The Newcastle Knights NRLW side have announced five more premiership winning players who will be sticking around for at least another season.
Dummy half Olivia Higgins, prop Tayla Predebon, lock Simone Karpani, prop Kayla Romanuik and second rower Tiana Davison have all agreed to sign new contracts with the Newcastle side.
Higgins, Davison and Karpani have all signed a one-year deal, while Predebon and Romanuik have both penned two-year contracts.
Higgins, Predebon and Karpani will all be chasing their third straight Premiership after joining the Knights from the Roosters ahead of last season, while Kurri Kurri junior Romaniuk and New Zealander Davison featured in three and two matches respectively in their NRLW debut seasons.
Of the quintet, Higgins, Predebon and Romaniuk are all local juniors – further underlining the strong thread of talent from Newcastle and the Hunter that is woven through the 2023 squad.
Brisbane-born Karpani, a South Adelaide Bulldogs junior who has also had NSW Premiership stints with Cronulla, Wests Tigers, Central Coast and the Knights, has also signed for one year, as has Davison, a rugby union convert from Taranaki on New Zealand’s north island.
Predebon, Higgins and Ramonuik have also this week been chosen to play in the New South Wales Country team.
“We are extremely honoured to have all five players recommit for the upcoming season,” Knights NRLW Head Coach Ronald Griffiths said.
“These signings underpin the connections we have built as a group over the last 12 months or so, through the NRLW title last year and into this year’s Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership campaign.
“Each player brings their own unique strengths and adds value in a myriad of ways.”
Further announcements of both new and returning players are imminent ahead of the start of pre-season training on 29 May.