The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs is thrilled to congratulate 28 players from our Academy pathways on their selection to the NSWRL Country v City Representative Teams.
Of the 28 players selected, an incredible 20 female players earned the honours, with all but one accepting (Abbi Church was forced to withdraw due to work commitments).
Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton said the talented individuals had hit peak preparations in recent weeks, with the Club's Harold Matthews, Tarsha Gale and Harvey Norman Women's teams having competed in their respective grade Grand Finals at the weekend.
While both the female teams were narrowly defeated, the overarching success of all the junior representative squads speaks volumes to the future of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs pathways systems.
"After enjoying hugely successful campaigns in their 2023 seasons, we can't wait to see what these young players can achieve in the Country v City Representative Weekend," Warburton said.
"The Bulldogs Academy has a proud and rich history in representation across these teams and to see this now extend across our women's pathways with an incredible 20 individuals selected in 2023, it is a phenomenal achievement for the Club."
The NSWRL Country v City competitions will run from Thursday, 4 May to Sunday 7, May at Netstrata Jubilee Oval in Kogarah, NSW.
Among those selected to participate, is Chelsea Makira who learned of her selection post-match on Sunday.
Makira played halfback for the Bulldogs Tarsha Gale side, who remained undefeated for the season taking the Minor Premiership, but unfortunately fell just short in the grand final. The side were defeated by the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy 26-22, at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday afternoon.
While the grand final loss was a bitter one to swallow, Makira said the selection of so many girls to the representative teams was telling.
It just shows how much our hard work paid off." - Chelsea Makira
"It was one of the best [seasons] and I'm so happy that I got to play with these girls," she said.
"It was hard emotionally and physically, but I felt like our team had the most heart. It wasn't easy, we've been through so many ups and down together. It's disappointing that we fell just short and we couldn't hold the Roosters out, they were a really strong team.
"But I got to do it with these girls and now most of us are going onto City as well and that just shows how much our hard work has paid off. I'm very excited."
General Manager of Female Pathways and Junior League, Barry Ward said the vast number of girls selected is testament to the Club's investment in growing the female game.
With a bid in for the next NRLW expansion and a new gender-equal Centre of Excellence in development, the Bulldogs are in the midst of creating a premier women's program that has already seen a number of individuals selected to various NRLW teams for the 2024 season.
"Many of the girls who will go on to represent in these teams have indicated that they have every intention of returning to the Club for the 2024 Harvey Norman Women's season," said Mr Ward.
"That is a great indication of the value they feel they are receiving through our program under Coach Craig Sandercock, and how proud they are to play under the Bulldogs badge.
"One day soon, we hope they will be able to represent us on the National scale, but in the interim we will continue to celebrate the success of all of these girls and their teams at our Junior Representative and CBDJRL Presentation evening on the 10th of May."
The female selections are also complemented by eight selections from the Club's male pathways and satellite programs.
The Bulldogs congratulate the following players on their selection and wish them all the best in their upcoming NSWRL camps and fixtures:
City Under 17s Women’s Team
- Audrey Nadaya-Harb
- Manilita Takapautolo
- Amirah El-Abdallah
- Lile Fifita
- Pauline Suli-Ruka
- Aaliyah Nikua
City Under 19s Women’s Team
- Litia Fusi
- Latisha Smythe
- Chelsea Makira
- Alexis Tauaneai
- Tatiana Finau
- Noaria Kapua
- Amelia Pasikala
Country Under 19s Women’s Team
- Charlotte Eather
City Open Women’s Team
- Mahalia Murphy
- Tayla Preston
- Monalisa Soliola
- Rueben Cherrington
- Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa
Country Under 16s Men's Team
- Toby Batten (North Coast Bulldogs)
- Reece Josephson (Northern Tigers)
City Under 16s Men's Team
- Jope Rauqe
- Itula Seve
Country Under 18s Men's Team
- Luke Calthorpe (North Coast Bulldogs)
City Under 18s Men's Team
- Michael Gabreal
- Fanafao Seve
Country Under 18s Men's Team
- Kaleb Hope (Northern Tigers)
- Logan Spinks (Northern Tigers)
All matches will be live streamed on NSWRL TV via the NSWRL Facebook page. Entry is $5 at the gate, while pensioners and children aged 12 and under are free.
To find out more information, visit the NSWRL website.
