Five new additions join Warriors Women as 2024 squad revealed under Denis Betts

Denis Betts, who won six league titles, seven Challenge Cups, three Premierships and two World Club Challenges as a player in a total of 367 appearances for Wigan’s men’s side, takes charge of the Women’s outfit for the first time.

He was appointed head coach on a two-year deal earlier in October.

Mia-Jayne Atherton has been promoted from the Greenmount Women’s Academy, having been crowned both players’ player of the year and academy player of steel at the women’s end of season awards for 2023.

She made her international debut for the England Community Lions against Serbia in 2023 and can feature at centre or in the back-row.

Alice Fisher joins the Warriors from Bradford Bulls, where she enjoyed five seasons and previously captained the club. Though originally from a rugby union background, she was introduced to rugby league when joining the RAF in 2011, later leading both RAF and UKAF teams that competed in the Annual Inter-Service Championships and the President’s Cup.

Ellise Derbyshire and Emma Knowles have made the switch from Leigh Leopards, with the latter having previously played for the Warriors Girls Academy.

Having also represented Warrington Wolves, Brogan Evans is another new player to join Betts’ squad from Salford.

With an impressive campaign last season, she earned her coaches’ player of the year and players’ player of the year accolades at their end of season awards in 2023.

Though making her England DiSE debut early last year, she then went on to be selected for Wales against England in November 2023 – becoming the 50th player to turn out for the international women’s side since its inception in 2019.

Full squad (in surname alphabetical order): Mia-Jayne Atherton*, Grace Banks, Sarah Bardsley, Alison Burrows, Mary Coleman, Ellie Costello, Anna Davies, Ellise Derbyshire*, Sinead Doria, Emma Dwyer, Brogan Evans*, Kerrie Evans, Alice Fisher*, Rebecca Greenfield, Jade Gregory-Haselden, Olivia Harborow, Bethany Hayes, Kaitlin Hilton, Eva Hunter, Lucy Johnson, Cerys Jones, Molly Jones, Emma Knowles*, Carys Marsh, Cailey Miller, Victoria Molyneux, Jodie Morris, Abbie Singleton, Holly Speakman, Ruth Thomas, Rachel Thompson.

*denotes new additions.