'Weapon of the year': Raiders finalise squad for 2024 campaign

They announced the final three spots in their top-24 squad for the upcoming NRLW campaign with the additions of Jaida Faleono, Relna Wuruki-Hosea and Tatiana Finau.

Faleono played for the Raiders' Tarsha Gale Cup under-19s team this year after moving from the Gold Coast.

The 18-year-old prop impressed so much she's forced her way into the NRLW squad off the back of her season.

She came through the Titans Academy and was a member of the Aussie 7s development squad.

Finau played for the Canterbury Bulldogs in their Tarsha Gale and NSW Women's Premiership sides.

The second-rower was also part of the NSW under-19s Origin squad last year.

Wuruki-Hosea has followed a similar path to Raiders hooker Emma Barnes.

Raiders coach Darrin Borthwick spotted the centre at the women's national championships on the Gold Coast, where she scored five tries for the Queensland Sapphires - just as he did with Barnes last year.

The 18-year-old was named the "weapon of the year" in the Queensland under-19 competition for the Brisbane Tigers.

She's been named in the Queensland under-19 emerging squad for the Origin game on June 20.

"Jaida came through our Tarsha Gale system, made the jump to come down and play in our 19s," Borthwick said.

"She's still a very young girl, but someone who has got a lot of promise. She'll definitely boost up our middles a bit.

"I'm looking forward to getting the best out of her and I think she'll add a lot to our middles and will put a lot of pressure on players to perform week-in, week-out.

"She's one that I'm really looking to seeing how she adapts to NRLW and what she adds to our team.

"Tatiana comes to us highly regarded. She's come through the Tarsha Gale system at another club and excelled at that club and played a bit of representative football.

"I'm really excited that she's taken up the opportunity to come here.

"She's a good player, she's quite handy. She's a goalkicker, she's going to offer a different element to our team as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing Tatiana's next step into the NRLW.

"Relna's story is very similar to the Emma Barnes story. I went up to the nationals and left some spots in our roster for that reason.

"When someone stands out in front of you, I didn't want to miss that opportunity and hold off too long so I jumped on that one pretty quickly.

"Relna is relatively young as well, but comes across a bit older, very mature type of player. I'm very, very excited to see what she's going to add to our team.

"She's got good speed, good agility and good hands. She's a little powerhouse and I can't wait to get to work with her.

"She's going to add a lot of pressure to the rest of our squad. I think pressure is good and will only bring out the best in everyone."

Meanwhile, England international Hollie-Mae Dodd is aiming to be ready for round one in her return from a knee reconstruction.

The Raiders second-row missed the final two games of their inaugural NRLW season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament against North Queensland.

She's back in the capital, having done a large part of her rehabilitation via Zoom from England.

"I was quite lucky that I did it at the back end of last season so I didn't miss too many games," Dodd said at the announcement Canberra Mazda would provide the Raiders' NRLW team with three cars this year.

"Hopefully I'll be back for round one, fingers crossed.

"I think it's about 10 months post operation for round one so fingers crossed everything goes to plan."