Roosters 2022 NRLW Squad Breakdown

The Sydney Roosters are no stranger to the quest of claiming back-to-back Premiership titles, and our 24-player squad for the 2022 NRLW season will be looking to replicate the NRL side of 2018-2019 when they take the field.

The 2022 NRLW squad features exciting talent across the board, which includes homegrown products and a number of promising up-and-comers who have graduated through the Club's prestigious pathways system.

The Stats That Matter

• The squad of 24 will kick-off pre-season training on July 18, with the season set to begin in late August.
• 75% of the 2021 squad has been retained for season 2022 in a huge boost, with four high-profile recruits brought in. 
• Captain Corban Baxter will be unavailable due to the impending birth of her second child.
• Only five players in the squad have yet to take the field in the NRLW, with a host returning for their second season in the top grade.
• Similarly to the 2021 season, all six teams will play five regular-season matches before the top four qualify for the two-week semi-finals. 
• The Grand Final will return to Accor Stadium, to be played before the NRL decider on Sunday, October 2.

The Sydney Roosters 2022 NRLW squad coached by John Strange is as follows (in alphabetical order):*

*as of Tuesday 7 July 2022.

Sam Bremner

A veteran of the NRLW, Bremner will be returning to the competition for the first time since the 2020 season following the birth of her second child, and will have her eye on the no.1 vacated by Captain Corban Baxter.

A State of Origin and World Cup winner, Bremner adds welcomed experience to a young and exciting side and will be certainly looking to make her mark in the Red, White and Blue.  

Destiny Brill

Another new addition to the squad, Destiny Brill holds an impressive résumé despite still being a teenager, having made her NRLW debut with the Titans last season before making her second State of Origin appearance for Queensland - scoring the Maroons' first try in this year's match.

Equally adept at playing lock or hooker, the QRLW's 2021 Rookie of the Year will add plenty of energy through the middle of the field with her powerful running and sleight of hand.

Shawden Burton

After progressing through the grades at the Central Coast, young hooker Shawden Burton made her long-awaited NRLW debut in Round 1 of 2021, making two appearances for the season.

Now a year older and wiser, Burton will be sure to challenge for the vacant no.9 spot, proving her credentials through the middle-third with her impressive 91.8% tackle efficiency. 

Samantha Economos

One of the more experienced members of the 2022 squad, Samantha Economos will be aiming to put a frustrating 2021 campaign behind her and solidify a spot in the starting forward pack.

A specialist front rower and regarded as one of the fittest players in the squad, Economos will be determined to add to her appearance tally for the Club in search of more minutes on the field. 

Jayme Fressard

A former Premiership-winner with the Brisbane Broncos in 2020, Jayme Fressard is a valuable addition to the squad who will be contending for a spot in the backline come Round 1.

A specialist centre, Fressard played a key role in the Broncos' Premiership, before joining the Newcastle Knights' inaugural squad last season, and has since featured for the Central Coast Roosters in the 2022 Harvey Norman Women's Premiership. 

Mya Hill-Moana

A Premiership-winner, Māori All Star and New Zealand Fern at just 20 years of age, Mya Hill-Moana is one of the best young forwards in the Club's system.

Having nailed down a starting spot in the Roosters' side last season, which saw her start in the front row in the Grand Final, Hill-Moana is an exciting prospect that will no doubt grow further with more minutes under her belt.

Pani Hopoate

Another exciting front rower, Pani Hopoate has plenty of Rugby League pedigree and was a key figure in the Tarsha Gale Cup side's Premiership triumph earlier this year.

A strong and powerful ball runner, Hopoate made her Test debut for Mate Ma'a Tonga during the NRL's Representative Round and will be hoping to take the field in the Red, White and Blue after coming close to a maiden appearance in 2021. 

Keilee Joseph

One of the great stories of the 2021 Premiership side, Keilee Joseph created history by becoming the first player to graduate through a Club's pathways system to make her NRLW debut in Round 1.

Much like her teammates, Joseph's game grew throughout the season as she added plenty of punch from the interchange bench, scoring a memorable try in the incredible semi-final comeback that helped book the Tricolours a Grand Final berth. 

Jocelyn Kelleher

A community leader at the Roosters, Jocelyn Kelleher showed her versatility in spades by featuring in a number of positions across the field in 2021, nailing down the all-important bench utility spot in the Grand Final side. 

The fan-voted Veronica White Medallist will be in search of a starting role this coming season, and will be contending for a place in the halves and at hooker. 

Isabelle Kelly

One of the leaders of the Club and in the women's game, Isabelle Kelly is fresh off a player of the match performance in the Women's State of Origin which saw her score the match-winning try for the Sky Blues. 

The Sydney Roosters' NRLW Player of the Year in 2021, Kelly is a dynamic centre who is one of the front runners for the captaincy role and is certainly one to watch when she takes the field once again.

Olivia Kernick

One of the surprise packets of the NRLW in 2021, Olivia Kernick played every minute of every match in the Premiership run, which culminated in her taking out the Club's Rookie of the Year gong. 

