St George Illawarra Dragons ambassadors Kezie Apps and Sam Bremner have been selected to represent the Country Rugby League Southern side to play their Northern counterparts on Saturday, April 14.
The Southern side – coached by Dragons Community Officer Adam Bezzina – was picked following a selection trial in Yass last weekend with female players from the Illawarra, Canberra, Western Division and Riverina regions participating.
For others like Mikayla Malakai and Maddison Perceval – who played for Illawarra's Tarsha Gale Cup side in 2017 – it's their first taste of representative football.
"It's a great pathway for the girls to go through, considering too the announcement of the NRL Holden Women's Premiership this week," Bezzina said.
"Obviously with the seven Jillaroos in the squad, it will only add further experience to the girls picked from last weekend's game in Yass who haven't had a chance to represent at the highest level yet."
The CRL Northern and Southern Women's Trial represents another step in the sequential pathway for female players to progress from local competitions to the elite level and will feature, alongside current Jillaroos and NRL elite representatives, some of the brightest young talent from across regional New South Wales.
CRL Northern
Alicia Martin (CRL Newcastle)
Amy Broadhead (CRL Newcastle)
Bec Young (CRL Newcastle)
Caitlin Moran (CRL Newcastle)
Emma Gillogoly (South Sydney)
Emma Young (CRL Newcastle)
Eunice Grimes (South Sydney)
Georgia Smyth (North Newcastle)
Holli Wheeler (CRL Newcastle)
Isabelle Kelly (CRL Newcastle)
Jayme Fressard (CRL Newcastle)
Jerry Burgmann (CRL Newcastle)
Kyara Nean (South Sydney)
Kylie Hilder (CRL Newcastle)
Nakia Davis-Welsh (South Sydney)
Ngalika Barker (CRL Newcastle)
Sharon McGrady (South Sydney)
Skye Lovett (CRL Newcastle)
Tayla Predebon (Hastings/North Newcastle)
Taylah Gray (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Coach: Mick Young
CRL Southern
Ella Harris (Group 10)
Emma Hickey (Riverina)
Gab Suckling (Yass)
Georgie Brooker (Cronulla Caringbah)
Grace Mooney (Group 10)
Haylee Lepaio (Group 10)
Jamie Ann-Wright (Corrimal)
Kezie Apps (Helensburgh)
Maddison Perceval (Helensburgh)
Mikayla Malaki (Corrimal)
Lauretta Leao-Seve (Riverina)
Rebecca Ford (Group 10)
Ruan Sims (Cronulla Caringbah)
Rikeya Horne (Corrimal)
Sally Dwyer (Group 10)
Samantha Bremner (Helensburgh)
Shakiah Tungai (Avondale)
Shannon Pike (Riverina)
Talesha Quinn (Cronulla Caringbah)
Vanessa Foliaki (Brisbane Easts)
Coach: Adam Bezzina
