Finau and Relna Wuruki-Hosea.

Eighteen-year-old Faleono made the move to the capital from the Gold Coast this year to be part of the club’s Tarsha Gale Cup system, while Finau joins from the Bulldogs where she played at both Tarsha Gale and Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership level last year. 

Wuruki-Hosea, who hails from Badu Island in the Torres Strait, took the field for the Queensland Sapphires at the recent Women’s National Championships on the Gold Coast, scoring five tries during the tournament. 

The Dragons have signed Zali Hopkins, Margot Vella and Keele Browne to new deals ahead of the 2024 NRLW season.

Hopkins and Vella have signed through to the end of 2025 while Browne has signed a one-year deal.

The Raiders have announced the signings of international representatives Amelia Pasikala and Sereana Naitokatoka for the 2024 NRLW season.

Kiwi Fern Pasikala has signed a two-year-deal through to 2025 while Fiji Bulikula representative Naitokatoka joins the Raiders on a one-year-deal for 2024.

After making seven appearances for the Roosters last year, 20-year-old Pasikala capped off a big debut season after being representing New Zealand in the Pacific Championships.

Naitokatoka, meanwhile, enters her third season of NRLW after playing for the Eels in 2021 and the Sharks in 2023 where she came off the bench in all nine games last season.

Official Squad Lists 

Updated NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership rosters for the 2024 season are below. Contract lengths, as well as player, club and mutual options, are listed in full.

• Player option (PO): Player has the option to activate additional year(s)
• Club option (CO): Club has the option to activate additional year(s)
• Mutual option (MO): Both parties discuss the option to activate additional year(s)

Your club’s NRLW contract list:

Broncos | Raiders | Sharks

Titans | Knights | Cowboys | Eels

Dragons | Roosters | Wests Tigers

Brisbane Broncos

Canberra Raiders