A devastating back rower, the Indigenous and Māori All Star has proved to be a noted tryscorer, and will be looking to go up another gear in 2022 following her State of Origin debut for the Sky Blues. 

Raecene McGregor

The final piece of the puzzle for John Strange's side, Raecene McGregor was a late inclusion for the 2021 season but proved to be pivotal in the Roosters' run to the Premiership with her sleight of hand in attack and ferocity in defence. 

The diminutive halfback was pivotal in New Zealand's big win over Tonga during the NRL's Representative Round this year, and will be looking to continue to build her partnership with five-eighth Zahara Temara over the course of 2022.

Joeli Morris

One of the most memorable moments in the Club's NRLW history came in the 2021 Grand Final when Joeli Morris took the field for the first time as a replacement for the injured Brydie Parker as 18th player. 

Morris showed the poise and collectedness of a ten-year veteran in her first outing in the biggest game of her career, showing her versatility and team-first attitude by playing on the wing (despite being a back rower), and will be pushing for further games in her second season in the top-grade. 

Shaniah Power

In the prime of her career, 25-year-old Shaniah Power joins the Roosters from the Gold Coast Titans, with the tough and skilful second rower's brilliant effort against the Brisbane Broncos in Round 4 earning her the 2021 Dally M Try of the Year.

After debuting for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRLW in 2020, Power made her State of Origin debut for Queensland later in the season and is also a two-time Indigenous All Stars representative. 

Otesa Pule

One to watch in season 2022, Otesa Pule was the catalyst for the Tarsha Gale Cup side's undefeated season, which saw her score an incredible thirteen tries in eight matches, including the four-pointer that ultimately sealed the Premiership. 

A powerfully built back rower, Pule also won the NSWRL's Player of the Finals series, and is certainly on the radar to make her NRLW debut in 2022, having also featured for Queensland in the Women's Under 19s match in June. 

Shannon Rose

A graduate of the Club's Central Coast Roosters side, Shannon Rose will be looking to go one further in 2022 with an NRLW debut in the Red, White and Blue.

With the ability to play at fullback or on the wing, Rose has been a mainstay for the Central Coast in their Harvey Norman Women's Premiership campaign and was named in the NSW Emerging Country team earlier this year. 

Jessica Sergis

One of the superstars of the competition, Jessica Sergis completed a dream debut season for the Roosters in 2021 as she played a major role in claiming the Premiership with her game-breaking ability and incredible defensive plays. 

A Roosters fan since childhood, the world-class centre has had success on the representative stage with both the Sky Blues and Jillaroos and was the first recipient of the Dally M Medal as Player of the Year in 2019.

Jasmin Strange

A Central Coast Roosters graduate, Jasmin Strange is a strong runner of the ball who will add to the squad's outside back stocks, able to play both centre and wing in a pinch. 

Coming off an ACL injury, Strange made a successful return to the field for the Central Coast, and was a NSW Country Representative in 2021. 

Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa

A front rower and lock who features for the ladder-leading North Sydney Bears in the Harvey Norman Women's Premiership, Angeline Teakaraanga-Kotoa is an exciting signing for the side in 2022. 

Tough and uncompromising, Teakaraanga-Katoa will be aiming to force her way into the forward pack with an NRLW debut and add plenty of punch and strike into the side. 

Jada Taylor

An electric fullback with plenty of pace and skill, Jada Taylor has accelerated into the Roosters' NRLW top squad at just nineteen years of age. 

After helping the Tarsha Gale Cup side to an undefeated season, Taylor starred in the Women's Under 19s Origin match, highlighted by her incredible 109-metre effort to seal the result and claim the Nat Dwyer Medal as Player of the Match.

Chante Temara

A hand injury kept Chante Temara out of action for the entirety of the 2021 season, and the dynamic hooker will be aiming to stay on the field and make her debut for the Red, White and Blue alongside sister Zahara. 

With plenty of experience on her end despite being relatively young - having already won a Premiership with Brisbane - Chante is a strong candidate for the vacant hooking spot.

Zahara Temara

Cool, calm and collected Zahara Temara returns to the squad for a fifth consecutive season, and is currently the most-capped Rooster in the NRLW with 18 appearances.

After a slow start to the 2021 campaign, Temara announced herself with a match-winning field goal against the Parramatta Eels in Round 4, and continued her trajectory to become one of the leading players in the Premiership triumph.

Sarah Togatuki

The cornerstone of the Roosters' forward pack, Sarah Togatuki is a powerhouse front rower that teammates love playing with and opponents hate playing against.

Passionate in every facet of the game both on and off the field, Togatuki is remembered for her barnstorming performance in the 2021 NRLW Grand Final, which saw her claim the Karen Murphy Medal as player of the match.

Leianne Tufuga

With an uncanny ability to finish off a backline movement and after showcasing her sheer strength and power coming from the backfield, Leianne Tufuga had a rookie season to remember in 2021.

Forming a strong combination with Jess Sergis on the right side, Tufuga will be looking to continue her development and establish herself as one of the most dangerous wingers in the competition.