Knights boss Phil Gardner rates NRLW venture as milestone moment for club

The bold statement was made as the club officially launched their maiden NRLW voyage last Friday in what Gardner described as "a very important day for Newcastle".

The Knights join Parramatta as the new teams in an expanded six-team 2021 competition, which will kick off with a triple-header at McDonald Jones Stadium on February 27 after being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The season was originally scheduled to be played in September.

"We brought all of the girls together and then the season got cancelled," Gardner said.

"The way in which the players handled it was exceptional. Regardless of the disappointment of cancelling last year's competition they've just been wonderful. Everyone in sport can learn from what we've seen from women in the Knights' NRLW side."

It means there will be two NRLW seasons this year. The 2022 version will be played towards the end of the year.

The Knights installed Casey Bromilow as head coach of their NRLW team last week and unveiled a host of locally grown players.

They include Nelson Bay product Bobbi Law, who has played the past two NRLW seasons with the Sydney Roosters and has represented the Prime Minister's XIII and Indigenous All Stars.

READ MORE: Bobbi Law among local players unveiled for Knights NRLW side

The 24-year-old also works full-time with NSW Aboriginal Safe Gambling Services.

"It's really hard for the girls at the moment because there are mums playing, we all work full-time still and we have to find time to play rugby league," Law said.

"But we do it because we love it. So to hear Phil and the club back us is really exciting. That's going to hopefully inspire many other little girls to try rugby league."

Gardner said the goal for rugby league was parity.

"The women currently are part-timers, so they're making huge sacrifices to play our sport," he said.

"They're working. They're trying to build careers and jobs and homes and play football as well. It's much much harder for the women than it is for the men. It's really inspirational to all of us what they're doing.

"One of our goals is to see parity right across both males and females in our sport. And given the growth in our sport and how quickly the support from sponsors who have come on board, I think we'll see that in a short period of time for women. We are excited about where we're heading."

READ MORE: Adam O'Brien talks Pearce, Ponga, Joey and Knights' 2022 prospects

The Knights will also field teams in the statewide Tarsha Gale Cup for under 19s and the open-age NSWRL Women's Premiership.

It means there will be established pathways through to the elite level for males and females in the region.

"What we are now at the Newcastle Knights is the largest development club in the game," Gardner said.

"We are the biggest developer of rugby league talent, both male and female, in the game. Our area is Gosford to the Queensland border and we want to represent every young man and every young woman in that area.

"Everyone that aspires to play rugby league, whether you're a male or a female, can come and can play for the Knights. And we have a pathway. We're opening our new Centre of Excellence and the players will be over there on the fourth of January, all of them.

"We're excited what the season is going to be. But we're particularly excited about what the NRLW means for the club. It means we embrace our entire community."

The Knights open their NRLW journey against the Eels and Bromilow said they were not going into the club's first season "to make up numbers".

"The goal is always to win," Bromilow said.

"Essentially, we want to develop as much as we can, make all the players better.

"I think we have a really talented squad and I think we can give the competition a good shake."

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