LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
The NRL is embarking on an ambitious plan to ensure all clubs, including the new teams from Perth and Papua New Guinea, have both men's and women's teams in the coming years.
According to reports from au.news.yahoo.com, the NRLW has expanded to 12 teams this season, welcoming back the Warriors and introducing the Bulldogs, who will face Newcastle in their inaugural match.
Currently, five NRL clubs-Storm, Panthers, Dolphins, Sea Eagles, and Rabbitohs-do not have representation in the NRLW.
However, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo is optimistic that these clubs will eventually establish women's teams.
He emphasized, "We're in dialogue with all the clubs that don't currently have a licence around a number of factors - their investment into pathways and grassroots football in their geographical regions, high-performance facilities, centres of excellence and their plans and strategy and stadium as well."
Abdo highlighted the importance of each club aligning its growth strategy with the NRL's overall vision.
He remarked, "How they're planning a strategy for growth and how that fits in with the overall plan." The intent is for every club to ultimately field both a men's and women's team, and discussions are ongoing to create tailored strategies for those clubs without current women's teams.