How Origin call up and Cleary has Kiria-Ratu ready to kick clear of rivals

Fresh from her maiden Origin series, Cronulla’s Chantay Kiria-Ratu has renewed purpose and a spring in her step as she prepares for Thursday night's NRLW season opener against the Knights.

The Queensland playmaker knows that being in the Origin limelight – especially with her towering bombs and lengthy field placement kicks – brings an expectation that she will continue that form with the Sharks.

The 21 year-old led the Origin series in kick metres over three games; 856 to NSW half Jesse Southwell on 593.

In NRLW 2025 she also led the kick metres for the season from Southwell by almost 1,000 metres.

“It’s an opportunity for me to really step up again and I know that,” Kiria-Ratu told NRL.com.

“It was such an honour to represent my state. It had always been a goal of mine to wear that Maroons jersey.

“Something I took out of those camps was that I really got challenged in there and it helped me step out of my comfort zone.

“I built some confidence too around my game. My kicking game I hold up on my shoulders – I’m proud of that – but I want to get better.

“I felt during Origin at times my team needed me to step up and I did that with my kicking game.”

Her technique and power behind the ball lead to the obvious question of who is her kicking coach? There is none.

But Panthers co-captain and NSW No.7 Nathan Cleary is a sort of de facto teacher on the television each weekend.

“Someone I always watch is Nathan Cleary’s kicking game,” she said.

“I watch everything he does, I’ve learnt a lot from his kicking, and I want to take as much pride in my kicking as he seems to do.”

The Cook Islands international relishes pressure. She played in the 2023 NRLW Grand Final with the Titans before a serious knee injury kept her on the sidelines for all of 2024.

She joined the Sharks in 2025 and due to her quiet nature and returning from knee surgery she wasn’t sure how things would turn out.

But with the support of players like Emma Verran, Ellie Johnston, Quincy Dodd and Tiana Penintani Gray she has grabbed her No.7 jersey with both hands.

“There’s plenty of talent and knowledge here but definitely Tiana, she has influenced and helped me a lot,” Kiria-Ratu said.

“Since I came to this club she’s always come up to me and said if I needed anything or whatever, she’s always there.

“She’s pushed me and helped me get out of my comfort zone and urged me to speak up and be the voice on the field that I can be.”

Penitani Gray, whose Origin campaign for NSW was cut short by a leg injury sustained in the series opener, will miss the match against the Knights.

After finishing last season as hooker, Georgia Hannaway has been named at five-eighth, while Australian sevens co-captain Madison Higgins-Ashby makes her return to rugby league match from the interchange,

Kiria-Ratu had Georgia Hannaway and then Verran as her halves partner last year. But Verran is on maternity leave and hooker Brooke Anderson has signed with the Dragons.

The Sharks lost the preliminary final by the slimmest of margins (17-16) to the Roosters last September through a Jocelyn Kelleher field goal with a couple of minutes on the clock.

Kiria-Ratu kicked a field goal to beat the Knights 19-18 in Round 9 last year so that’s probably been on the Newcastle players’ minds in the lead-up to Round 1.

“I’m just so looking forward to this season. Coming off the back of last year we were super close so I’m excited to take that forward this year,” Kiria-Ratu said.

“I’ve got a lot of hunger to come back and play some good footy.”