One win away from securing the 2024 Lisa Fiaola Cup title, the Wests Tigers will look to go one better this season as they enter the 2025 season.
As the 2025 Lisa Fiaola Cup season slowly approaches the opening round, Zero Tackle will provide a season preview for all 13 teams made up of players of the next generation.
First...the Wests Tigers.
One of the feel-good stories of 2024, the Tigers snuck into the finals after winning their final two games of the regular season and went on to shock the Central Coast Roosters and Illawarra Steelers to qualify for the Grand Final.
While they could not defeat the Canterbury Bulldogs, they enter the upcoming season as one of the favourites because their squad remains relatively the same with more than 60 per cent of the roster returning but will be without former skipper Ellie Barnett and Paige Attard.
Not only do they perform well when it matters, but the playing and coaching group have a special bond away from the field.
Head coach Scott Clark revealed that if the girls keep their opponents to zero, they get pizza or KFC. They also blast music during training sessions and can contact the coaching staff whenever they want to, away from games and training sessions.
"You can see the difference with another year of football with the girls playing. Their skill, knowledge, expectations, and attitude are totally different," Clark told Zero Tackle.
"Expectations are going to be for these girls to achieve and develop and be ready to stand up and move on to the next stage of their football career.
"We had several girls play Harvey Norman (Women's Premiership) last year so my aim and the club's aim is to be preparing these girls to be able to play at that level.
"A good percentage of girls have come back so they know what they're in for. The attitude, commitment, training, all of that has been taken to another level. We've set the bar very high and we've been able to maintain that."
Khiarna Munro: A talented fullback, Munro joins the squad after being a development player last season and is a must-watch player in attack with impressive footwork stemming from her New South Wales touch football background.
"She's very safe under the high ball, very good communicator, very skilful with the ball and although she's not the biggest she does put her body on the line. She knows how to find space and trains the house down," coach Scott Clark said.
Mia Tonga: Missing last season due to injury, Tonga will slot straight into the halves after arriving from the Central Coast Roosters. A great ball-handler, she is coming off representing the U16s New South Wales CHS team at the backend of 2024.
"She knows how to read a game. I would say she's one of the smartest footballers of her age and knows how to control a game," Clark said.
Gains: Amalia Casey (Rabbitohs), Naomi Cowley, Mikayla Faletau, Amelia-Grace Filoa, Bess Fuamatu, Ariah Gilbert, Kalani Godinet, Elissa Langi, Mia-Laylahnii Laupepa, Kapiolani Liufau, Lilah Luamanu, Emily Matthews, Kenzie Moujalli, Brooklyn Mulu-Lamkum, Khiarna Munro, Jaylah Niumata, Charlie Noble, Chloe Oliver, Aaliyah Pagaspas, Darcy Pilato, Ellie-Mae Polsen, Sienna Robertson, Keira Ryder-Moriarty, Lilea Seville, Summah Sisifa, Melissa Taiatu, Saige Tautalafua, Mele-Kyannah Toga, Mia Tonga (CC Roosters), Dawn Tui, Leilani Tuitupou, Charlotte Withers, Tiana Wraight
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Losses: Faith Masina, Ilaisaane Vunipola, Kealii-Jordan Muru, Layla Tima, Mikayla Faletau, Naomi Cowley, Worship Kailea
1. Khiarna Munro
2. Ana Taviliniu
3. Elanor Ward
4. Talia Pele-Taula
5. Isabella James
6. Agnews Faaui
7. Mia Tonga
8. May Fuimono
9. Dawn Tui
10. Aliana Fasavalu-Fa'amausili
11. Alavina Tu'ifua
12. Sienna Robertson
13. Saige Tautalafua
Interchange
14. Amalia Casey
15. Liliola Ward
16. Mikayla Faletau
17. Isabelle Fitzpatrick
Rest of Squad
18. Aaliyah Pagaspas
19. Ellie-Mae Polsen
20. Tiana Wraight
21. Amelia-Grace Filoa
22. Summah Sisifa
23. Emily Matthews
24. Naomi Cowley
25. Aaliyah Pagaspas
26. Hannah Maher
27. Mia-Laylahnii Laupepa
28. Mele-Kyannah Toga
29. Lilah Luamanu
30. Lilea Seville
31. Ariah Gilbert
32. Charlotte Withers
33. Melissa Taiatu
34. Charlie Noble
35. Bess Fuamatu
36. Darcy Pilato
37. Brooklyn Mulu-Lamkum
38. Chloe Oliver
39. Amelia-Grace Filoa
40. Aaliyah Pagaspas
41. Elissa Langi
42. Kenzie Moujalli
43. Keira Ryder-Moriarty
44. Leilani Tuitupou
45. Lily Hall
46. Kapiolani Liufau
47. Kalani Godinet
48. Jaylah Niumata
After making the Grand Final last season, Scott Clark will remain their head coach with Kristen Cawthorne again named as an assistant.
However, due to Botille Vette-Welsh switching clubs to the Newcastle Knights NRLW, she has been relieved of her duties with the U17s side, and Luke Sherman has been promoted to the assistant coaching role.
"They're vital. I don't class them as assistant coaches. They are coaches," Clark said.
"They've got their role to play and that's not just teaching skills and training and all that sort of stuff but it's building and forming relationships with the girls.
"It's vital that we've all got touch points within the team, with the girls and some people might have better relationships with other players and vice versa but we are one so it's something that we share everything.
"We're all on the same page. We all say the same stuff. If a girl does go to say something to someone, we share it.
"We don't dob but what we are able to do is bring it back and if it's something a girl says about their place or attitude then I go straight out and I go we've got to step it up here."