The Canberra Raiders are pleased to announce that local juniors Alanna Dummett and Georgia Willey will be part of the club’s Top 24 NRLW squad for 2024.
Dummett and Willey have come through the Raiders’ Tarsha Gale pathway and were both part of the club’s inaugural NRLW squad in 2023.
Dummett started the 2023 season as a development player before coming into the Top 24 squad following Felice Quinlan’s season-ending injury. The 20-year-old, who grew up in Bega, went on to play two NRLW games last season.
Willey captained the Raiders Tarsha Gale Cup squad in 2023 before joining the NRLW squad as a development player. The 19-year-old was also the inaugural recipient of the Katrina Fanning Scholarship in 2023.
Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick said he’s pleased to see the pair come through the Raiders’ junior representative pathway into the NRLW squad.
“Last year Alanna got an opportunity through someone else’s injury and played quite well in the two games she did play,” Borthwick said.
“I know she’s gone away in pre-season and worked really hard and has come back in really good shape.
“Alanna deserves her spot in the Top 24. A bit similar to Georgia, I’m looking forward to her really pushing to get into our starting team and that 17 each week.”
“Georgia came through our Tarsha Gale system and persevered a little bit last year with being a development player and toiled away.
“She deserves her chance now and I’m really looking forward to seeing how she goes during pre-season. I’m really looking forward to Georgia pushing her claim to getting a start and really putting some pressure on our other players as well.
“Both Georgia and Alanna are very young still but it’s exciting for our pathways.
“For two players like Alanna and Georgia to be in the system and now being able to play NRLW is terrific for the community and for our area.”
Dummett is excited to be back in the squad in 2024 and to have Willey join her in the Top 24 this season.
“I’m very excited. I definitely wasn’t expecting to come back as I had surgery in the off-season but I’ve come back and I feel fitter and ready for this year,” Dummett said.
“I think I learnt a lot last year, even being a development player. I wasn’t expecting to be playing last year and I did.
“I probably thought at the time I wasn’t ready but I definitely was and I took a lot of confidence out of it so I’m really excited for this year.
“Georgia and I played Tarsha Gale together and we’ve become really close since last year being in the squad together. We’ve done a lot of the off-season training together and I’m really happy for her that she’s in the squad too.”
Willey, who grew up in Canberra, can’t wait to join the Top 24 after her year as a development player and is excited to be in the squad with Dummett.
“I am really excited. It’s such a good opportunity for me and I’m just ready to get in there,” Willey said.
“Seeing how hard the girls worked last year and how hard I had to work and not being able to play it just made me want it so much more. I’m not going to take this for granted, I’m really going to work hard.
“It’s such a privilege to be able to stay where I was born and be with my family, it means a lot to me.
“I always wanted to play footy but I never thought I’d be able to pursue that dream here in Canberra.
“Having played Tarsha Gale with Alanna, it’s good to have someone to come through the ranks with you.”
