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Knights welcome underdogs tag ahead of NRLW prelim final
Joanna Guelas, AAP • September 27th, 2025 3:25 pm
Newcastle skipper Yasmin Clydsdale cant wait to set foot again inside the Suncorp Stadium cauldron | Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP
Newcastle are embracing their underdog status as they head into an NRLW preliminary final against Brisbane on enemy territory.
A formidable Broncos outfit at Suncorp Stadium is the final hurdle the Knights must clear to reach their third grand final, after last season's mass exodus.
Written off after Tamika Upton's exit headlined the list of outs, Newcastle are riding high following last Sunday's frenetic 34-20 semi-final win over Gold Coast.
But knocking out Brisbane will be no easy feat, with the three-time premiership side enjoying a weekend off after finishing second on the ladder.
Bronco Kerri Johnson previews Preliminary Final v Knights | The Six Again Podcast
Scott Prince's side lost just once across 11 rounds this season, finishing only behind the undefeated Sydney Roosters - who will play Cronulla in the other preliminary final.
The Roosters and Broncos have looked a class above after an expansion to 12 clubs in 2025, with a grand final between the two heavyweights seemingly inevitable on paper.
But Knights captain Yasmin Clydsdale believes her side are shaping as a dark horse.
Brisbane may be on an eight-game winning streak, but they haven't won an NRLW final since snaring a third title in 2020.
"It is different going in as the underdog. We've got no pressure on us," Clydsdale told AAP.
"If you look at the season, the Broncos and the Roosters, I get why people are creating that narrative.
"It is going to be a big challenge trying to take the Broncos down up at Suncorp, but no, we're up and ready to go for the fight ahead."
Yasmin Clydsdale celebrates after Newcastle's win in the 2023 decider | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Should the Knights triumph on Sunday, the 31-year-old Clydsdale will reach a fifth grand final.
"As a New South Wales person, it is definitely a hostile environment but I feel like we thrive in that environment," Clydsdale, who has won two State of Origins in blue at the venue, said.
"The girls are just really looking forward to it. I don't think many of the girls have played in a stadium that big.
"It's just an exciting opportunity for the younger players to get this chance and they're really ready to step up and take their opportunity."
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