Players and staff from the Wests Tigers NRLW squad have been heavily involved in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
On the playing front, the Wests Tigers are represented by the following NRLW representatives:
- Australia Jillaroos: Kezie Apps, Shaylee Bent, Sarah Togatuki
- NZ Kiwi Ferns: Raecene McGregor (captain), Shaniece Monschau
- Samoa: Jetaya Faifua and Christian Pio
- Fiji Bulikula: Losana Lutu
We caught up with respected Wests Tigers Head of Women’s Football, Charmain Steventon, to ask her about the NRLW staff involved in the World Cup.
WT: Who from the NRLW staff has a World Cup role? What are they doing and for which nation?
CS: Head Coach Craig Sandercock and Sa Patiole are coaching together with the PNG Orchids women's team. Richmond Saliba is working in High Performance with Lebanon. Belinda Paris is part of the PNG medical team as physiotherapist, and David Fauonuku is an Assistant Coach with the Tonga Women’s team.
WT: What does it say about the Wests Tigers NRLW program to have Sandy and Sa coaching the Orchids together?
CS: It speaks volumes about the calibre of people we have within our women's program, but also about the responsibility we all have to help grow the women's game beyond our own club. Sandy and Sa have been an awesome coaching combination for us, so to see them take that partnership into the PNG Orchids environment is something we're really proud of.
For me, the most meaningful part is the opportunity to give back. PNG has such a deep love of rugby league, and being able to share knowledge, experience and support with players and staff as the women's game continues to grow, is pretty special.
WT: To see Richmond Saliba working in High Performance for Lebanon is a fine reward for his work with the Wests Tigers NRLW team. How good has he been?
CS: Richmond is relentless and brings uncompromising standards to our program. He expects a lot from our players, but they know those expectations come from how invested he is in helping them improve. High performance is obviously about preparing athletes physically, but particularly in the women’s game, relationships and trust matter. Rich has played a significant role in driving our standards and physical preparation, and our players have really responded to him.
Lebanon is getting someone who will bring exactly the same intensity, professionalism and commitment he gives us every day. And with his proud Lebanese background, I know representing the Cedars on the world stage means a lot to him personally.
WT: Belinda Paris is working as a physiotherapist for PNG. Tell us about her impact at Wests Tigers this season?
CS: Belinda is the consummate professional. She has such a warm way with our players but is incredibly thorough when it comes to rehabilitation and return to play. She has the trust of the group because they know she genuinely cares about them, but also that she won't cut corners. That balance is so important.
Working with PNG gives Belinda the opportunity to experience a different high-performance environment, culture and set of challenges. I think she will take a lot from that experience just as she will have plenty to contribute.
WT: What does it mean for Sala and Shaylee to be recalled into the Jillaroos squad after missing out on NSW earlier this year?
CS: I'm incredibly proud of them. It's a timely reminder that one selection decision doesn't define your season or your career. Sala and Shaylee could have allowed the disappointment of missing State of Origin selection to affect them, but instead they came into our environment, worked incredibly hard and produced outstanding NRLW seasons. To then be selected to represent Australia at a home World Cup is a wonderful reward for them.
WT: Which of our player/s do you think might surprise fans during the tournament?
CS: I'm really excited to watch Losana Lutu. We've seen how much she has developed this year. Losana's taken on more responsibility in our team, continues to grow as a playmaker, and now gets the opportunity to help lead Fiji around the field at their first Women's Rugby League World Cup.
I'd also keep an eye on Shaniece Monschau. She's probably flown under the radar externally, but within our program we've seen how much she's developed. She works incredibly hard, is versatile, and has become an important part of our forward pack. Seeing her rewarded with Kiwi Ferns selection is fantastic.
More broadly, one of the things I'm most excited about is watching our Tigers become opponents for a few weeks. They've spent the NRLW season building something special together at Wests Tigers, and now they get to stand proudly behind their own flags, their families, and their cultures.
