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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Damon Cronshaw

Girls just want to see the Knights triumph

Kotara Bears under-9 girls Taylah Shannon and Mia Dulvey will support the Newcastle Knights women in Sunday's decider. Pictures by Marina Neil
Kotara Bears under-9 girls Taylah Shannon and Mia Dulvey will support the Newcastle Knights women in Sunday's decider. Picture by Marina Neil

Taylah Shannon and Mia Dulvey are super-excited about the Newcastle Knights women's team playing in the grand final on Sunday.

The pair play for the Kotara Bears under-9 rugby league side.

The Knights meet the Parramatta Eels in a curtain raiser to the men's grand final, but it's the women who come first in the eyes of Taylah and Mia.

"I'm feeling really happy and excited," Taylah said.

Mia added that the Knights are "a huge inspiration".

Taylah and Mia named their favourite players as sisters Jesse and Hannah Southwell.

"They're really good and they used to play at Kotara Bears," Taylah said.

Hannah Southwell in 2008 when she played for the Kotara Bears. Picture by Jonathan Carroll

While the highly-rated Hannah is out injured for the grand final, her sister Jesse will start the match. She is also making headlines, with Matty Johns saying "she has got as good a hands you will see in the game".

Taylah's mum Mel Shannon is looking forward to the match as much as her daughter,

"I can't wait. I'm more excited for the girls than the guys. I would actually go to watch the girls first," she said.

"I really like the fact that the girls are getting more publicity. If we all get behind them, they could go for equal pay. They go as hard as the guys."

Nicole Dulvey, Mia's mum, said the women's team is "an inspiration to many people, young and old, showing that women and girls can really do anything they put their minds to".

"I love how kids' sporting teams don't necessarily have to have all-girls teams. They openly accept mixed teams.

"I'm stoked with Kotara Bears - how well we were accepted into the club and how inclusive the team and coaches were."

Ms Dulvey said the Knights women had "really pulled together".

"You can really see the difference between the girl's culture and the men's culture. I think it really comes out on the field.

"It's good for Newcastle to see that the women are progressing really well and not to lose hope in the Knights overall."

Ms Shannon said the Knights women were setting a great example.

"There's no reason why girls can't do the same as guys," she said.

"It doesn't matter if it's seen as a boy's sport. If you want to try something, you can.

"It's vice versa with boys and netball. It's opening up opportunities for males and females in sport and other things."

She said having a Knights team in a grand final will give Newcastle "something to celebrate".

"We haven't had a team anywhere near the grand final in quite a long time.

"It's nice to have something to look forward to and get behind in your hometown."

Ms Dulvey hopes that the women give the men "a bit of a push as well".

"Hopefully the men will start to pick up from next year, although we've been hoping that for quite a few years," she said, with a giggle.

Taylah said she took up league "because I thought it was really fun".

"You can just have a good go at it," she said.

When Mia plays, she likes "getting the ball and trying to score, passing the ball and also tackling".

"I like playing with my teammates."

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