Ex-Leeds Rhinos stars to square off as Newcastle Knights face Gold Coast Titans in NRLW Grand Final

Ex-Rhinos and Castleford stand-off Georgia Roche is part of Newcastle Knights’ bid to retain the title, against a Gold Coast Titans side captained by former Leeds loose-forward Georgia Hale.

England ace Roche, from Batley, was the inaugural Woman of Steel in 2018, when she played for Tigers. She joined Leeds ahead of the 2022 campaign, but was snapped up by Newcastle earlier this year on a five-year contract.

Hale was a World Cup finalist with New Zealand last year and played four games for Rhinos at the start of this season before returning to the NRLW, which is a fully-professional competition.

Rhinos are preparing for their own Grand Final, at York Valkyrie next weekend, but coach Lois Forsell is keeping a close eye on events in Australia.

“Both Georgias are good people and great players,” Forsell said. “It is good to see they are in a final and it’s sad they can’t both win it, but hopefully it’s a great game and they both have a great performance. We’ll be wishing them all the best.”

Another ex-Leeds star, full-back Fran Goldthorp, was named North Queensland Cowboys’ rookie of the year at the end of her first season in the NRLW.

She won Super League Grand Finals with Rhinos in 2019 and 2022 and was signed by the Cowboys after impressing for England at the World Cup last autumn.

Losing three of the team’s best players, after captain and former Woman of Steel Courtney Winfield-Hill retired at the end of last year, was a setback for Rhinos, but Forsell insisted: “I have been catching up with them all regularly and it is good to hear how much they are enjoying it.

“I think it’s good to see they have done the English game proud over there and we are proud of them for doing that.

“It was a brave move by all of them and we wish them all the best. They’ve had a great year and we’ll look forward to seeing them in the off-season.

“Georgia [Roche] will be heading over for the internationals, but Fran is ruled out with an elbow injury which cut her season short. It will be good to see them.”

The success Roche and Goldthorp have had this year could tempt Aussie clubs to look at other English-based players.

Losing players to Australia would weaken Super League, which is still largely an amateur competition, but Forsell reckons “our loss is the girls’ gain”.

She stated. “We want to support them and them to have the best outcomes from rugby. Currently we can’t provide an opportunity for them to stay here and make a career of it.

“They have got a career out there and that’s great for them. It’s not good for us as a game, but we have got to work out a way to catch up.

“That’s for us to do, the girls shouldn’t miss out because of that. If that’s what they want to do, brilliant.

“It’s not going to suit everyone and not all players are going to get approached. It is a tough one, but looking at how much Fran and Georgia have enjoyed it and flourished, it is good for them as people and that’s what it’s all about.”