TAMIKA Upton and Novocastrian sisters Hannah and Jesse Southwell lead the list of premiership-winning NRLW players the Newcastle Knights are expected to retain for the 2023 season.
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The formal contracting window for NRLW clubs to sign players opened at 9am Wednesday, and while the Knights are yet to announce any signings, the Newcastle Herald can reveal they are set to retain the bulk of the side that claimed the club's maiden title last year.
They will lose a few players, though, including Millie Boyle who told her old Knights teammates on Monday she would not be returning for the upcoming season, which starts in July.
Boyle played for the Central Coast Roosters in a NSW Women's Premiership game on Monday night, against the Knights, in a sure-fire sign she will link with the Sydney Roosters for the NRLW.
But the retention of a raft of stars from the 2022 squad, most significantly the Southwell sisters, Upton and World Cup representatives Yasmin Clydsdale, Caitlan Johnston and Shanice Parker, will be a huge coup for the Knights.
With four new sides entering the NRLW - the Tigers, Sharks, Cowboys and Raiders - Newcastle's leading players likely attracted plenty of interest from elsewhere.
We have a number of commitments from players.
- PETER PARR
The expected retention of Upton, in particular, will be a major signing given the fullback hails from Central Queensland and would have been on the Cowboys' radar.
The 26-year-old only joined Newcastle last season but went on to score five tries in five games and won the Karyn Murphy Medal for her performance in the 32-12 grand final victory over Parramatta.
Keeping the Southwell sisters on board will be just as significant given 18-year-old Jesse's debut campaign, in which she claimed the Dally M NRLW rookie of the year award.
The halfback, who previously played rugby sevens for Australia, was described as "the best pure footballer in Newcastle" by Knights great Matthew Johns ahead of last season's grand final.
Older sister Hannah, 24, co-captain with Boyle in 2022, ruptured her ACL in the opening game last season and did not play again.
The NSW Origin forward is on track to start the pre-season as planned.
Clubs have been talking to players for months and while they haven't been able to officially sign them, there has been informal agreements.
Knights football director Peter Parr would not speculate on potential signings, but told the Herald the club had "a number of commitments from players".
"The NRL has gone to great lengths to say none of those are legally binding," he said.
"But now we have the contract window we can take those commitments into contract-form.
"We don't expect any dramas moving forward.
"As soon as we have signed contracts, and have them registered with the NRL, we'll then be in a position to say who we have signed."
Another key point of difference this season is the ability for clubs to sign players to multi-year deals. Previously, due to the burgeoning nature of the competition, players could only be signed for a single season.
The Dragons were the only club to jump out and announce a host of signings on Wednesday, including the recruitment of former Knights centre and Port Stephens product Bobbi Law.
More announcements are expected in coming days.
Former Knights Romy Teitzel and Emma Manzelmann, who both reside in North Queensland, are expected to join the Cowboys.
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