When asked if there was any hesitation with selecting Jesse Southwell to wear the Knights' No.7 jersey, Newcastle's NRLW coach Ron Griffiths had a simple response: "none".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Southwell, a 17-year-old homegrown product, will make her NRLW debut at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday and squares off with one of the most experienced players in the game - Broncos captain, Queensland representative and two-time World Cup winner Ali Brigginshaw.
Fresh from claiming a Commonwealth Games gold medal in rugby sevens, Southwell was recently cleared to play the national women's competition despite being below the required age and officially joined the senior Knights squad last week.
READ ALSO:
- 'She was not a demon, she was an innocent young woman': Emerald Wardle's mother speaks
- Toohey's News the Podcast: Kalyn Ponga, Kurt Mann toilet cubicle drama, and the Newcastle Knights' week from hell
- DAVID KLEMMER: It's on all of us at the Newcastle Knights to set high standards if we want to improve
- Dr Google and health anxiety: Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin on cyberchondria and how a HMRI study hopes to help
- Australian Workers Union and Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest at odds over hydrogen; just one of many disputes as the hydrogen gold rush begins
- PEP-11 gas project off Hunter coast blocked for environment, Scott Morrison says
"I think she's acquitted herself extremely well from day one," Griffiths said at Knights' headquarters on Thursday.
"We talk about her playing over at the Commonwealth Games and we talk about pressure, that's at an elite level and she's been there for a long period of time.
"She understands what it takes to play at that level and she understands what it takes to compete at that level, so no hesitation.
"We put her under a little bit of pressure with our forwards [at training] and different drills that we put her in and made sure she was comfortable tackling the bigger players - she didn't take a backward step."
The Knights mentor acknowledged the task Southwell faces in terms of her opposite number, but quickly turned the attention back to Newcastle's overall showing in the season opener.
"She [Brigginshaw] has been an elite player in the game for a very long time," Griffiths said.
"We haven't focused on the Broncos at all and that might sound cliche, but most importantly we're just worried about when we walk off the park Sunday night we've put in a performance our community will be proud of."
Southwell is the sole NRLW debutante for Newcastle but the multi-talented teenager is one of 10 players donning the red and blue uniform for the first time.
Knights legends Mark Sargent and Ashley Gordon are both poised to present jerseys ahead of the round-one encounter.
"We get to honour the players that have gone before us," Griffiths said.
"Our first international in Sarge presenting jumpers on Friday to our players and also our first ever signed player in Ashley Gordon.
"It's important to understand the history of our club. Now these players actually get to live out their history."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
