Millie Boyle is excited to see what a new-look Newcastle Knights side can produce in their NRLW season-opener on Sunday and hopes to deliver the club their first win in front of a strong home crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The Knights take on Boyle's former club Brisbane in a stern first-up test to their second campaign in the women's competition.
Newcastle did not win a game in their first season but have assembled a much stronger squad led by star signings and co-captains Boyle and Hannah Southwell.
"It's quite a new team and we haven't had any trials so it's hard to know until Sunday," Boyle said. "I feel confident that in our team we've got a lot of players who are competitors that want to play well and don't want to let each other down.
"If we play our style of footy and keep it a nice simple game, I think we can get the results that we're after, which is our first win in the NRLW."
The game follows the Knights' NRL clash and Boyle hoped fans would "stick around and watch us take on the Broncos".
The 24-year-old NSW and Australian representative has already been pleasantly surprised by the support shown to the Knights' NRLW side.
"We're used to playing in front of small crowds but, talking to people down the street and in the community, they've said they're coming along and they've got their memberships and that's really exciting," Boyle said.
"I think it's special that people are watching the game and they're investing in it as well.
"We just want to be able to deliver a game that everyone can be proud of, and that's our team, the staff, the players and the Newcastle community as well."
Boyle has wasted little time injecting herself into the Newcastle community. She has launched Game Changer - a five-session program which delivers people with a disability the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health, build self-confidence and become job ready.
"My younger sister Hannah has Down Syndrome," Boyle said. "We're a family of five and she's never been treated any differently than any of us and has always been part of a group and part of a team and it's always really helped her with her confidence.
"It's giving participants a supportive environment, mentors, and that safe group so that they feel confident that they can build their skills and gain confidence to get back into the community.
"It's reinforcing those values that we have in teams so that people with disabilities can also be a part of that."
The first instalment of the program has been delivered. A second is set to start next week with places still available.
"I feel like Newcastle is like a big country town and everyone is super friendly and they really get behind their footy but also behind the community," Boyle said.
"Just to feel a part of that is really special. We've been running one of our programs for a few weeks now and every week having everyone turn up makes me feel really special. It makes me feel really valued in this community and I love making them feel like that as well."
"They're all coming to the game on Sunday, which is really exciting. They're all very passionate Knights supporters so it's great to be able to be making a difference in that space."
