Australia

How the expanding NRLW plans to create a fair and competitive league in 2021


Six weeks out from kick-off, all six women’s teams in the NRLW competition are starting to take shape.

Three new clubs — the Gold Coast Titans, Parramatta Eels and Newcastle Knights — are joining the league’s foundation teams in 2021.

But how are these brand new clubs supposed to compete with a side like the Brisbane Broncos, which has won the NRLW premiership three years running? Or even the St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters, which both have two years of experience up their sleeves?

The NRL’s tried to level the playing field with its so-called talent equalisation system.

Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening behind the scenes in women’s rugby league at the moment.

Top female players spread across six teams

Millie Boyle has spoken out against the equalisation measures.(

AAP: Dan Himbrechts

)

To even out the competition for the new franchises this year, the NRL has offered the top 24 female players central contracts, with four to go to each of the six clubs.

Players could agree to shift clubs and receive the extra money or forego the cash to stay at their desired club.

Already we’ve seen these central contracted players announcing their allegiances for 2021.

The Brisbane Broncos have confirmed Dally M medallist Ali Brigginshaw will return to the side, while NSW stars Isabelle Kelly and Jessica Sergis have both announced they’ll switch from the Dragons to Roosters.

As for the new clubs, the Titans’ marquee recruits include State of Origin player of the match Tazmin Gray, while the Knights have signed local star Caitlan Johnston, and the Eels have announced Kennedy Cherrington, Filomina Hanisi and Tiana Penitani are all coming to Parramatta.

The points cap system

Caitlan Johnston, wearing the blue and red of the Newcastle Knights, bursts through two defenders with ball in hand.
Newcastle recruit Caitlan Johnston has played for the Indigenous All Stars for the past three years.(

Supplied: Newcastle Knights

)

This is where things get tricky.

But Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell said the system was necessary to ensure a fair and interesting women’s league in 2021.

“So the competition has a more even spread of talent, closeness of scoreline that in turn’s going to drive audience participation, viewer numbers and hopefully commercialise the competition so we can pay the players more over the coming years,” Steve Mitchell told the ABC.

Players across the NRLW have been allocated a certain number of points, depending on their representative experience.

Each club has a 130-point cap for their 24 players recruited for 2021.

  • The marquee or central contract players such as Sergis and Brigginshaw are worth 10 points, with a maximum of four top players for each team
  • A woman who played State of Origin in 2020 is worth nine points; 8 points if they played Origin in 2019 or a Test match that same year
  • Playing Origin or a Test match in 2018 is worth six points
  • All players from this year’s All Stars or the 2020 NRLW competition are worth four points; or three points if they match those same criteria for a year prior
  • Players worth two points either ran on for the All Stars match in 2019 or the Prime Ministers’ XIII in 2018 or 2019
  • Debutants or players who don’t fit the above criteria are all allocated 1 point.

To clear up any confusion, only a player’s highest level of representation counts towards the club’s overall “points cap”.

Mitchell said while it was a complicated system, it should ensure the three new clubs weren’t disadvantaged in the recruitment stage.

“As much as we’ll compete with them, as a sport we need to help these new clubs find a good player pool so we’re competitive [and] the Australian public sees a good, high-level quality game,” he said.

The Brisbane Bronco's celebrate their third consecutive NRLW title
The Brisbane Broncos have won all three NRLW titles on offer so far.(

Supplied: NRL

)

Does the expanded competition mean more pay for female players?

Not yet. It’s still a part-time pay cheque.

A group of NRLW players gather around a tryscorer in celebration as the ball drops to the turf.
The Warriors will not compete in 2021 due to uncertainty over Australia’s international borders.(

AAP: Dean Lewins

)

But Mitchell said the competition wasn’t far from paying these women a full-time wage.

“They raise families, a lot of them study, some of them are doing masters. They just bring an extraordinary work ethic and this wonderful set of values,” he said.

The transition to full-time wages will be dependent on getting the expansion right.

New franchises, year by year

All six clubs have committed to an NRLW licence on a year-by-year basis.

These short-term agreements allow the NRL to track the expanded game, with the objective of offering an eight-team competition in 2022.

The 2021 NRLW season will commence in Round 23 of the men’s competition, with the Grand Final to be played on the same day as the men’s Grand Final.

The number of games will also increase this year from seven to 18, with the women to play seven weeks instead of just four.



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