Heading into the 2021 Rugby League World Cup there were plenty of questions about the women’s tournament.
How much had the Papua New Guinea Orchids improved since their inaugural RLWC appearance in 2017?
After being flogged by New Zealand in 2017, had the England women improved enough to seriously challenge Australia and New Zealand?
Just how far ahead were Australia of the rest of the world?
To reach the final, the Australian Jillaroos convincingly beat the Orchids 82-0 and the Kiwi Ferns beat England 20-6, so most of the questions above have been answered.
Now, we have a final at Old Trafford between the two most dominant women’s rugby league teams in the world to look forward to.
Australia will go into the final as favourites, deservedly so. They have progressed through this RLWC undefeated, with New Zealand being the only team that have been able to score points against a desperate and dominant Australian defence.
The Jillaroos also have one luxury many of the other teams do not: depth.
From the start of this RLWC, Jillaroos coach Brad Donald has said that it will take his entire squad of 24 women to win the RLWC. What that has meant, is that arguably, in no game to date has Donald named his strongest Jillaroos squad.
Instead, he’s had a careful plan, resting groups of players for games in order to manage the very tight four-day turnaround required of all the teams.
Incredibly, seven new players have been included in the squad to play in the Final including Julia Robinson, Tarryn Aitken, Caitlan Johnston, Shannon Mato, Kezie Apps and Simaima Taufa. It speaks to the strength of the NRLW that Donald had the luxury of resting the players of this calibre in a semi-final which the Jillaroos still dominated.
But, as the Kiwi Ferns proved in the pool match between these two countries, they certainly aren’t easy beats and there are three players in particular that Australia will need to manage if they are going to lift the trophy in Manchester.
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The first is Raecene McGregor, who has had an absolutely unbelievable year. At the start of this year, leading into the 2021 NRLW season, McGregor was without an NRLW deal. Despite playing in the All Stars fixture, an injury McGregor sustained in the 2021 season meant that she was unable to take part in the 2021 season as originally scheduled. When it was postponed, she found herself fit, but without a contract.
She returned in the 2022 season for the Sydney Roosters and alongside Sam Bremner, was a key reason the team was so dominant during the regular season and to recognise her season, she was awarded the 2022 Dally M Medal.
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
McGregor has continued that form during this RLWC, named as the International Rugby League Golden Boot recipient as the international player of the year.
McGregor’s kicking game has been impressive throughout the tournament and she almost always plays a role when the Ferns are scoring points. In the Ferns’ opening match against France, McGregor set up three tries and in the next game against the Cook Islands scored two of her own.
Of course, McGregor’s role is made much easier when her forwards are dominating play.
Enter Amber Hall.
Hall has been one of the Ferns’ strongest players, causing havoc for defenders throughout the tournament. The Ferns will be looking to Hall to have a repeat performance from their last game against Australia in the pool round where she was awarded player of the match, finishing with 164 run metres and 11 tackle breaks.
But the biggest surprise of this tournament has come from a woman who pledged her allegiance to rugby league for 2023 just one week out from the RLWC, and that is Mele Hufanga. Hufanga is a rugby union convert and no doubt Bremner is still thinking about the one-on-one strip which led to the Ferns’ second try in the pool match.
Mele Hufanga (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images for RLWC)
Hufanga has been immense for the Ferns in this RLWC and in the semi-final against England was named player of the match with 185 run metres, 13 tackle breaks and a line break.
There are several other key battles on the field, including between Isabelle Kelly and Page McGregor and the fullbacks in Apii Nicholls and Bremner.
I’m tipping the Jillaroos, but in a close one.
The strength of these two nations, however, does demonstrate just how much women’s rugby league has improved since the inception of the NRLW and my hope is that during this RLWC, NRLW coaches have spent plenty of time watching the other countries to see which players could make it in Australia.
This will not only lead to a stronger NRLW, but also stronger players internationally ahead of the next RLWC in France in 2025.
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