Olivia Higgins is about to set foot inside Sydney’s new theatre of dreams.
So surely mum and dad are coming down from Raymond Terrace to watch the 29-year-old hooker suit up for the Newcastle Knights against a team she helped to premiership glory just months ago?
“They’ve actually booked a hotel at Toronto,” Higgins grinned.
“That’s where they’ll be. My brothers are playing for Macquarie [in the Newcastle Rugby League grand final against Maitland]. I’m actually a little bit devastated I can’t go and watch, it’s Liam’s last game, but I’ll definitely have streaming once our game is finished, for sure.”
Higgins is a nod to what the Knights were once built on: local products, talent, toughness, plenty of tomorrows.
Olivia Higgins (right) will face her former team the Roosters on Sunday.Credit:Getty
While the Knights’ NRL team is fighting to rediscover its identity, the club’s NRLW outfit is built on “character” and “grit”.
So says Yasmin Clydsdale, one of the Newcastle products lured back to the steel city in the hope of reversing a winless season and emerging as a premiership contender. Among the same recruitment drive were Higgins and Hannah Southwell.
All three won a premiership at the Sydney Roosters earlier this year. While injury has sidelined Southwell, her supremely gifted sister Jesse joins Clydsdale and Higgins for a top-of-the-table clash between the Knights and the reigning premiers at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
A major off-season upheaval led to 17 new faces joining the Knights’ 24-woman roster following a winless season. The move is paying dividends with Newcastle and the Roosters the only unbeaten teams left standing.
They will meet inside an $830 million stadium the Roosters opened little more than a week ago, in front of what could be a near-capacity crowd later in the contest as fans flock to Allianz Stadium for an NRL elimination final between the Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
There is little doubt about the Roosters’ ability to handle the big stage. When you’re talking about the reigning premiers and big-game players, naturally the conversation turns to Isabelle Kelly.
The 25-year-old won a NSWRL premiership with CRL Newcastle, but now she looms as one of the city’s biggest hurdles in search of NRLW glory.
“I’ve actually never played Izzy at all, so that’ll be tough,” Higgins said.
Roosters captain Isabelle Kelly at the new Allianz Stadium.Credit:Brook Mitchell
“She’s a very strong, powerful player, so we’ll be doing our best to shut her down. We haven’t thought too much about the opposition. [Coach Ron Griffiths] tends to have a focus on our own side.
“We still wish each other good luck before games and see each other on social media and things like that. I probably won’t have much contact with them this week.
“It will feel a little bit strange but I’ve actually been looking forward to playing the Roosters. I think it will be really good for us as a team as well to see where we’re at and what we can improve on. The occasion of playing before a men’s semi-final is exciting in itself. I’m sure we’ll put on a really good performance on Sunday.”
Much of Newcastle’s fate rests with their hooker.
Higgins scored a crucial try to level the ledger against Parramatta last week before Kirra Dibb’s conversion secured the win. She plays it down when asked about it, instead giving credit to teammate Millie Boyle, but Higgins’ try was character-defining.
“When it comes to those semi-final times, if we are down, we’ll be able to come back,” Clydsdale said when asked what a comeback win means.
“We’re all just looking forward to playing more games, facing each other and also just being out there with my Knights girls. We seem to be building, so the more games we play, the better we’ll be in the future.
“It’s going to be really exciting and the atmosphere is going to be surreal. If we just look to our Knights girls, it’s going to be super exciting for them.”
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