2025 North Queensland Cowboys Women season

2025 North Queensland Cowboys Women season
NRLW Rank	4th
2025 record	Wins: 6; losses: 3
Points scored	For: 140; against: 112
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 Jasmine Peters Jakiya Whitfeld (4)
Goals	Kirra Dibb (12)
Points	Kirra Dibb (32)
←  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.

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)	9	9	0	0	300	102	+198	18	Advance to second round of finals series (first-round bye)
2	Brisbane Broncos (R)	9	8	0	1	328	106	+222	16
3	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (R)	9	6	0	3	193	130	+63	12	Advance to finals series
4	North Queensland Cowboys (R)	9	6	0	3	140	112	+28	12
5	Newcastle Knights	9	5	0	4	200	159	+41	10
6	Gold Coast Titans	9	4	1	4	132	150	−18	9
7	New Zealand Warriors	9	3	0	6	144	166	−22	6
8	St. George Illawarra Dragons	9	3	0	6	128	170	−42	6
9	Parramatta Eels	9	3	0	6	118	216	−98	6
10	Canberra Raiders	9	3	0	6	153	282	−129	6
11	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	9	2	1	6	124	250	−126	5
12	Wests Tigers (X)	9	1	0	8	90	207	−117	2

Updated to match(es) played on 31 Aug 2025. Source: National Rugby League Women's
(R) Qualified for finals series with possibility of first-round bye; (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
Saturday, 13 September	Round 11	Brisbane Broncos	Totally Workwear Stadium
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Statistics

Name	App	T	G	FG	Pts
Tafao Asaua	1	–	–	–	–
Essay Banu	9	–	–	–	–
Krystal Blackwell	9	4	–	–	16
Bree Chester	9	–	–	–	–
Kirra Dibb	6	2	12	–	32
Lily Dick	4	–	–	–	–
Alisha Foord	9	1	–	–	4
Najvada George	4	–	–	–	–
Fran Goldthorp	9	3	–	–	12
Tallisha Harden	8	–	–	–	–
Rosie Kelly	5	1	2	–	8
Ana Malupo	3	–	–	–	–
Emma Manzelmann	9	2	4	–	16
Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell	8	–	–	–	–
Lily Peacock	9	1	–	–	4
Jasmine Peters	9	4	–	–	16
China Polata	2	1	–	–	4
Tiana Raftstrand-Smith	1	–	–	–	–
Abigail Roache	7	2	–	–	8
Tahlulah Tillett	7	–	–	–	–
Makenzie Weale	8	1	–	–	4
Jakiya Whitfeld	8	4	–	–	16
Lillian Yarrow	9	–	–	–	–
Totals		26	18	–	140

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

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.