JUST IN: Upton Named Knights NRLW Player Of The Year

JUST IN: Upton Named Knights NRLW Player Of The Year

nib Tamika Upton, a fullback for the Newcastle Knights, has been named the 2023 NRLW Player of the Year, capping off an incredible campaign.

The 26-year-old has won numerous awards over the years, and the Player of the Year title is the most recent. It caps off a seven-day period during which she won the Dally M Medal for NRLW Player of the Year, won a fourth NRLW Premiership and a second straight Karyn Murphy Medal, and became the first Australian player to be selected.

 

In 11 games this season, Upton scored seven tries, including two in the Grand Final victory over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday at Accor Stadium.

 

Since joining the Knights from the Queenslander has won 15 of the 16 games that have been played.

The superstar fullback reflected on her incredible season in front of teammates, coaches, sponsors and staff.

 

“I’m incredible lucky to be amongst a great team, we have a great system here,” Upton said.

 

“The premiership was definitely the highlight of the year.

“We stuck solid as a group and stuck to the game plan, around Round 2 or 3 we had an open chat that we weren’t playing the way we wanted to play.

“From there on we played some great footy and we all bought in, plus believing we could do it.

 

“Ronald has done an incredible job and the staff always have our best interest at heart.”

 

Upton’s streak continued with the Knights vice-captain sharing the Player’s Player Award with 2022 co-Player of the Year Shanice Parker.

 

Parker was once again a mainstay of the Knights line up this season, crossing for a crucial try in the Grand Final as well as recording critical doubles in regular season wins over the Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla Sharks.

 

Jillaroo Yasmin Clydsdale was honoured with two awards, taking out the NRLW Coaches Award and the NRLW Gladiator of the Year Award handed out by the Once a Knight Old Boys, for her ultra consistent performances on both sides of the ball.

 

Sheridan Gallagher, a former Junior Matilda who is now a rising star in the NRLW, won Rookie of the Year after beginning the season with just two Rugby League matches under her belt and concluding it with seven tries in 11 games and a championship ring.

 

Kurri Kurri product with pride As the recipient of the Knights Community Player of the Year award and a Veronica White Medal nominee, Kayla Romaniuk was honored for her efforts to encourage girls to play junior rugby league.

 

The Knights Thrive Award, given to the player who constantly embodies the club’s principles and puts the team first in everything they do, was won by Tiana Davison to round off the honors.