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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National

Our inspiring girls can bring the NRLW trophy home: David Klemmer

Newcastle Knights players gathered around coach Ronald Griffiths at training this week ahead of the NRLW grand final at Accor Stadium on Sunday. Picture by Marina Neil

Congratulations to our women's side for making the NRLW grand final.

What a team they are. I've watched them quite a bit this season, they've been unreal. What they've done as a group and what they're building for the club, it's enormous.

Young girls around the Hunter are going to want to aspire to play for the Knights.

They're a perfect team that has represented the club really well. The way they've played, they've just been smashing teams as well.

The players the club brought in, they've been great for the rest of the group who have just grown every week. Their captain Millie Boyle has been outstanding.

That try she scored last week was unbelievable, she just threw people off her. She's been in great form and leading that side.

The young halfback has been really good too. She's a weapon, little Southwell. She'd probably go all right in the men's team. The way she moves and handles the ball.

But all the girls have been impressive to be honest.

I went down to training early in the season and they were all so switched on. They all want to learn. That was a big shock for me, they all just kept asking questions. They all want to get better.

It's probably showing now that they're not content with just playing. It's a good attitude to have and it's obviously working for them. They're building a great culture from the outside looking in.

It's inspiring.

To see them make the grand final, as someone from the men's side, it will motivate us in the preseason.

Ronald Griffiths, the women's coach, deserves a lot of credit. He came in and observed what we do day-in, day-out for a couple of months.

Listening to him talk a couple of times, and seeing how he goes about his business, the girls love him.

He gets them up and they all want to play for him. He has done a great job in a short space of time given it's basically a whole new squad.

I reckon they will get the job done on Sunday. With the forward pack and halves that they've got, and the outside-backs are killing it, I'll back them every single day.

But they're up against Parramatta who gave them a little scare a few weeks ago.

It will be a tough game for them, but I think they can get it over the Eels again.

As for the men's game, I backed the Cowboys last week but Mitchell Moses' forward pass just got Parramatta over the line.

The Eels beat Penrith twice in the regular season this year and then Penrith got the money in the first week of the finals.

The Eels let Nathan Clearly have a day out last time they met, especially with his kicking game. He put Waqa Blake under serious pressure.

So if Parramatta come up and make Cleary and Jarome Luai's jobs difficult, that will stop a lot of their attack and front-foot footy. If everyone does their job for the Eels, I think they can win.

I'm tipping a high-scoring game, maybe 26-20, and Clint Gutherson for the Clive Churchill Medal.

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