2025 North Queensland Cowboys Women season

2025 North Queensland Cowboys Women season
NRLW Rank	4th
2025 record	Wins: 7; losses: 4
Points scored	For: 186; against: 176
Team information
CEO	Jeff Reibel
Coach	Ricky Henry
Captain	Kirra Dibb Emma Manzelmann
Stadium	Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Avg. attendance	5,625
High attendance	8,112 (vs. Gold Coast, Rd 1)
Top scorers
Tries	Krystal Blackwell Fran Goldthorp Jasmine Peters (5)
Goals	Kirra Dibb (19)
Points	Kirra Dibb (46)
←  2024 2026 →

The 2025 North Queensland Cowboys Women season is the 3rd in the club's history. Coached by Ricky Henry and captained by Kirra Dibb and Emma Manzelmann, they compete in the NRLW's 2025 Telstra Women's Premiership.

Season summary

Milestones

• Round 1: Abigail Roache, Rosie Kelly, Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell and Najvada George made their debuts for the club.
• Round 2: Lily Dick made her NRLW debut.
• Round 2: Alisha Foord scored her first NRLW try.
• Round 3: Ana Malupo made her NRLW debut.
• Round 4: Abigail Roache scored her first try for the club.
• Round 5: Rosie Kelly scored her first try for the club.
• Round 7: Tafao Asaua mader her debut for the club.
• Round 7: Kirra Dibb scored her 100th point for the club.
• Round 8: The club won three games in a row for the first time.
• Round 9: The club qualified for the finals for the first time.
• Round 10: Lillian Yarrow scored her first NRLW try.
• Round 10: The club scored 40 points for the first time.

Squad

North Queensland Cowboys 2025 NRLW squad

NRLW squad – 2025 season						Development list		Coaching staff
Tafao Asaua – PR Essay Banu – PR Krystal Blackwell – WG Bree Chester – LK Kirra Dibb (c) – FE Lily Dick – SR Alisha Foord – HK Najvada George – LK Fran Goldthorp – WG		Tallisha Harden – SR Rosie Kelly – FE Ana Malupo – WG Hailee Ormond-Maunsell – SR Emma Manzelmann (c) – HK Lily Peacock – LK Jasmine Peters – CE China Polata – SR Ebony Raftstrand-Smith – WG		Tiana Raftstrand-Smith – SR Abigail Roache – CE Tahlulah Tillett – HB Makenzie Weale – PR Jakiya Whitfeld – FB Lillian Yarrow – PR		Tayla Curtis – LK Jennifer Kimber – CE Caitlin Tanner – FE Extended squad Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly – WG Nadia Windleborn – HK		Head coach Ricky Henry Assistant coaches David Faiumu Ty Williams Anita Creenaune (Head of Elite Programs) Daniel Strickland (Head of Performance) Larissa Di Bella (Sports Scientist) Ebony Bray (Team Doctor) Maggie Dwyer (Physiotherapist) Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice-captain(s) Updated: 7 July 2025 Source(s): NQ Cowboys

Squad movement

Gains

Player	Signed from	Until end of	Notes
Tafao Asaua	Parramatta Eels	2025	[1]
Tayla Curtis	St George Illawarra Dragons	2025
Lily Dick	Australia rugby sevens	2026	[2]
Najvada George	Wests Tigers	2027	[3]
Rosie Kelly	Parramatta Eels	2027	[4]
Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell	Gold Coast Titans	2025	[5]
Abigail Roache	Newcastle Knights	2027	[6]

Losses

Player	Signed to	Until end of	Notes
Emily Bella	Mackay Cutters	2025
Harata Butler	New Zealand Warriors	2026	[7]
Jetaya Faifua	Wests Tigers	2025	[8]
Shellie Long	Northern Pride	2025	[9]
Sareka Mooka	Northern Pride	2025	[9]
Vitalina Naikore	Fijiana Drua	2025	[10]
Shaniah Power	Wigan Warriors	2025	[11]
Libby Surha	Mackay Cutters	2025
Lavinia Tauhalaliku	New Zealand Warriors	2027	[12]
Jazmon Tupou-Witchman	South Sydney Rabbitohs	2025	[9]

Ladder

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Sydney Roosters (S)	10	10	0	0	326	116	+210	20	Advance to second round of finals series (first-round bye)
2	Brisbane Broncos (S)	10	9	0	1	354	112	+242	18
3	North Queensland Cowboys (Q)	10	7	0	3	182	126	+56	14	Advance to finals series
4	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Q)	10	6	0	4	207	154	+53	12
5	Newcastle Knights (Q)	10	6	0	4	228	181	+47	12
6	Gold Coast Titans	10	4	1	5	154	178	−24	9
7	Parramatta Eels	10	4	0	6	156	220	−64	8
8	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	10	3	1	6	148	264	−116	7
9	New Zealand Warriors (X)	10	3	0	7	150	192	−42	6
10	St. George Illawarra Dragons (X)	10	3	0	7	142	212	−70	6
11	Canberra Raiders (X)	10	3	0	7	167	308	−141	6
12	Wests Tigers (X)	10	1	0	9	94	245	−151	2

Updated to match(es) played on 31 Aug 2025. Source: National Rugby League Women's
(Q) Qualified for finals series and play in the first round; (S) Qualified for finals series and receive a first-round bye (advance directly to semi-finals); (X) Cannot qualify for finals

