according to Griffiths.
“The club was always strong in our grassroots in Newcastle, but I’d like to think over the last 18 months we’ve been working on a wider strategic approach to make sure of the long-term viability of the club to develop people from our own area,” added Griffiths.
“The long-term vision is then enticing for the players to be here. The women’s game will evolve really quickly. Some of the girls right now will be able to play under-7s through to NRLW. So, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right development systems in place to capitalise on that growth.”
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Newcastle, says Jesse. In their first year the team lost every game and ran last in the competition, but the turnaround has been enormous.
“The year before last, we were dead last,” she said. “The growth from the first season we were involved to the second season was insane. And then the growth from last season to this season is just incredible.
“The way that the town has gotten around us is completely different to last year, but it still has that heartfelt [feeling], and I don’t think that will ever go away from Newcastle.”
Despite losing crucial players this year, Jesse said the team always believed they could have a strong season.
“I wasn’t really stressed when 10 girls left because I knew we had the right girls here,” she said. “The right girls with the right attitude, and those girls that are here, and they want to be here, they want to do it for this town, and they want to do it for each other.
