Kirra Dibb doesn't feel like the Knights have a mountain to climb this season despite finishing last in their maiden NRLW campaign earlier this year.
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Rather, the 24-year-old playmaker reckons the club is already part way up it.
The Knights didn't record a win in the five-round regular season that finished in March, but did come close.
Their competitiveness from the outset has left Dibb confident her recruit-boosted team will make strides second time round.
"It's obviously a challenge to go through the season without a win, but if we're just looking at the result itself - we're really taking away from what we were able to do as a club," Dibb, who grew up on the Central Coast, said.
"The first game we only went down by a field goal in the dying minutes.
"I think four of our five games if you look at the score in the final 10 minutes, we were still a shot at winning if things went our way.
"There were definitely things that we can take away that were really positive and that we can bring into this next season."
Dibb and her teammates, some new, have started training ahead of their first game against the Broncos at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday, August 21.
It's a short preseason compared to the men, but Dibb said most of the squad had played consistently in the NSW and Queensland state competitions over recent months.
"The off-season isn't really a thing in our game this year," the NSW five-eighth said, in reference to the two NRLW competitions in 2022.
"The girls have all come into this season excited and everyone is ready to buy in regardless of if they're a big name in the game or someone just finding their feet in the NRLW.
"Everyone is excited to work as a unit."
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The Knights have added former Broncos premiership-winners Tamika Upton and Millie Boyle to their squad, and managed to bring Hannah Southwell, Yasmin Clydsdale and Olivia Higgins back to the Hunter after the trio claimed the last NRLW title with Sydney Roosters.
"We're just excited to see what we can produce as a group," Dibb said.
"There's plenty to build on and this squad is more than ready to take on that challenge."
Dibb, who has previously played for Australia, said she would hopeful of being selected for the World Cup in England later this year but was focused on playing well for the Knights.
"The World Cup is going to be anyone's goal I think, especially being there before it's something I want to do again," Dibb, who began playing rugby league with the boys at Kincumber Colts, said.
"At the moment, I want to make sure I put in whatever I can to the knights and to the girls here.
"If we all perform well as a team, we're all going to be a better shot of pulling on those jerseys for the World Cup this year."
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