SOME of England’s top prospects in the women’s game are attracting strong interest from NRLW clubs.
Unlike the Women’s Super League, the top division of the Australian game is professional and therefore offers the opportunity to make a living from playing Rugby League.
England’s players at the recent World Cup prepared for the tournament around their day jobs, and the gulf between themselves and New Zealand – who beat them in the semi-finals – and champions Australia was apparent.
Despite not reaching the final, the performances of many England stars caught the eye during the World Cup.
NRL.com has reported that at least five clubs in the NRLW have inquired about 19-year-old York Valkyrie second-rower Hollie Dodd’s interest in a move.
They also say that fellow teenager and Leeds Rhinos fullback Fran Goldthorp is attracting interest as well as her Leeds team-mate Georgie Roche, a former Woman of Steel-winning halfback, and York forward Olivia Wood.
After England’s World Cup exit, then-head coach Craig Richards admitted some of their players had been talking about the prospect of an NRLW move.
“Some of the girls are ambitious and they do occasionally mention it,” he said.
“I’ve had to have one-to-ones with some players and my feedback is always honest: you are good enough, without a shadow of a doubt.
“I don’t think there’s any of that 24(-player squad) that you’d drop into an NRLW side and they wouldn’t thrive. Some would do more than thrive.”
However, he expressed his hope that there would not be a drain of talent from Super League because professional opportunities did not exist at home.
Richards said: ”Great clubs like York, St Helens, Wigan and Leeds, are not feeder clubs for the NRL. We need to strengthen our competition.”