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The 2025 NRL Women's season will be the eighth professional season of the NRL Women's Premiership. The number of teams (twelve) is an increase on the 2024 season by the readmission of the New Zealand Warriors and the introduction of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. The expansion in 2025 was confirmed by the NRL in March 2024.[1] The start date and duration of the season is expected to be confirmed by the NRL with the release of the draw. For previous seasons the draw has been published in the November of the preceding year.
| NRL Telstra Women's Premiership | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 12 |
| Broadcast partners | Nine Network Fox League Sky Sport (NZ) Sky Sports (UK) |
The ten teams that participated in the 2024 season will return for the 2025 season with the addition of the New Zealand Warriors, who return after a four-season hiatus, and new entrant Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Notes:
- In late May 2024 the Bulldogs announced Blake Cavellero as their coach.
- In early July 2024 the Warriors announced Ronald Griffiths as their coach.
- In late October 2024 the Dragons announced Nathan Cross as their coach.
The start, duration, and conclusion of the 2025 season will be influenced by several factors.
- A seven-week preparation period.[5]
- Two weeks of leave.
- Decision on the format of the final series. Options include but are not limited to:
- Four teams, two weeks. Winners of 1st place versus 4th place and 2nd place versus 3rd place in Week 1 semi-finals meet in the Grand Final in Week 2.
- Five teams, four weeks. See: Top-five play-offs.
- Six teams, three weeks. Winners of 3rd place versus 6th place and 4th place versus 5th place in Week 1 meet 1st place and 2nd place in Week 2 semi-finals. Winners of the semi-finals meet in the Grand Final in Week 3.
- Decision on the length of the regular season. A minimum of eleven rounds is required for the twelve teams to play each of their opponents at least once.
- A three-match Women's State of Origin series
- In 2024, all three matches were played on a Thursday night, three weeks apart. The 1st match preceded Magic Round and the 2nd and 3rd matches followed a men’s State of Origin match.
- The 3rd Origin match was played on 27 June 2024 whilst the 2024 NRLW season opener was played on 25 July 2024, with each club playing one trial match each on either 6, 13, or 14 July 2024.
- The increase in NRLW teams is likely to increase the length of the NRLW season, by two to four weeks, which in turn may result in the 2025 Women’s State of Origin starting earlier than in 2024, or being played in a shorter time-frame (than the six weeks between the 1st and 3rd match in 2024).
Both the New South Wales and Queensland State premiership competitions will run in parallel with the 2025 NRLW season. [6] This is a scheduling change for Queensland, which in 2024 ran from early March to late May.
The 2025 season salary cap for clubs is $1,254,000 and the minimum wage for contracted players is $41,800. Squad size is 24 players plus 4 development players.[5] The first transfer signing for the 2025 season was announced on 2 May 2024.
In the recent seasons of 2023 and 2024, Clubs were required to fill their 24-player roster by late May.
Players may be added to each club’s roster from outside the initial squad of 24 as injury replacements. This can be to cover season-ending injuries or a significant number of short-term injuries.
Transfers
Table last updated: 29 October 2024
Promotions
The following players have been promoted from a development contract or their NRLW club's pathway teams.
Table last updated: 30 October 2024
| Player | Pathway Teams | 2025 NRLW Club | Announcement Date |
Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leah Ollerton | 2024 Newcastle Knights (Development) 2024 Newcastle Knights (Open) |  Newcastle Knights | 8 Dec 2023 | [23][24] |
| Tyra Le Ekepati | 2024 Sydney Roosters (Development) 2024 Indigenous Academy (U19) 2024 Central Coast Roosters (Open) |  Sydney Roosters | 18 Dec 2023 | [25] |
| Trinity Tauaneai | 2024 St George Illawarra Dragons (Development) 2024 Illawarra Steelers (Open) |  St George Illawarra Dragons | 20 Feb 2024 | [26] |
| Indie Bostock | 2024 St George Illawarra Dragons (Development) 2024 Illawarra Steelers (U19 & Open) | St George Illawarra Dragons | 9 May 2024 | [27] |
| Leilani Ahsam | 2024 Newcastle Knights (Development) 2024 Tweed Seagulls (U19) 2024 Newcastle Knights (Open) | Newcastle Knights | 24 May 2024 | [28][29][30] |
| Fane Finau | 2024 Newcastle Knights (Development) 2024 Newcastle Knights (U19 & Open) | Newcastle Knights | 19 Jul 2024 | [31] |
| Iemaima Etuale | 2024 Wests Tigers (Development) 2024 Wests Tigers (U19 & Open) |  Wests Tigers | 25 Jul 2024 | [32] |
| Latisha Smythe | 2024 Canterbury Bulldogs (Open) |  Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 9 Sep 2024 | [33] |
| Sarahcen Oliver | 2024 Canterbury Bulldogs (Open) | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 17 Sep 2024 | [34] |
| Shannon Muru | 2024 Canterbury Bulldogs (Open) | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 30 Sep 2024 | [35] |
| Paea Uilou | 2024 Canterbury Bulldogs (U19 & Open) | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 30 Sep 2024 | [35] |
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