THE new NRLW season will be watched more closely than ever from English shores after a change to international eligibility rules which has seen some star names make themselves available to national-team coach Stuart Barrow for this autumn’s World Cup.
In March, the International Rugby League scrapped the tiering system in the women’s game, which restricted a player to only representing one of Australia, England and New Zealand.
It means that Australian-born players with English heritage can now play for England without compromising their ability to later represent the Jillaroos.
Among the players who could be selected for the World Cup are Sydney Roosters pair Jasmin Strange and Jocelyn Kelleher, both two-time NRLW Grand Final winners who also appeared in last year’s decider which Brisbane Broncos won 22-18.
Strange, 23, who is a winger, centre or backrower, and 26-year-old Kelleher (pictured), a halfback who goes into the new season as the NRLW’s all-time record points-scorer with 267 in 51 matches, have both declared their interest in representing England.
Also among what is said to be around a 20-strong cohort of English heritage players in the league are Canterbury Bulldogs halfback Tayla Preston and Wests Tigers fullback Caitlin Turnbull.
While England coach Barrow has been keen to look at ways of boosting his squad ever since the humiliating 90-4 defeat to Australia in Las Vegas in March 2025, he has insisted he is looking for “a long-term commitment” from any heritage players before selecting them ahead of players from England’s own talent pathways.
He explained: “I’ve got to be careful of the balance, to make sure we don’t block the pathways or show that we’re only looking at Australians because the NRLW is a stronger competition and we’re going to fill England with those and discredit our own competition and our own pathways.
“We’ve got to get the numbers right but then again we’ve got to make ourselves competitive and make us as strong as we can possibly be.
“If people genuinely want to play for their heritage and are committed then I’m very keen to speak to them and ensure we give them that opportunity as well.”
There are also three current England internationals playing in the NRLW in Hollie-Mae Dodd, Fran Goldthorp and Georgia Roche, all three of whom are entering their fourth seasons in Australia.
Roche, formerly of Featherstone Rovers, Castleford Tigers and Leeds Rhinos, led Newcastle Knights to the NRL title in her first season and the halfback will look to help them improve on last year’s third-placed finish and semi-final loss.
Cross-code former Leeds winger Goldthorp played every minute for North Queensland Cowboys last term as they came fourth.
And after missing half of last season, backrower Dodd – once of Castleford and York Valkyrie – will hope to push Canberra Raiders up the table from eleventh.
The league format remains the same, with the dozen sides playing each other once over eleven rounds before a six-team play-off series.
Sydney’s Accor Stadium will again host the Grand Final as a double-header with the NRL on Sunday, October 4.
England then begin their World Cup challenge against Wales in Perth on Saturday, October 17.