Parramatta Eels coach Dean Widders believes the club s biggest advantage in the NRL Telstra Women s Premiership is having the ability to open the doors to all talent across western Sydney.
The Eels unveiled their first five signings on Wednesday night with Jillaroos representatives Tiana Penitani, Simaima Taufa and Botille Vette-Welsh set to wear the blue and gold in 2021.
NSW representatives Kennedy Cherrington and Filomina Hanisi will also join the club, meaning four of the club s five inaugural players either resides or has hailed from the region.
Hanisi returns to the Eels after representing the Tarsha Gale Cup side in 2018, while Cherrington also grew up in Sydney s western suburbs before moving to Perth with her family.
The Broncos have received a blow to their Telstra Women s Premiership preparations with Raecene McGregor set to be sidelined for up to five months due to a shoulder injury.
McGregor will undergo a shoulder reconstruction next week after suffering another setback while playing for the Wests Tigers in the Harvey Norman NSW Premiership.
The 23-year-old originally dislocated her shoulder in a freak accident while celebrating her sister Page s try during the Harvey Norman All-Stars game in February.
After missing more than a month to manage the injury, McGregor made a successful return to the field on Easter Monday. However, she was taken from the field a week later with a recurrence.
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Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher holds no concerns over the club s intentions of handing James Fisher-Harris a contract extension that would likely make him a one-club man for his career.
Penrith officials plan to sit down with Fisher-Harris in the coming months to map out a new long-term deal that would result in the powerhouse Kiwi international becoming the first player at the club to extend beyond the 2024 season.
Fisher-Harris, who turned 25 in January, isn t off contract until the end of the 2022 season but will be free to negotiate with rival clubs from November.
The Panthers have been burnt giving long-term deals to players in the past with the likes of Waqa Blake, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Dean Whare released from five-year extensions early in recent years.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo says increasing the number of games in the Telstra Women s Premiership remained a priority but a final decision won t be made until later in the year.
With many past and present players, fans and commentators saying more regular-season games was a must for 2021, Abdo said it was equally important to maintain the quality.
A full schedule for the women s calendar is yet to confirmed by the NRL as officials in the women s elite competitions draw up options around the NRLW s next steps before seeking approval from the ARL Commission.
Should the competition be expanded and the 2021 World Cup goes ahead, elite players will be in for arguably their biggest year on record with close to 30 games on offer across all levels.