Fixtures

Pre-season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance
Saturday, 21 June	Trial 1	Gold Coast Titans	Seagulls Sports Complex	8 – 16	Blackwell, Kelly
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Regular season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance
Saturday, 5 July	Round 1	Gold Coast Titans	QCB Stadium	20 – 6	Blackwell, Goldthorp, Manzelmann, Whitfeld	Dibb (2/4)	8,112
Saturday, 12 July	Round 2	Newcastle Knights	QCB Stadium	6 – 26	Foord	Dibb (1/1)	7,268
Saturday, 19 July	Round 3	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	Sharks Stadium	16 – 14	Blackwell, Peters, Weale	Kelly (1/2), Manzelmann (1/1)	1,686
Saturday, 26 July	Round 4	Canberra Raiders	QCB Stadium	26 – 0	Blackwell (2), Roache (2), Peters	Manzelmann (2/4), Kelly (1/2)	1,355
Sunday, 3 August	Round 5	New Zealand Warriors	McDonald Jones Stadium	6 – 12	Kelly	Manzelmann (1/1)	6,093
Sunday, 10 August	Round 6	Parramatta Eels	CommBank Stadium	14 – 10	Goldthorp (2), Whitfeld	Dibb (1/3)	1,964
Sunday, 17 August	Round 7	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	QCB Stadium	22 – 6	Dibb, Peacock, Peters, Whitfeld	Dibb (3/4)	3,360
Sunday, 24 August	Round 8	Wests Tigers	Leichhardt Oval	30 – 8	Dibb, Manzelmann, Peters, Polata, Whitfeld	Dibb (5/5)	2,056
Saturday, 30 August	Round 9	Sydney Roosters	QCB Stadium	0 – 30			8,031
Saturday, 6 September	Round 10	St George Illawarra Dragons	WIN Stadium	42 – 14	Goldthorp (2), Blackwell, Foord, Manzelmann, Roache, Yarrow	Dibb (7/8)	7,040
Saturday, 13 September	Round 11	Brisbane Broncos	Totally Workwear Stadium	4 – 50	Peters	Dibb (0/1)	1,593
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Finals

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance
Saturday, 20 September	Elimination	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	QCB Stadium
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Statistics

Name	App	T	G	FG	Pts
Tafao Asaua	1	–	–	–	–
Essay Banu	11	–	–	–	–
Krystal Blackwell	11	5	–	–	20
Bree Chester	11	–	–	–	–
Kirra Dibb	8	2	19	–	46
Lily Dick	4	–	–	–	–
Alisha Foord	11	2	–	–	8
Najvada George	4	–	–	–	–
Fran Goldthorp	11	5	–	–	20
Tallisha Harden	10	–	–	–	–
Rosie Kelly	7	1	2	–	8
Ana Malupo	3	–	–	–	–
Emma Manzelmann	11	3	4	–	20
Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell	10	–	–	–	–
Lily Peacock	11	1	–	–	4
Jasmine Peters	11	5	–	–	20
China Polata	2	1	–	–	4
Ebony Raftstrand-Smith	2	–	–	–	–
Tiana Raftstrand-Smith	3	–	–	–	–
Abigail Roache	9	3	–	–	12
Tahlulah Tillett	7	–	–	–	–
Makenzie Weale	10	1	–	–	4
Jakiya Whitfeld	8	4	–	–	16
Lillian Yarrow	11	1	–	–	4
Totals		34	25	–	186

Representatives

The following players played a representative match in 2025.

	Las Vegas Test	All Stars match	State of Origin 1	State of Origin 2	State of Origin 3	Pacific Championships
Essay Banu		Indigenous All Stars
Bree Chester		Indigenous All Stars
Kirra Dibb		Indigenous All Stars
Tallisha Harden		Indigenous All Stars
Jasmine Peters		Indigenous All Stars	Queensland	Queensland	Queensland
Tiana Raftstrand-Smith		Maori All Stars
Makenzie Weale			Queensland	Queensland	Queensland
Jakiya Whitfeld	Australia

Honours

Club

• Player of the Year: Bree Chester ^[13]
• Players' Player: Fran Goldthorp ^[13]
• Rookie of the Year: Ana Malupo ^[13]
• Townsville Bulletin Fan Choice Award: Emma Manzelmann ^[13]
• The Cowboys Way Award: Abigail Roache ^[13]
• Members Player of the Year: Emma Manzelmann ^[13]

References

1. "2025 NRLW Squad announced". NQ Cowboys. 12 May 2025.
2. "Rugby Sevens star Lily Dick joins Cowboys". NQ Cowboys. 20 December 2024.
3. "Kiwi Ferns duo join Cowboys". NQ Cowboys. 18 December 2024.
4. "Cowboys sign Kelly and Ormond-Maunsell". NQ Cowboys. 7 February 2025.
5. "Cowboys sign Kelly and Ormond-Maunsell". NQ Cowboys. 7 February 2025.
6. "Kiwi Ferns duo join Cowboys". NQ Cowboys. 18 December 2024.
7. "Waikato trio signed for return to NRLW in 2025". NZ Warriors. 12 September 2024.
8. "Faifua and Fonua sign on". Wests Tigers. 14 March 2025.
9. "Cowboys to farewell 15 departing players". NQ Cowboys. 29 September 2024.
10. "Drua women unveil 2025 squad". Drua Rugby. 28 January 2025.
11. "Warriors Women sign Shaniah Power". Wigan Warriors. 19 February 2025.
12. "Queensland-based trio three latest NRLW signings". NZ Warriors. 18 September 2024.
13. "Winners from the Cowboys NRLW 2025 Presentation Night". NQ Cowboys. 14 September 2025.