Confidence in combinations boost Kirra's Knightly return

Kirra Dibb played her 50th NRLW game during Magic Round and that kind of experience shows why the bottom hasn’t fallen out of Newcastle like some predicted with the exit of NSW Origin star Jesse Southwell.

Don’t forget, it was the Southwell-Dibb halves pairing which won the NRLW premiership in 2022 before Dibb took up a three-year deal with the Cowboys.

The Indigenous All Stars representative returned to the Hunter this year and has linked with Georgia Roche after Southwell’s departure to the Broncos.

“Rochie and I get along very well,” Dibb told NRL.com.

“I think she’s an incredible player and our job together is to play to our own strengths and bounce off each other.

“It’s early phases of this new partnership, but if this is the floor, then I’m really excited to see what the ceiling is.”

Coach Ben Jefferies believes the off-field friendship between his No.6 and No.7 has really helped the delivery on the field.

They shared 10 kicks between them for 352 metres in the 32-12 win over the Eels last Sunday in Wagga Wagga.

“They’re really good mates off the field which helps,” Jeffries said.

“On the field they complement each other as Georgia likes to run the ball, Kirra is more of an organiser.

“There are days when Kirra is dominant and days when it’s Georgia, but they understand that.

“The main thing too is that they’re giving their edges space to move too.”

Indeed they are.

Between Roche and Kirra they had two line-break assists, and two try assists against the Eels.

Winger Mercedez Taulelei-Siala on Roche’s left side scored twice, while Sidney Taylor on Dibb’s outside stood up the opposition defenders to score in the right corner.

Dibb landed four from six conversions and is enjoying being back in the red-and-blue jersey.

“The media have their opinion, but for us, my job is doing my job,” Dibb said.

“I’m not filling a gap. What we do here as a group is new, it’s good, it’s working and that’s our focus.”

Taylor is a former Rugby Sevens player and is working extremely well with centre Shanice Parker.

“Having Sidney and Shanice out there … they are such dangerous runners,” Dibb said.

“This is the first year she’s played league in a while as she came from the Sevens.

“This is what she’s starting as? Imagine the connection on my edge as it starts to really grow – now that’s exciting."

The Knights third win of the season put them into the top-four, leap-frogging the Warriors who are Newcastle’s next opponent in Hamilton, New Zealand, next Saturday.

“I quite like flying under the radar. I did think in the beginning people were writing us off a little too quickly,” Dibb said, when asked if the Knights were being given enough attention as threats to top-of-the-table Broncos and Roosters.

“Now people are starting to notice what we’re capable of.

“But at the same time, any team outside the top two aren’t going to get as much attention as those two.

“We’ll just keep doing our job, get to finals and make something happen there too.”