Add Category
The 2023 NRLW season has been the biggest yet — the hits have been harder, the football faster and the competition closer with 10 teams battling it out across nine rounds.
- NRLW players are calling on the league to keep women's competition at 10 teams for now
- Players say adding new clubs each year makes it harder to come together as a team
- Chief executive Andrew Abdo remains committed to expansion, even if that decision "won't be popular"
This year, four new teams joined the competition — the Canberra Raiders, Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys and Wests Tigers — none of which made finals.
For those who have — the Brisbane Broncos, Sydney Roosters, Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast Titans — there is a real concern about further expansion.
"I'd like to see it stay at 10 teams and build on what we have created here — it's been great for the women's game and is only going to get better from here," Newcastle Knights captain Hannah Southwell said.
Sydney Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly has played in the NRLW since its inaugural 2018 season and has seen the competition go from four teams to six in 2021, and now to 10. And she said that is where it should stop for now.
Loading Instagram content
"I have loved having the 10 teams. It's worthwhile keeping the 10 teams for a while now so we keep the product at a really high standard," Kelly said.
The NRL is aware of the disquiet, but is pushing hard for more expansion soon.
"We know that the seven [men's NRL] clubs that don't have a licence are really keen. We are working with them around when is the right time for them to enter the competition over the next couple of years," NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.
"We have broad ambitions around pathways all around Australia and New Zealand and the Pacific and will take a full review of this season in the off-season."
An AAP poll revealed this week that seven of the 10 NRLW coaches are against further expansion in 2024.
Management is well aware of many players' and coaches' opposition to more teams joining the competition, fearing the quality of the game will be diluted.
"Everyone is looking at it through their lens and our job is to think about the overall lens – our fans, our players, our clubs, all of the stakeholders in our game," Abdo said.
"If we were to listen to any one particular stakeholder then we probably wouldn't make too many decisions. I respect the job of the coaches in winning a football competition — our job is to make the right call for the game.
"Some of the decisions we make won't be popular, but are proven over time to be the right decision."
The addition of new teams this year saw widespread player movement within the competition and players now want to have a few seasons with consistent rosters to improve on club culture.
"Each year we see a different squad come together, especially this year with the expansion," Brisbane Broncos back rower Romy Teitzel said.
Players also want a longer season to keep teams together and build on the success they have already had.
Off the back of the hugely successful FIFA Women's World Cup, Southwell said getting the mix right could see the NRLW be even bigger.
"We saw what happened with the Matildas – we can do even better than that because we are a home-grown sport and playing locally, the game will really flourish," she said.
"To see how far the game's come in a short amount of time is unbelievable – it's only going to get better, we just have to keep it as is."
But Abdo disagrees.
"We need to make sure quality and quantity are in check, yes, but we have seen as we have moved from four to six and now to 10 teams, the quality of football has improved," he said.
"The quality of the game demonstrates expansion was justified."
Loading